State Board Clears Weinburgh; Former Firefighter Keeps Pension

Paul A. Weinburgh taking part in this summer’s Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge in downtown Haverhill. His participation led to a complaint being filed with the state.

Former Haverhill firefighter Paul A. Weinburgh remains “unable to perform the essential duties” required of a firefighter and will continue to receive his disability pension, a state review board has ruled.

Weinburgh, 50, was the subject of a complaint this summer when he participated in a Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge in downtown Haverhill despite receiving a disability pension. Without discussing specifics, the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission revealed its findings in a letter to Weinburgh and the Haverhill Retirement Board.

“I chose to take that risk,” Weinburgh told WHAV Tuesday, explaining why he participated in the challenge. “I don’t want to sit on the couch. I’m half the athlete I was.” He said physicians forced him into retirement because his high risk of bleeding is a “liability to the fire department.” He noted he has a metal filter in his chest and is susceptible to bleeding because he takes the blood thinning medicine Coumadin for blood clots. He explained he was injured on the job in 2010 and four resulting surgeries left him with a blood clot on his lung.

Weinburgh said state officials made their recent decision based on his medical records alone and without a formal hearing. He said he is used to hearing allegations, but it troubles him when his children and grandchildren hear such claims.

“My kids get upset…‘My dad would never do something like that,’” he said. “This will never stop.”

Firefighter Says He Will Remain Active

Former Haverhill firefighter Paul A. Weinburgh says he tries to remain active despite his disability.

Former Haverhill firefighter Paul A. Weinburgh says he tries to remain active despite his disability.

Weinburgh said he will continue to remain active—at least as much as his health will allow. For example, he said, he recently trained six Haverhill police officers to compete in the Firefighters Combat Challenge National Championship that took place Oct. 7 and 8, in Reno, Nev. Haverhill was the first police department in 25 years to participate. Officers included Shawn O’Brien, Christopher Pagliura, Jared Brady, John Little and Nicole Donnelly.

The firefighter was hired in 1997 and was a former president of Haverhill Firefighters Local 1011. Weinburgh contends attacks on him are political and retaliation for his role in suing the city for harassment a decade ago. In that case, he complained the city was bypassing Haverhill residents and hiring New Hampshire people as firefighters contrary to the city’s residency requirements. He said he received a $90,000 cash settlement in 2008 or 2009 after filing a federal suit against the city and then-Fire Chief Richard B. Borden.

It is unknown who filed the complaint with PERAC. “It is not our practice to discuss the source of referrals that we receive nor the action that we may undertake in response,” John W. Parsons, PERAC general counsel, told WHAV.

4 thoughts on “State Board Clears Weinburgh; Former Firefighter Keeps Pension

  1. This thieving hack should have lost his job and any chance at a pension five years ago when he conspired with 29 of his hack brother fire fighters to steal over $54,000.00 from Haverhill taxpayers when they all intentionally falsified EMT documents. Not only did they knowingly STEAL money they weren’t entitled to, they put lives in danger for not being current on their EMT training. If Haverhill had a real mayor, instead of the hack liberal fraud we have now, this felon would have gone to jail.

    Hey Paul, are your kids saying “My dad would never do something like that” about your lying and thievery from the taxpayers of Haverhill ?

    • Funny talk to the Mayor he made one of those hacks the Fire Chief…. And as for the Firefighters in Haverhill involved get the number correct Please next time. Every one of those men paid their dues and did what the City asked them to do as did the other 2,500 EMT’s Paramedic’s and Firefighters in Massachusetts. Residents in Haverhill have great Police and Fire Department and as a Tax Payer living in Haverhill knowing what the Police and Fire deal with I know how lucky we are. I’m not the biggest fan of the Mayor but he placed down a punishment then stood by the Department in most situations after that.

      Jack next time stay on topic and comment on what the story is about ok. You feel need to mention my children that’s a little personal but I will give you an opportunity anytime you like to talk to me in Person, 978-360-0022.

      I’m guessing jack I won’t hear from you because your probably a guy who didn’t make the fire department and this is your way to discredit the men who did. Firefighters are lot of thing cowards isn’t one of them…. So if I don’t hear from you only one coward here Jack….. Please don’t waste my time yapping on here I won’t respond, you have my number. 🙂

      Was a great job and I miss it every day…..

      To all Public Safty Employees…. Be Safe

      • Let’s be very clear about my quote about your children regarding your actions as a city employee. “YOU” are the one that interjected your children into to this issue!!! If YOU didn’t want to make it personal why did you try to elicit sympathy by bringing them up publicly in the first place? Don’t go pulling the “personal” card with me just because YOU weren’t smart enough to understand to consequences of your actions. But of course, you have a history of that, don’t you? Informing the public about the actions and history of a city employee is staying on topic. The story is about YOU. How about if I go into detail about how you went out on disability a couple of years ago after simply stepping over a snow bank? Or how about if I explain your role in the sick time scam you hacks were all pulling to rack up overtime and rip off city taxpayers? Would it make you happy if I explained how you enabled a city fire fighter who was in jail to continue collecting a paycheck while you intentionally made sure the Fire Chief and mayor knew nothing about it? Should I keep going about what a stellar employment record you’ve had working for the city?

        Your response to the slap on the wrist you all got is that it wasn’t so bad because there were 2,500 other criminal employees state wide who also committed the same crimes? Although not surprising to hear this from someone like, what is amazing is you have absolutely no clue how offensive that remark is to the hard working taxpayers of Haverhill who paid your salary. You know those people, the ones with jobs who didn’t steal from their employer, and will forever look at you for the thief that you are.

        In the real world, outside of the hackarama looney liberal Jimmy Taxman provides for all of you, you would have ended up in jail on felony conspiracy, felony theft, and felony falsification of medical certification charges. YOU are, and forever always will be, a confirmed thief and felon!! Tax paying citizens of Haverhill have a right to know this about you!!! I will say that I had a good laugh with your justification that all your lying, thievery and felonious actions are somehow okay because the fraud mayor appointed to Fire Chief one of your brother hacks who committed the same crimes you did. What a role model, huh? Make sure you and the boys get out to vote for Jimmy Failure !!!

        You miss it every day, do ya?
        Well, we don’t miss you !!!!

      • Paul,

        I thank you for doing your job. I am not FF and will not pretend to know what you guys do… but… why was it O.K. for you to complain about the promotion but say nothing when you, not worried about anyone else, but you, participated in the obvious EMT scam?
        You complained about being passed over because of the rules yet obviously looked the other way when it went your way while receiving money you did not earn. Period.
        I agree J.I.H. should have never brought your kids into the conversation but you need to at least admit that you are part of the reason the taxpayers are fed up with this crap.
        You were wrong and over the years I have yet to hear you admit it. You committed a felony, plain and simple. You received a pass, it is what it is, yet you still want to defend yourself. Take some responsibility for yourself and stop including the others who did this also. You were a CAPT, a leader, yet you tow the same line as if you were a innocent pawn. Might be time to grow up.
        Paul…Jack is not a coward for not giving out his number. Only a moron would give it out on a local comment section. I am not calling you a moron. I just personally would never give it out.
        I am glad you stay active and healthy. I don’t doubt that that you would love to be back. The issue is taking accountability on your past actions without needing to justify what isn’t right. You were wrong and you need to own up to it.