The city’s Retirement Board has blocked Fire Chief Brian Moriarty from firing a 250-pound firefighter who the chief alleged is unfit for duty because of his weight.
Morarity directed firefighter Alfredo Sanchez, a 17-year-veteran of the force, to retire when Sanchez returned from an 18-month disability leave after tearing a ligament in his knee. The chief told Sanchez he is too obese for the work, which can include carrying heavy loads such as equipment and people up and down ladders.
Sanchez, who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and has weighed as much as 299 pounds during his firefighting career, refused to quit.
Moriarty responded by filing an involuntary retirement petition with the Retirement Board, which rejected it in a 5-0 vote immediately after a 45 minute hearing Tuesday, according to Michael Sacco, a lawyer for the board. The board includes Kevin Loughlin, deputy chief of the Fire Department.