Perez joined the Miramar Fire Department in 2014, and the following year, the nonprofit Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association recognized him as Florida's Fire Marshal of the Year for his leadership and innovation. The city officially canned him on March 21, according to a termination letter New Times obtained through a public records request.
The letter, signed by Assistant City Manager Adam L. Burden, cites a violation of City Ordinance Code 16-324, which prohibits city employees from taking part in hiring decisions involving their relatives. "You specified in an email to staff dated November 1, 2022, the terms of your recusal from any processes related to the hiring of your son; you did not respect those terms," the letter states.
Despite Perez's written assurances that he would "have no participation or influence in this selection process," an internal investigation (attached as an addendum at the bottom of this story) found that the chief took actions that benefited his son's advancement in the department.
At the heart of the controversy was an October 2022 firefighter entrance exam, which only three of 59 candidates passed with a score of 70 or higher. Anthony Perez, the fire chief's son, notched the highest score, a 94. According to the report, Justin Fleming, a close friend of Lucas Gonzalez, the son of a fellow firefighter, had the second-highest score, a 90. The other 56 test takers failed to achieve the minimum score of 70.
A week before the exam, Perez reportedly instructed Gonzalez — a personal friend — to work exclusively with another employee named Torres to put together the written test, according to the investigation.
"[Perez] requested Torres create an entrance exam of 100 questions...," the report states. "However, Torres made clear to [Perez] he possessed no previous firefighter exam writing experience for Miramar or any other Fire Rescue organization."
Investigators noted that Perez "knew or should have known" this arrangement created the appearance of a conflict of interest, as Gonzalez would have access to the exam.
According to the report, the day after the exam, Anthony Perez arrived to take the Physical Ability Test (PAT) without the required uniform cargo pants. Facing possible disqualification, he called his father. Perez then personally delivered the pants to the test site, allowing his son to complete the test.
Under pressure to fill 16 positions tied to a federal SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant, the department lowered the passing score from 70 to 50 after consultation with Perez, allowing more candidates to advance to the next phase of the recruitment process, the report said. (The SAFER program provides direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter groups to help them recruit and retain trained frontline firefighters.)
During a firefighter-selection meeting held on November 3, 2022, a committee agreed to rank candidates based on seniority, with three individuals who had previously taken the civil-service exam placed at the top of the list, the report said. However, multiple witnesses claimed that Perez entered the meeting, overruled the committee's decision, and personally reordered the list, placing Fleming at number one and his son at number two — thus guaranteeing that both would be hired.
The investigation also found that Perez had seen to it that the department did not code his son as a SAFER hire out of concern that those positions might be terminated after the grant's federally funded three-year term expired.
In a recorded interview transcript from October 16, 2024, which New Times obtained through a records request, Dineen Garcia, one of the independent investigators hired to look into the complaint against Perez, questioned deputy fire chief Carol Anglade.
Garcia: At any point did the chief come in and move people's names around?
Anglade: Oh, yes.
Garcia: OK, you saw that? Where did he move his son's name?
Anglade: To the top.
Perez denied entering the meeting or altering the rankings, but investigators found that his denial lacked credibility. With the exception of deputy chief Bruce Britton, all attendees recalled Perez's interference in the process, according to the report.
His termination letter reminded Perez, an at-will employee, that he could be fired with or without cause. The ousted chief was directed to return all city property. His bio no longer appears on the city's website, and he has been barred from entering city facilities without a police escort.
Effective March 21, the day Perez was shown the door, Jermaine McFarlane, who has been with the department for 26 years and most recently served as deputy fire chief, quietly took over as Miramar's new fire chief.
Editor's Note: Following publication, former fire chief Ray Perez emailed New Times a response, which appears below in its entirety:
The investigative report referenced in your article represents a retaliatory probe targeting my leadership, initiated in response to my efforts to reform entrenched misconduct, promote accountability, and eliminate politically protected favoritism within the department.
Key issues ignored or misrepresented:
- Procedural Violations: I was never notified of the findings before my termination on March 21, 2025. The report was delivered to me three days after my removal, depriving me of due process or any opportunity to respond prior to its public weaponization.
- Biased Third-Party Investigation: The City retained Inclusent, LLC, a DEI consulting firm with no fire service investigative experience. This firm relied almost entirely on selected testimony from disgruntled individuals with known motives to discredit me, while disregarding exculpatory witnesses and documented evidence.
- False Claims Regarding Hiring Process: Contrary to the report’s claim that I selected the hiring committee involved in my son’s process, the selection was made by Assistant City Manager Adam Burden. I formally objected to the committee’s composition, citing its alignment with problematic prior administrations.
- Racial and Political Motivation: I was directly informed by senior City officials that the goal was to appoint a Black fire chief, and that my removal was essential to achieving that objective. My objections to discriminatory practices were met with hostility and viewed as barriers to their agenda.
- Suppression of Complaints and Retaliation: Complaints submitted by Hispanic personnel—including serious allegations of misconduct—were routinely ignored. Meanwhile, unsubstantiated and delayed complaints filed against me were fast-tracked and exaggerated to justify my termination and tarnish my reputation.
