With hurricane season just over three weeks away, a new leader is taking over Jacksonville's Emergency Preparedness Division.
Division chief Todd A. Smith resigned during an internal investigation into a report of sexual harassment, allegations he called unfounded, according to a report by News4Jax, a WJCT News partner.
Former police chief Andre Ayoub was appointed to replace him. Ayoub will be responsible for the preparation, response and recovery during any city emergency.
“Public safety is a top priority, and being prepared for an emergency plays a big part in keeping our city safe,” Mayor Lenny Curry said in announcing Ayoub's new job. “Andre is an excellent leader and tireless public servant. I have complete confidence in his management and expertise during an emergency and am looking forward to working together to keep Jacksonville Jax Ready.”
News4Jax reported that Smith said he resigned "to avoid further distractions in the weeks leading up to Hurricane Season and to prevent damage imposed by ongoing false narratives.” He was accused of sexually harassing a woman at an out-of-state conference, the report said.
In his resignation letter, Smith reflected on his service to the city.
“It is well known that throughout my decades of service, I have always loved my City, specifically the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department,” Smith said. “Fortunately, by bringing together an excellent team, we created and supported so many incredible opportunities for the people of our community.”
The Emergency Preparedness Division responds to all types of emergencies including apartment fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, gas leaks, hazardous material spills, building collapse and flooding, according to the city's website.
Part of that is the JaxReady alert system, which lets residents monitor weather threats, plan for evacuation in the event of a natural disaster and access current threat levels, weather reports and wildfire updates. The cellphone alert app can be found here.
Ayoub is a veteran Jacksonville Sheriff's Office employee with 27 years on the job, most recently as chief of its Special Events Division. He also was the primary emergency preparedness point of contact for the Sheriff’s Office until newly elected Sheriff T.K. Waters demoted him to lieutenant in mid-November.
Ayoub was still a chief when he was present at an October lunch meeting with Lakesha Burton, then a Democratic candidate for sheriff. In an interview with WJCT News, Ayoub backed Burton's contention that former candidate Ken Jefferson offered his endorsement if she promised him the job of undersheriff. Jefferson has repeatedly denied that occurred.
As part of his new duties, Ayoub also will oversee the Emergency Operations Center at Jacksonville's Fire Rescue Headquarters at 515 N. Julia St.
