MIRAMAR, Fla. — A now-former Florida fire chief allegedly interfered in the city’s firefighter hiring process to help his son, according to a recently released internal investigation.
Former Miramar Fire Chief Ramon Perez was fired in March over allegations of nepotism and interference in the city’s firefighter hiring process, Miami New Times reported. In the termination letter signed by Assistant City Manager Adam L. Burden, Perez was cited for violating City Ordinance Code 16-324, which bars employees from participating in hiring decisions involving relatives
Although Perez had formally stated he would “have no participation or influence in this selection process,” an internal investigation found he took steps that directly benefited his son’s advancement within the department.
The controversy centers on an October 2022 firefighter exam, where only 3 of 59 candidates passed, including Perez’s son, who scored the highest. Investigators say Perez instructed a friend, Lucas Gonzalez, to help create the test, despite Gonzalez having ties to top scorers and no experience in writing firefighter exams, raising concerns of favoritism and conflict of interest.
A week before the exam, Perez allegedly directed his friend Gonzalez to work solely with another employee, Torres, to create the written test, despite Torres having no prior experience developing firefighter exams. Investigators said Perez “knew or should have known” this setup created the appearance of a conflict of interest, since Gonzalez had access to the exam.
At a November 2022 selection meeting, a hiring committee agreed to rank candidates by seniority. Witnesses say Perez overruled the decision and reordered the list, putting his son and a friend’s son in the top two spots to ensure their hiring.
The investigation also found Perez ensured his son wasn’t coded as a SAFER hire to avoid the risk of future job loss when the grant funding expired.
Perez, an at-will employee, was reminded he could be fired without cause, ordered to return city property, and barred from city facilities without a police escort. His bio has been removed from the city’s website.
Perez Miramar Police Chief Report 1 by Lexipol_Media_Group on Scribd
