The head of the Apopka Fire Department has left his post after ratifying a separation agreement he previously said the city was pressuring him to sign. Former chief fire administrator Lee Bronson will get 20 weeks of severance pay and compensation for his accumulated leave under the agreement. "This is his second retirement from the city, and we certainly wish him well," Apopka spokesman Robert Sargent said Tuesday.
Now, the city's search will begin for someone to take the helm at the fire department, Sargent said. The 75-firefighter department is currently being headed by interim fire chief Ray Thompson. Sargent declined to reveal the reasons for Bronson's departure, saying it was a personnel matter.
Bronson, who has led the Apopka Fire Department since 2007, earlier this month said city administrators were pushing him to sign a separation agreement ending his employment effective May 3. Bronson said he didn't know why city leaders wanted him out.