She spent 37 years caring for firefighters and protecting their health. Her courage became especially clear during the September 11, 2001, attacks, when she rushed to the World Trade Center to help injured first responders. Even after that tragic day, she continued fighting for the medical care they needed.
Beyond her professional achievements, Kerry is a wife, mother of two sons, and grandmother. Her story brings together family, medicine, courage, and a lifelong commitment to helping others.
Quick Info About Kerry Kelly
| Personal Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kerry J. Kelly |
| Known As | Dr. Kerry Kelly |
| Birthplace | Staten Island, New York |
| Date of Birth | Not publicly established |
| Nationality | American |
| Family Background | Irish-American |
| Father | Former FDNY lieutenant |
| Mother | Helen Kelly |
| Siblings | Three brothers |
| Education | Vassar College, Brown University |
| Profession | Physician |
| Famous For | First female FDNY Chief Medical Officer |
| FDNY Career | 1981–2018 |
| Husband | Daniel A. Jost |
| Children | Colin Jost and Casey Jost |
| Grandchildren | Cosmo Jost and Mari Jost |
| Notable Work | FDNY Annual Medicals Program and 9/11 health advocacy |
Kerry Kelly’s Early Life and Childhood
Kerry Kelly grew up on Staten Island, New York, in a family with strong connections to the fire department. Her childhood surroundings introduced her to the importance of public service long before she became a doctor.
Her father worked as a firefighter, and her grandfather also served in the FDNY. One of her three brothers later followed the same profession.
Because of these family connections, firefighters were a familiar part of her life. She understood their work and the risks they faced while protecting their communities.
Kerry grew up in an Irish-American family and maintained strong ties to Staten Island throughout her adult life. Although her career eventually brought her into some of New York City’s most difficult situations, she remained connected to the neighborhood where she was raised.
Her family background later became especially meaningful when she joined the FDNY as a medical officer. She was not entering an unfamiliar organization. She was joining a department that had already played an important role in her family’s history.
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Her Parents and Family Background
Kerry Kelly’s father served as a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department. Her grandfather was also a firefighter, making public service an important part of the family’s history.
Growing up with firefighters in the family gave Kerry a personal connection to the people she would eventually care for as a physician.
Her father’s profession also helped her understand the demands of emergency work. Firefighters regularly face dangerous conditions, physical injuries, and long working hours.
Her mother, Helen Kelly, was another important member of the family. However, fewer details about Helen’s personal life and career have been widely documented.
Kerry also grew up with three brothers. One joined the FDNY, continuing the family’s tradition of serving New York City.
These family connections remained part of her identity as she developed her own career in medicine.
Kerry Kelly’s Education
Kerry Kelly received her early education on Staten Island and attended Notre Dame Academy.
After completing high school, she continued her studies at Vassar College in New York. The college provided her with an academic foundation for pursuing medicine.
She later attended Brown University, where she earned her medical degree.
Her education prepared her to diagnose illnesses, treat patients, and understand complicated medical conditions. These skills became especially important when she began working with firefighters.
Before becoming a senior medical leader, Kerry also gained experience treating patients in hospital and private medical settings.
She practiced family medicine on Staten Island, caring for patients with different health concerns.
This experience helped her develop a broad understanding of patient care. Rather than focusing on a single illness, she learned to consider a person’s overall health.
Her medical training eventually led her toward a career that combined everyday patient care with the unusual demands of emergency services.
How Kerry Kelly Started Her FDNY Career
Kerry Kelly joined the New York City Fire Department in 1981, becoming its first female medical officer.
Her appointment marked an important moment in the department’s history. At that time, women had relatively few opportunities in many fire service leadership positions.
However, Kerry’s responsibilities went far beyond breaking a gender barrier.
She helped evaluate firefighters’ health, identify medical problems, and support members who faced injuries or illnesses.
As her career progressed, she became the FDNY’s first female Chief Medical Officer.
She held that position for the final 24 years of her career and supervised physicians, nurses, and civilian employees within the Bureau of Health Services.
One of her most important achievements was helping establish the FDNY Annual Medicals Program.
The program provided firefighters with regular medical examinations. Doctors could monitor their health, identify changes, and recommend treatment when necessary.
These yearly examinations later became especially valuable after the September 11 attacks because they allowed medical professionals to compare firefighters’ health before and after their exposure to dangerous materials.
