Nassau County fire chief abruptly retires after pressure from county

Nassau County’s fire chief abruptly retired from his $86,000-a-year job on Friday afternoon after the county offered him the option to bow out or be fired.

The decision comes the week after a wildfire destroyed homes in Bryceville, but county leaders say it’s not related.

Matthew Graves had been chief for five years. He had been a Nassau County firefighter for 18 years.

“It’s a bittersweet day,’ said Assistant County Manager Justin Stankiewicz.

Stankiewicz told Graves on Thursday the county wanted to “go in a different direction” with the chief position and gave Graves the option to resign, retire or be fired.

“Our policy, for retirement, he will be paid out for his sick leave liability, and also based on his hire date, he will be provided insurance benefits to the age of 65,” said Stankiewicz.

Graves did not act as a spokesman for his department during last week’s Bryceville wildfire, but Stankiewicz denied it was related to his sudden retirement.

“No, it had nothing to do with it. As you guys know, 700acres were on fire and I am extremely proud of the way our fire department handled that,” said Stankiewicz.

Several sources tell Action News Jax this decision is not because of any one incident, but instead an accumulation of issues over time.

Action News Jax stopped by Graves’ home on Friday to get his side of the story. Several new-looking “no trespassing” signs were staked into the lawn.

Action News Jax has submitted several public record requests for more information about what led up to this parting of ways.

The county is not naming an interim chief. Stankiewicz said, for now, many of Graves’ duties will fall on Assistant Chief Scott Hemmingway.

TRENDING: Nearly 50 dachshunds rescued, looking for forever homes

Cox Media Group