ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The city of St. Petersburg announced on Thursday that Fire Chief James Large will retire in March after half a century of public service.
Large was with St. Petersburg Fire Rescue for 50 years, serving as chief for 18 of those years. He is officially set to retire on March 1, 2024.
"I'm humbled and honored to have dedicated my entire 50-year career to serving the City of St. Petersburg - it has been a long journey filled with so many memorable moments and personal experiences," Large said in a statement.
During his career, Large implemented a fire cadet program, instituted three COVID-19 strike team units and obtained accreditation and ISO Class 1 designation for the department.
The chief also established a behavioral mental health program "to help reduce the risk of post-traumatic stress and suicide within the fire service," the city wrote in its announcement.
In 2022, Large was named the Florida Fire Chief of the Year by the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association.
"Serving the citizens of St. Petersburg, providing high-quality emergency response, and working alongside the finest firefighters and support staff, who are dedicated to protecting our community, has been and will continue to be one of the greatest honors of my lifetime," Large added.
The news of Large's retirement comes about six months after allegations that the chief made racist and sexist remarks at the station. The comments surfaced after an employee climate survey, the mayor's office said. Large maintained that the allegations were false.
Large was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 7 and reinstated on Aug. 24 following an investigation.
Asked by 10 Tampa Bay whether there was any merit to the allegations, Large said, "No, I was I was cleared of all those allegations. It was a little disheartening, I don't mind telling you, after 49.5 years of what is a very clear and clean record."
"We are grateful to Chief Large for his lifetime of service and commitment to public safety. We wish him and his family all the best in his future endeavors," St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said, in part, in a statement.
The city says it will hold a national search for Chief Large's successor in February. Effective March 2, Deputy Chief Robert Bassett will serve as interim fire chief until a new chief is selected.