After decades in public service, the City of Newburgh's fire chief says he never imagined his time leading the department would end abruptly.

But on Thursday, F.J. Spinelli, a 33-year fire service veteran, told News 12 he was suddenly forced to resign last week after warning city officials that the department was dangerously understaffed and that firefighters were being put at risk.

“The staffing requests I’ve made in the last five budget cycles have been unanswered,” Spinelli said.

The City Of Newburgh is among the poorest communities in New York, with one of the highest crime rates in the state – making the fire department's role critical for public safety.

In a letter sent to city officials in September, Spinelli warned that the fire department was dangerously understaffed and that one engine company was frequently out of service because of manpower shortages. He also said firefighter injuries were on the rise and that response times had increased as crews were forced to cover more calls with fewer resources.

Spinelli, who retired after 29 years of fire service as deputy chief in Hartsdale, explained that under state law, retired public employees who collect a pension must obtain a Section 211 waiver from New York state to continue working for another municipality. He said he’d received that approval every year since joining Newburgh in 2021, but this year, the state denied it.

Spinelli says he was told by city officials shortly before his resignation on Oct. 16 that the state approval had been denied and that city officials declined to file an appeal effectively ending his employment.

His resignation was supposed to take effect on Oct. 23, but he says the city instead relieved him of his duties after going public about his concerns as of Tuesday, preventing him from returning for his planned final walkout.

“The issue I have is it was calculated and there was no exit plan for me — or for me to transition the department over to a new leader,” he said.

Spinelli says the department continues to handle thousands of emergency calls each year with limited staff and equipment, while some top city officials are up for raises this year.

“It’s needless. It’s waste,” he said.

He says changes to staffing rules have left engines out of service and slowed response times.

“It used to be if we dropped below ten persons, we’d hire an overtime person,” Spinelli said. “He lowered that number to seven — which puts an engine out of service every time someone’s off. We’ve seen an increase in injuries, and it takes about 30 percent longer to stretch a hose and get water on the fire.”

City officials declined to comment and said they do not comment on personnel matters, but confirmed they appointed Assistant Chief Paul Pullar to the position of Fire Chief.

Spinelli spoke to News 12 from his 26-acre tree farm in the Town of Newburgh, where he says he’s focusing on his retirement and what’s next.

“Someone asked me if I would return,” Spinelli said. “Not under this administration, no.”