Boston Fire Department Chief Steve Abraira resigned this week. He will be stepping down on June 7, with Chief of Operations John Hasson selected to become acting Chief. Abraira was named chief less than two years ago, in December of 2011.
According to a Boston Globe report, the resignation came after Abraira clashed with his 13 deputy chiefs. Abraira was the first fire chief in Boston history to have been hired from outside the department, which may have also played a role.
Abraira penned a letter to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino this week, stating that he “never had the support of a number of members of the Department who preferred that the Chief be selected from within the ranks of the Department itself.” He also accused a “vocal and aggressive minority” of opposing his efforts to modernize the department.
According to the Globe, Abraira’s deputy chiefs had sent a letter to the Mayor back in April, accusing Abraira of poor leadership during the Boston Marathon Bombings.
