Boston Fire Chief Resigns in Wake of Bombing Criticism

Boston Fire Chief Resigns in Wake of Bombing Criticism

Boston Fire Chief Steve Abraira resigned yesterday following growing criticism of how he handled April's Boston Marathon bombings.

In a letter to Mayor Thomas Menino and Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser, Abraira cited a "vocal and aggressive minority" for consistently resisting his efforts to reform the department since he was appointed - as the first Latino Chief - in 2011.

But it was a different letter that sealed Abraira's fate:

On April 26, numerous deputies wrote to Menino and complained that the chief gave up control of the investigation s to federal authorities. In part, this memo read:

"At a time when the City of Boston needed every first responder to take decisive action, Chief Abraira failed to get involved in operational decision-making or show any leadership."

Abraira  was later referred to as a "ghost fire chief" at a City Council meeting.

The first chief hired outside the union, Abraira wrote that said Fraser's "selection of me as Chief 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."

A spokesperson for the fire department responded to Abraira's resignation with a simple statement: "We thank the chief for his service to the people of Boston."

The Hollywood Gossip