APOPKA, Fla. – An overwhelming majority of firefighters in Apopka’s firefighters union have no confidence in the Apopka fire chief in the wake of the death of a firefighter and continued safety concerns.
On Wednesday, the president of the firefighters union, Alex Klepper, said 85% of the union workforce had no confidence that Chief Sean Wylam “has the competence and abilities to lead the Apopka Fire Department forward and provide a safe and proactive environment for continued managed growth.”
“Chief Wylam has failed to hold himself accountable for anything, he has failed in his accountability to Austin, his family and to us, he’s taken no accountability for failures in training, safety, planning, staffing, organizational structure, and he unconscionably accepted a flawless annual performance evaluation,” Klepper said in a presentation to the Apopka City Council.
Wylam released the following statement in response to the vote Wednesday.
“Yesterday the Apopka Professional Firefighters Local 5293 presented the results of a vote of no confidence to the City Council.
As the department’s Chief, 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 noconfidence statements.
I will meet and work diligently with the members of our department so that we arrive at a satisfactory resolution to the issues that have led us to this point. This will be accomplished by increasing my communication efforts with the members to listen and share our plans for solving these issues as a team. My goal is to regain their confidence and exceed their expectations.”
Apopka Fire Chief Sean Wylam
It is the latest attempt to try to get the city to oust Wylam.
Ever since the death of 25-year-old Austin Duran, the union has expressed its issues with safety and training protocol. Wylam has been criticized for not doing enough to make improvements.
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Duran died last year from injuries he suffered after a heavy trailer filled with sand fell on him while he was working. The trailer is used for hazards like liquid and gas spills.
A report from the state fire marshal later cited a lack of training.
Austin Duran’s father — Michael Duran — has blamed a lack of training was a critical factor in his son’s death.
“If (Austin Duran) had training, absolutely, Austin would still be here today,” Duran said. “There is absolutely zero question: he would be here.”
Klepper said Wylam was “not a bad person or acts with malicious intent.” But he accused Wylam of failing to listen to his firefighters, making false or misleading claims, failing to communicate a clear vision and not standing up for or defending firefighters.
“The right thing is take care of your people,” Klepper said.
Last July, Wylam said he had been unaware of any issues in the department regarding safety and training and was blindsided by criticism from the city council.
On Wednesday, Austin Duran’s father, Michael, and several residents blasted Mayor Bryan Nelson, accusing him of inaction on dealing with Wylam since the final decision on whether to fire him lies with Nelson.
Duran referred to an independent report by Gannon Emergency Services that found firefighter health and safety programs had been neglected and the agency needs a reset, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
“My son died on your administration,” Duran said to Nelson. “Did you think that they were not going to find any fault?”
The city council meeting is ongoing.
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