A state board ruled this morning that a man with a prosthetic leg is physically able to perform the rigorous duties of a firefighter, and the panel ordered the Paterson Fire Department to hire him.
The decision allows Isaac Feliciano, 33, to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter.
The Paterson native lost his left leg below the knee when he was a young child.
Feliciano, who uses a prosthesis, last year entered training for the Paterson department and performed well, finishing 103rd among more than 615 candidates in the physical exam. But department officials denied him a job, saying the National Fire Protection Association bars amputees from serving as firefighters.
Feliciano appealed to the state Merit System Board, part of the Department of Personnel, and was examined by doctors in January. In its decision this morning, the Merit System Board said Feliciano is "functioning at a high level of physical activity consistent with the needs of the job."
The panel also noted that no state law or rule prohibits amputees from serving as firefighters.
Paterson officials have previously said they would welcome Feliciano if cleared by the state board. Source: NJ Star Ledger
