Oct. 17--PANAMA CITY -- Fire Chief Wayne Watts Jr. turned in his letter of resignation to city officials Wednesday afternoon.
Watts cited personal reasons for his departure and did not fault the city's administration for his decision.
"We have some family issues going on that are private involving my parents and wife's parents," Watts said. "They're getting a little bit older, and they need a little bit more help."
Watts' resignation from the Panama City Fire Department will be effective the end of the business day on Nov. 11, according to his resignation letter.
Typically the assistant fire chief assumes the leadership role until a permanent chief is named, but city officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.
Watts said anybody on the command staff was prepared to step in and take charge in his place.
"We have a strong and solid command staff, and every chief that has worked for me is certainly competent and capable to do the job," Watts said. "The best thing any chief can do is to prepare their agency to cover in his absence."
Watts became fire chief at the age of 50 in the summer of 2012. He has a masters in public administration from Troy University and served for 30 years as a firefighter in Jacksonville before coming to Panama City. He told The News Herald in 2012 that he "backed into" a firefighting career at 18 when he began as a volunteer and took to it "like a duck to water."
Watts said his resignation would not be the final word for his service to the Panama City community.
"I don't plan to lose contact with fire services or my friends and colleagues," Watts said. "We've got to take a break right now and family comes first."
Copyright 2013 - The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.
