Chicago Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago is stepping down after reaching the city's mandatory retirement age.
Officials with Mayor Rham Emanuel's office said they tried to find ways around the mandatory retirement age of 63, but ran out of options, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
Santiago was named deputy commissioner in 2011 and took the top post when then-commissioner Robert Hoff resigned after being ordered to close fire stations.
During Santiago's time as commissioner, he prevented the city from closing any stations.
“Commissioner Jose Santiago answered the call to serve our great city four decades ago and Chicago is better and stronger today because of his service. Jose embodies what is best about Chicago’s bravest, and what is best in our city,” Emanuel said in a statement.
City officials expect to be left without any deputy commissioners within the fire department because of a number of retirements.
“Our plan was to keep (Santiago) around. But you just can’t do it,” a source from the mayor's office told the newspaper.
Santiago joined the fire department in 1979 and served as the Executive Director of the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications before returning to the fire department.
He served is the U.S. Marine Corps for over 32 years where he became a commanding officer.
