PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Pinellas Suncoast Fire and Rescue's board of commissioners approved protocol for finding a replacement for Chief Jeffrey Davidson, who submitted his resignation letter last month.

Davidson said in the letter that he faced months of harassment, slander, and defamation of character by the union and assistant chief.

Spectrum News obtained the results of an investigation conducted by an attorney hired by the fire district into multiple complaints against the chief by the union. A number of them, including violation of medical privacy rules, favoritism, and violating rules of negotiating with the union, were not sustained.

The investigation did find the chief's actions created low morale and that he lost the trust and confidence of employees.

Thursday, commissioners approved using a previous template with a few updates to advertise the job opening, as well as a timeline for posting that and accepting applicants.

An employment agreement available at the meeting showed Davidson was hired by the district in October 2021. He said during the meeting he loves the district and its people and doesn't want to leave. 

"I've been doing this for 37 years, with 20 years as a chief officer," said Davidson "Never once have I had any type of disciplinary, any complaints against me. It's an illustrious career that I've had and I wanted to see that through. Unfortunately, things aren't going to pan out, and I have to do what's best for the district, but first and foremost, I have to do what's best for me and my family."

Gregory Hott, president of the department's union, said he's looking forward to moving on from the situation. Davidson's last day is expected to be Feb. 21. He said he's willing to stay until a new chief can be hired, if needed. In the meantime, he said he'll continue to work on major projects like the rebuilding of Station 28 and building a fourth station.