The Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection District Board of Directors at its meeting Thursday denied Chief Jon Jones’ request to extend his contract by two years and appointed Division Chief Todd Skrabak as interim chief until the next board meeting.
Jones’ three years of leadership ends after heavy criticism by his station’s firefighters’ and chief officers’ unions.
For months, the district’s public meetings have been dominated by discussion about Jones. Thursday, more than a hundred attended, and no one spoke in support of the retired Orange County fire division chief. Jones, who has been on executive leave this week, did not attend the meeting.
The board’s decision — unanimous after more than an hour of closed session — was met with cheers, applause and loud whistling, from the dozens who waited to hear the outcome.