Fire chief quits over Boston blasts handling

BOSTON -- Boston's fire chief announced his resignation Monday, saying public criticism from his deputies for the way he responded to the marathon bombings has made it impossible for him to do his job.

Chief Steve Abraira said in a letter that his resignation is effective Friday.

Thirteen of the department's 14 deputy chiefs complained to Mayor Tom Menino in a letter 11 days after the April 15 bombings that Abraira's failure to take command of the scene was indefensible and part of a pattern of shirking leadership.

"You can unequivocally consider this letter a vote of no confidence in Chief Abraira," said the letter, which was first reported by The Boston Globe.

Abraira has said his command staff had the bombing scene under control and he acted according to national standards, which dictate the chief takes charge only if something is going wrong.

In his resignation letter, he wrote, "The baseless attacks by the Deputy Chiefs, especially their actions of making this a matter of public debate by leaking their letter of April 26th to the press, has made it impossible for me to continue to do my job." Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser accepted Abraira's resignation and wishes him well, said fire department spokesman Steve MacDonald.

Abraira, the city's first Hispanic chief, was also the first hired from outside the department's own union. He led the Dallas department and was an assistant chief in Miami before coming to Boston in 2011.

Abraira said his outsider status hindered his efforts to modernize the department.