Driver in firetruck crash: Lt. Kelley was a hero

So very sorry for your loss. He sounds like a great father and firefighter.

may the city's thoughts and prayers go out to the kelley family in their time of struggle, i know mine do. when i was little and my mother's friend, who was a librarian, died i told my mother that god needed the best librarian for his library. this made my mother smile a little. i hope it makes the kelley family smile to know that god needed the best fire captain to lead his fire house.

TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF KEVIN KELLEY,
MY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU.
I DON'T KNOW YOU BUT I DO KNOW YOUR FATHER HAD TO BE A VERY SPECIAL PERSON TO CHOOSE A CAREER THAT IS HEROIC AND UNSELFISH. I HAVE MANY FAMILY MEMBERS AND FREINDS WHO ARE ALSO
FIRE FIGHTERS OR POLICE OFFICERS AND THEY ARE TRULY HERO'S
TO ME.
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN MOVE BEYOND ANY NEGATIVITY THAT YOU WILL
HEAR FROM THOSE WHO ARE HEARTLESS AND CRUEL .
ELLEN K

This article has been posted for an hour and I am the first to post. Wow. Is that because most of the readers won't come in here and spew their normal negative comments? No doubt this man saved the lives of his coworkers and countless civilians who could have been mowed down by an out of control rig. Everyone should be in this post thanking this man for dedicating his life to saving others during his 30 years of service. This serves as a commentary on today's society. People are so eager to criticize but hesitant to praise. Until that changes things in this world will continue to spin out of control. Unfortunately we are one hero less. Rest in piece Lieutenant Kelley. You will be missed.

Dear Kelley Family,
Your grief must be almost unbearable. Kevin was an example of someone who gave his life in service to others. Not for any praise or recognition, but because it was the right thing to do. He laid down his life for his friends last week and that heroic act should comfort you a little. May God grant him a special place of rest and may you be comforted knowing that others care.

Sooner or later, heaven gets all the Firefighters...
One of these days soon, they'll band together, and they're going to put HELL out.
Rest in peace Lt. Kelly. Know that many are grateful for your service and courage, and that of all Firefighters around the world.

Boston's Finest right there...

RIP, good sir.

And best of luck to the Kelley family. My thoughts and prayers go out to your whole family in this rough time. I can't even imagine what you all are going through... May God bless you all.

Good for you Proudjake, I couldn't agree with you more. Everyone is always so quick to be so hateful and negative on so many boards. Kevin Kelley's tragic death has stunned me. My heart goes our to his wife and daughters and all his family, friends and fellow firefighters. May God be with you all.

Rest in Peace Sir.

God bless The Kelley family. I have met your farther a couple of times.
He wasa good jake.I know that he will be sadly missed by his coworkers.

I worked with Lt. Kelley when we shot a documentary about his firehouse a few years back He was a very fun guy, good-natured and always a professional. No matter what the situation, he was always calm and in-control. He's was a good man, as are all the firefighters we had the pleasure to work with. We thank them all for their service.

First of all I want to say I am extremely sad to hear of the Kelley family's loss and my deepest condolencsed go out to them. I hate to bring politics into the discussion here, but I do feell it appropriate given the circumstance of Lt. Kelley's death. We are in a serious recession and the state is facing the task of cutting even more funds from out cities and towns essential functions(fire, police, and schools). This has been a problem for longer than the recession has been going on. When the Federal Government created Homeland Security it decided to cut funding from police and fire for the local communities unless it was directly related to terrorism. This money is going to the possiblity of attacks in the future instead of the very real and very current needs of our communities. The fact that this man died because of a brake failure should a complete embarassment to our government. A firefighter should never ever die because the equipment he has is not up to par. What if that truck had hit a child? What if your house is on fire and they can't put it out because their equipment isn't working? We need a total refocus in this country of how and where we spend our money. What good is it fighting terrorism if we can't even fight the problems that face us every day on the streets we live one.

Dear Kelley Family,
I am so sorry.

Just last week I was complaining about my minor accident after sliding down Frawley St sideways after the ice storm. (Frawley St is parallel to Parker Hill Ave.) I was stuck there until 3am, when a sand truck sanded the street and I had enough traction to make it down safely. I then caught myself in my negativity and thought "it could be a lot worse." To think that in the end, I was lucky. The point is, no matter how bad we think life can be at times, someone out there has it worse, and we should be more grateful for the time we have with our friends and loved ones. My heart goes out to the Kelley family. As Megan said above, maybe God just needed the best firefighter in heaven. God Bless you all, and may He comfort you in this difficult time.

May he be granted eternal rest, and light perpetual shine upon him.

Proud Jake, you are so right with that statement! I am so sick of some people who have no clue as to what you guys go thru and then to comment on it, makes me ill.
I have two nephews who are both veterans who have fought for this country and came home to get on the BFD. The thought of someone talking about them when they don't even know what kind of men they are, is overwhelming for me.
Rest in peace Lt. Kelley and may your family get thru this awful tragedy.

My deepest sympathy to the Kelley Family. Your dad is a hero. He died doing what he loved best, helping others. May those thoughts comfort you during this time of grief. May it also comfort you to know all of the support from friends and family, the firefighters, the city and all your neighbors.

Thanks proudjake.. You are so right. I guess all the out-of-towners who think MA residents are so evil because they don't agree with them politically were silenced by this story. There are heroes and there are jerks (unfortunately) everywhere.

