July 11, 2011 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced today the election of Harold A. Schaitberger to the Board of Directors, which took place during the June Board meeting in Boston.

Schaitberger is general president of the 300,000-member International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), the largest fire fighter and paramedics union in the world. The IAFF represents more than 85 percent of the professional fire fighters and paramedics in the United States and Canada. Elected by the membership in 2000, he is currently serving his third, four-year term as General President.

“Harold Schaitberger is one of the most respected leaders in the fire service and we are delighted that he is joining the NFPA Board,” said James M. Shannon, president of NFPA.

Schaitberger began his fire service career in 1966 as a fire fighter in Fairfax County, Va., where he rose to the rank of lieutenant. He organized the first IAFF local in that jurisdiction, Local 2068, and went on to be elected the local’s first president in 1971. Two years later he was elected and served as president of the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters.

In 1976, he moved to the IAFF’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. to create the union’s political and legislative programs. In 1988, he was named chief of staff of the IAFF and service in that position until his election to president in 2000.

Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009, Schaitberger currently serves on the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Board to Secretary Janet Napolitano.

He serves on the AFL-CIO Executive Committee and has been a vice president of the AFL-CIO Executive Council since 2000. He is chair of the Board of Directors of the IAFF Foundation and serves as a vice president of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of America. He also served on the NFPA Professional Qualifications and Standards Committee in the 1970s.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.