Kerry retired on March 16, 2018, after 37 years of service.
Kerry Kelly’s Heroic Role During 9/11
September 11, 2001, became one of the most important and difficult days of Kerry Kelly’s life.
That morning, she was making rounds at a Staten Island hospital when she learned that an airplane had struck the World Trade Center.
After seeing smoke coming from one of the towers on television, she understood that FDNY members would need medical assistance.
She immediately traveled to Lower Manhattan.
When she arrived near the World Trade Center, firefighters and emergency workers were responding to an increasingly dangerous situation.
One of the first injured firefighters she helped was Daniel Suhr, who had suffered devastating injuries after a person fell from one of the towers.
Kerry and other responders attempted to save him, but he did not survive.
Shortly afterward, the South Tower collapsed.
Kerry took shelter as thick dust and debris filled the surrounding streets. She survived the collapse and continued helping injured people.
At one point, she realized that the sandals she was wearing made it difficult to move through the damaged area. She found her car and changed into sneakers.
Instead of leaving, she continued working.
She helped establish temporary medical treatment areas where doctors could examine injured firefighters and civilians. Her team eventually moved its medical operations to Pace University.
As the day continued, Kerry also worked to identify firefighters who were injured, missing, or receiving hospital treatment.
The experience stayed with her long after September 11.
Today, the dust-covered sandals she wore during the South Tower’s collapse form part of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum collection.
They remain a reminder of her actions during one of the darkest days in American history.
Her Work for 9/11 First Responders
Kerry Kelly’s responsibilities continued long after the rescue operations ended.
Firefighters and other emergency workers had spent hours, days, and sometimes months working around the damaged World Trade Center.
During that time, many breathed dust, smoke, and other harmful substances.
Over the following years, doctors began identifying serious health problems among people exposed to the disaster site.
These included respiratory illnesses, cancers, and mental health conditions.
Kerry understood that firefighters needed long-term medical attention rather than treatment only when symptoms became severe.
She worked with other medical professionals to monitor their health and investigate illnesses connected to World Trade Center exposure.
The FDNY Annual Medicals Program became particularly useful during this period.
Because firefighters had received examinations before the attacks, doctors could compare earlier medical records with later results.
This helped researchers understand how exposure affected their health.
Kerry also spoke before congressional committees about the medical needs of first responders.
Alongside other physicians and advocates, she supported continued funding for health monitoring and treatment.
Her efforts contributed to the broader work that eventually supported the federal World Trade Center Health Program.
Even after retiring from the FDNY, she continued helping active and retired members through the department’s World Trade Center Health Program.
Her work showed that caring for first responders did not end when an emergency was over.
Her Awards and Achievements
Kerry Kelly received recognition for her medical leadership and dedication to New York City’s firefighters.
Her appointment as the first female FDNY medical officer was an important achievement. Becoming the department’s first female Chief Medical Officer added another milestone to her career.
However, her contributions also included important improvements in firefighter health care.
The annual medical examination program helped establish a system for identifying health concerns and tracking changes over time.
After September 11, she also contributed to medical research examining the long-term effects of World Trade Center exposure.
In 2022, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum welcomed her to its Board of Trustees.
She has also participated in educational programs that help younger generations understand the experiences of first responders.
In 2025, Staten Island Women, Inc. honored her as one of its Women of Achievement.
These honors reflect her years of service and the important role she played in improving medical support for firefighters.
Kerry Kelly’s Husband, Daniel A. Jost
Kerry Kelly is married to Daniel A. Jost, a retired teacher and former engineering professional.
The couple married in 1975 and built their family life on Staten Island.
Daniel worked in engineering before pursuing a career in education. He later became a teacher at Staten Island Technical High School.
His professional life focused on helping students develop practical knowledge and prepare for their futures.
Although Kerry and Daniel followed different career paths, both worked in professions connected to public service.
Their family experienced the September 11 attacks from different locations.
While Kerry worked near the World Trade Center, Daniel was teaching at his school on Staten Island.
Many of his students had relatives working as firefighters or emergency responders.
He helped students manage the frightening situation while worrying about his own wife’s safety.
Their son Colin also contacted Daniel to ask whether his mother was safe.
The experience became an important part of the family’s history.
In later years, Kerry and Daniel shared their memories of September 11 through educational programs organized by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
Their marriage has lasted more than five decades.