I wish the Kelley family only the best.

To the Kelley Family:
Your husband, dad, brother and uncle is resting in the palm of God's hand. May your memories sustain you in the weeks and months to come & may you find solace in the fact that Kevin loved his job and performed it admirably right to the end. Thank you for the sacrifice you have made through the years as the loved one of a Firefighter....crazy work schedules, working on holidays and weekends when other dads and husbands were with their families.
Thank you for sharing Kevin so he could protect us, the residents of Boston.

My heart goes out to the Kelley Family, you lost a great man!!!! He will be missed, but you can be proud of the legacy he has left for others to bear witness too.. I wish your family the very best, and may God give you peace and strength during this difficult time.

To the Firefighters of Ladder 26 and Engine 37 stay strong and support each other, your a great family and a great Firehouse. The City of Boston lost a great Firefighter, Teacher, Mentor, and respected Officer...

I have been one to be critical of the union and its rep in response to previous articles, but hopefully was not disrespectful to Lt. Kelley. It was my childhood dream to be a fireman, and probably still is, though cannot ever really happen now. Lt. Kelley lived a hero, and unfortunately for us all and most especially his family, died, but still a hero to the very end.
Rest in peace lieutenant, rest, in peace.

You're right, Proud Jake...this isn't the time to say that we hope all public servants, our educators most particularly, deserve the same reverence and respect as our firefighters. May Lt. Kelley's memory be a blessing.

Fix the trucks. If your gonna put these men and woman in a position to save lives.

Equip them with the best. Safety First.

Find the funding.

Spare no cost if they are going to put their lives on the line for the public's safety.

Rest in peace LT. Kelley.

My deepest condolences to the Kelley family and Boston Firefighters on the loss of such an admirable man.

A FIREFIGHTER'S PRAYER TO ST. FLORIAN
I summon you St. Florian, patron and protector of Firefighters.

Be at my side as I start my daily assignment to serve and protect my community.

Offer me, and my fellow Firefighters the shield of your protection. Guide me safely through the flames that have the potential to devastate my fellow man and their property.

Grand me alertness to be on my guard against all dangers and the courage to act bravely even when my heart is filled with fear.

I ask these things in God's name.

Amen

An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

kelley family, we here in our little family are so sorry for your loss. we live the life too, right down to the mon and 3 daughters and the man goes to the firehouse to bond... our hearts are heavy for you all and wish you peace.

bob oneill, you can drive me and mine anywhere, we ar very proud of you. you accomplished something most people could not do. stay strong

POST #23: "Fix the trucks. If your gonna put these men and woman in a position to save lives.
Equip them with the best. Safety First.
Find the funding.
Spare no cost if they are going to put their lives on the line for the public's safety."

SOLUTION: funding can be found by restructuring the pension and disability system that is being abused by city and state workers, including firefighters (Arroyo ring a bell?). Instead of granting bloated pensions and shady retirement/disability packages, spend the money on better equipment and maintenance.

Obviously, the loss of a hero firefighter should not be demeaned here, and I am in the same state of shock and grief as the rest on this blog. But why does it take a tragedy like this for the idiots in the government and unions to realize that money is being mis-spent?

What a tragedy! God bless this man and his family and friends.

As a Grandson of a former Boston Fireman, I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the entire Kelley family.I am sure these are difficult times for you all.With God's help and with the passage of time, this terrible burden of sorrow you now experience, will pass.

I am so sorry for your loss-- a true hero-- my thoughts and prayers are with your family...

When I'm called to duty god
wherever flames may rage
give me strength to save a life
whatever be its age

Help me to embrace a little child
before it is too late
or save an older person from
the horror of that fate

Enable me to be alert
to hear the weakest shout
and quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out

I want to fill my calling and
to give the best in me
to guard my neighbor and
protect his property

And if according to your will
I have to lose my life
bless with your protecting hand
my children and my wife

We,ll miss you very much Lt.Kevin Kelley,Peace be with you and may God watch over your family.

My thanks to the Kelley family for sharing your husband and father with us. We are most grateful.

When I think of the money being spent to prove the guilt of scumbags like Wilkinson and Turner and how it could have gone to the maintenance of the truck that killed this brave hero, I want to throw up. There isn't a single member of Boston city government that is fit to lick the boots of this fallen jake. I hope they realize that his blood is on their hands and may he rest in peace.

Sincere condolences to the Kelley family. Does anyone know if there was an attempt to use the emergency brake on the truck or was there a problem with that also? Luckily the traffic light was green at the time. The trolley commonly is at that intersection when there is a red light, so it could have been alot worse. Proper equipment for emergency services and for our soldiers should always be paramount. God knows there are not enough people who care about others, esp. to this extent, the least we can do is support them in every way possible.

I can't believe the FF union blamed the Mayor!
They're using the death of a hero for their own polital football inorder to avoid peeing in a cup.

To the Kelley family, I am so very sorry for your loss.
I read and hear plenty of blame going around with respect to responsibility for this tragic accident. QUESTION: Why was the driver reportedly pumping the brakes? My understanding is that this truck was equipped with air brakes on which pumping has zero effect and, is even counter productive wasting compressed air, if any existed. Bigger question: Why didn't the driver apply the emergency brake and/or engage the lowest gear or reverse in the case of an automatic transmission? Was the driver qualified to operate the vehicle?