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Firefighter remembered after tragic accident
On Friday night a vigil will take place to remember an Apopka firefighter who was killed right outside the station last year.
APOPKA, Fla. - On Friday night a vigil will take place to remember an Apopka firefighter who was killed right outside the station last year.
"Austin is gone and today marks the one year this all began, and we are still in the midst of trying to bring accountability to the city." Mike Duran says he continues to fight for safety measures at the Apopka Fire Department, after his son Austin was killed a year ago.
He said Austin was told to move a sand trailer to another fire station, but instead, it crushed him.
"In the course of them attempting to attach the trailer to the tow vehicle, the trailer tipped rear and pushed Austin underneath it," said Duran.
Duran said his son was never trained to move the trailer and believes the tragedy could have been avoided. "Due to lack of training, poor management, and poor leadership. This wasn’t an accident, that we didn’t see coming," he said.
While he said the city has hired 18 additional firefighters, he wants an outside company to come in and identify problems in the department, affecting morale and safety.
Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson said that the department is in a much better place now, and he’s still working on creating safety measures in all departments. But Duran disagrees and says it's not easy going to every meeting in Apopka to fight for change.
"It’s extremely hard for me to do this. I live in Clermont, and work in Orlando. I’m up at 3 in the morning. It's extremely taxing on me emotionally. I am filled still with anger, that the city has not progressed, in an aggressive way," said Duran.
But he won’t back down, for the sake of protecting other firefighters like Austin.
He says he still reaches for the phone to call his son. "I miss hugging him, I miss seeing his smile. I miss visiting him at the station, he’s sweaty. Kissing his neck and tasting his salt. I miss everything about him," he said.
The vigil starts at 7:30 Friday at 175 E Fifth Street and the public is invited.