PHOTO VIA ORANGE COUNTY FLORIDA NEWSROOM
Orange County Fire Chief Anthony Rios resigned Tuesday, citing his own “misleading response” to county commissioners during a recent budget presentation as the reason for his departure.
Rios submitted his resignation to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, effective Friday, July 31. The move ends a nearly 26-year career with Orange County Fire Rescue, including a little over a year as fire chief, a role he was appointed to in April 2025 and formally assumed that June.
The controversy stems from a July 15 county budget workshop, where District 3 Commissioner Mayra Uribe, who is also running in the county’s mayoral race, questioned Rios about where fleet purchases were accounted for within the department’s budget. During the exchange, Uribe asked Rios directly, “Don’t you have a new car too?” Rios replied that he did not.
Public records later obtained by local news outlets showed that the county had purchased a new 2026 Ford Expedition, valued at roughly $61,234, which was assigned to the fire chief. Photos and parking lot camera footage reviewed by News 6 showed the vehicle had already been delivered to Rios’ office at Orange County Fire Rescue headquarters and had been present in the department’s parking lot for at least the past month.
The day after the meeting, Rios sent Uribe a letter explaining that he believed she had been asking about how the department budgets for its overall fleet, not whether he had personally been assigned a new vehicle.
In his resignation letter, Rios acknowledged the purchase complied with all county procurement policies and procedures but said his response to commissioners “did not fully communicate the complete context and, as a result, could only be perceived as inaccurate.” He added, “As Fire Chief, I understand that intent does not diminish impact, and I accept full responsibility for my words.”
Uribe called the situation unfortunate, saying Rios had built a strong reputation during his career but made the wrong decision by not being truthful during a public budget presentation.
Demings praised Rios’ tenure in a letter to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners following the resignation, noting his 26 years of service and commitment to the department and its personnel. Deputy Chief John Westmoreland has been named acting fire chief effective immediately.
The Orange County Fire Fighters Association said the resignation came as a surprise to the union and to many members of Orange County Fire Rescue.
