Glens Falls leaders have reversed course and awarded Fire Lieutenant Doug Holl a full pension.
Holl had to retire abruptly after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The diagnosis forced an end to his firefighting career just shy of the 20-year mark, WNYT reports
Holl, who had less than two years left to qualify for full retirement benefits, saw his fellow firefighters rally behind him, offering to donate their sick and vacation time to help him reach his pension requirements. The collective effort totaled nearly 3,000 hours, but city officials ultimately rejected the proposal, The city said it was illegal for it to apply the donated hours toward Holl’s time of service to help him qualify for a pension.
However, after further research, the city said it learned that the donation of time to build Holl’s pension eligibility is legal, and the city’s common council voted to make the necessary changes and award the pension.