Meet Her Son Colin Jost
Kerry Kelly’s older son, Colin Jost, is an American comedian, writer, and television personality.
He is best known for his work on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, where he became a writer and co-anchor of the popular Weekend Update segment.
Colin joined the show’s writing staff in 2005 and gradually became one of its most recognizable personalities.
He also wrote the memoir A Very Punchable Face, which shares stories about his childhood, education, and entertainment career.
Colin married actress Scarlett Johansson in 2020.
The couple welcomed their son, Cosmo, in 2021. Colin is also stepfather to Johansson’s daughter, Rose, from her previous marriage.
Although Colin works in comedy, his mother’s career has connected him to a very different side of New York City’s history.
During the September 11 attacks, he was studying at Harvard University and worried about her safety.
In October 2001, Kerry visited him after weeks of demanding work.
Their family experiences during that period remain part of the personal story behind Colin’s public career.
Meet Her Younger Son Casey Jost
Kerry Kelly’s younger son, Casey Jost, also works in the entertainment industry.
He is a comedian, writer, and producer known for his involvement with the television series Impractical Jokers.
Casey has worked on comedy projects and developed his career behind the scenes as well as in front of audiences.
He is married to Lisa Kleinman, and the couple has a daughter named Mari.
Casey also shares a meaningful connection with his mother’s experience after September 11.
During the difficult weeks following the attacks, he wrote her a supportive note.
In the message, he expressed his appreciation for her work and reassured her that the family would manage things at home.
Kerry kept the note, showing how meaningful it was to her.
Both Colin and Casey followed creative careers, while their parents worked in medicine and education.
Together, the family has connections to several different parts of New York City’s professional and cultural life.
Kerry Kelly’s Personal Life and Net Worth
Outside her medical career, Kerry Kelly has maintained strong connections to her family and Staten Island community.
She and her husband raised two sons and later became grandparents.
Her professional life has also remained connected to the firefighters and medical workers she served for decades.
In interviews and public appearances, she has spoken about the importance of protecting first responders and supporting people affected by the September 11 attacks.
She has also participated in educational discussions with her husband, helping students understand the events of that day through personal experiences.
As for her finances, Kerry has not publicly disclosed a verified personal net worth.
Her long medical career included senior leadership responsibilities, private medical practice, and work connected to firefighter health programs.
However, her personal financial details remain separate from her sons’ entertainment careers.
Her professional achievements provide a clearer picture of her life than any unsupported estimate of her wealth.
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Final Thoughts
Kerry Kelly is much more than Colin Jost’s mother. She is an experienced physician who spent 37 years protecting the health of New York City’s firefighters.
Her career included several historic achievements, including becoming the FDNY’s first female medical officer and Chief Medical Officer.
Her actions during September 11 showed her dedication to helping people in dangerous situations. Her continued work afterward helped first responders receive medical attention for serious long-term illnesses.
Today, her story remains closely connected to the history of the FDNY, the families affected by 9/11, and the importance of caring for those who serve their communities.
FAQs About Kerry Kelly
1. Who is Kerry Kelly?
Kerry Kelly is an American physician and former FDNY Chief Medical Officer. She is also the mother of Saturday Night Live comedian Colin Jost.
2. How old is Kerry Kelly in 2026?
Her exact birthday has not been established through reliable public records, so a precise age cannot be given.
3. Who is Kerry Kelly’s husband?
She is married to Daniel A. Jost, a retired teacher who worked at Staten Island Technical High School. The couple married in 1975.
4. What is Kerry Kelly famous for?
She is famous for becoming the FDNY’s first female Chief Medical Officer and helping firefighters during and after the September 11 attacks.
5. How many children does Kerry Kelly have?
She has two sons, Colin Jost and Casey Jost. Both work in the entertainment industry.
6. What did Kerry Kelly do during 9/11?
She traveled to the World Trade Center, helped injured firefighters, survived the South Tower’s collapse, and organized emergency medical treatment areas.
7. What is Kerry Kelly’s net worth?
Kerry Kelly has not disclosed a verified personal net worth. Her financial information is not publicly established.
8. Is Kerry Kelly still working?
She retired from her full-time FDNY position in 2018 but continued working with the department’s World Trade Center Health Program to support first responders affected by 9/11.
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