Boston Fire Commissioner Defends Chief

The commissioner of the Boston Fire Department is defending his chief after 13 deputies wrote a letter to the mayor highly critical of the chief's response to the Boston Marathon bombings.

Commissioner Roderick Fraser called the letter dated April 26 "unprofessional" and said the deputy chiefs are a "bunch of dinosaurs" resistant to change.

Fraser made his comments Thursday during a city council hearing on the letter sent to Mayor Thomas Menino.

The letter said Chief Steve Abraira failed to assume command or show leadership when he showed up at the scene of the April 15 explosions. They said the letter was a "vote of no confidence" in Abraira.

Abraira countered that the situation was under control by the time he arrived and his actions were in line with national standards.