March 3, 2023 Apopka Chief Sean Wylam has been criticized since the death of Firefighter Austin Duran last summer.
Source Firehouse.com News
The Apopka IAFF Local is calling for the ouster of Chief Sean Wylam.
The move comes after 85 percent of the members voted ‘no confidence’ in Wylam, WESH reported.
“He is and has been incapable of competently managing the men and women who have dedicated and given their lives to service at Apopka Fire Department,” union president Alex Klepper told city leaders at their meeting this week.
Michael Duran, whose son, Austin Duran, was crushed by a trailer last summer, is supporting the union’s request.
“Do not minimize the death of my son,” he said, adding that lack of training, supervision and safety issues led to the incident. “No protocols on it. No training, no safety, and no supervision.”
The union president pleaded with the council: “We ask you to remove Sean Wylam from his position as fire chief, so that when the next family member, wife, child or friend asks us if my loved one dies, or needs help, will I also have to fight so hard for the right thing to be done.
Duran walked around and handed each council member a photo, slapping the desk with the final one. Reporters said it was a photo of his son in the hospital.
Chief Wylam didn’t address the demand at the meeting. On Thursday, however, he wrote: “I must acknowledge and listen to the feedback and concerns of our department members. I will start by gathering the relevant facts and understanding the various perspectives from the no confidence statements.”
He vowed to work to increase his communication to reach a satisfactory resolution.
“My goal is to regain their confidence and exceed their expectations.”