Firefighter may lose job for serving in Iraq and having PTSD

A veteran fights to keep his job
Chief looks to terminate firefighter being treated for PTSD for not working
By Brendan J. Lyons
July 9, 2012

Jeffrey Wright sits on the porch of his home Friday, July 6, 2012 in Troy, N.Y. Wright is a war veteran diagnosed with PTSD and is a married father of four. The City of Troy Fire Department is seeking to fire him due to fire chief's decision not to allow him to work. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

TROY — The Troy fire chief is trying to fire a firefighter who is undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder related to his military service in the Iraq war.

Jeffrey Wright, 36, had once served as grand marshal of a city parade.

He was an Army Reserve staff sergeant who became a city firefighter in 2007, about two years after he returned from Iraq. He was notified in writing last December by Chief Thomas O. Garrett that he is being targeted for termination. Wright said he has not worked since February 2010 and has been undergoing treatment for PTSD since 2009 related to his combat service.

"The city of Troy's records reflect that you have been continuously absent from the Troy Fire Department and unable to perform the duties of firefighter for more than one year by reason of a disability other than a disability resulting from an occupational injury or disease," Garrett wrote in the letter to Wright. "As permitted by Section 73 of the NYS Civil Service Law, it is the city's intention to terminate your employment ..."
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