DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After nearly three decades of dedicated service, the fire chief of Daytona Beach has decided to retire, a move that comes on the heels of a critical internal audit that raised significant concerns about departmental expenditures.
Fire Chief Dru Driscoll has officially announced his retirement, with his last working day slated for July 24, as confirmed by city officials.
“Serving the Daytona Beach Fire Department and the community for 27 years has been my utmost privilege and honor,” Driscoll expressed in his retirement letter.
The city lauded Driscoll’s leadership, highlighting his 13-year tenure as fire chief during which he oversaw substantial growth and change within the department, all while ensuring the safety of residents and the welfare of firefighters.
$500K audit cloud loomed over his final months
Driscoll’s departure coincides with a challenging period for the department. In March, an extensive review conducted by the city’s internal auditor spotlighted concerns about the department’s financial practices from 2021 to 2025, prompting intense scrutiny from both city commissioners and the public.
The audit flagged more than $500,000 charged to city purchasing cards, known as P-cards, mostly for vehicle repairs and fuel — in violation of city rules. Auditors also identified 14 fire department employees who had city take-home vehicles but kept no mileage logs, making it impossible to confirm whether the vehicles were used for city business or personal use.
Other questionable purchases included more than $50,000 spent on fast food by fire leadership, hundreds of transactions with missing receipts, roughly $50,000 in unexplained technology purchases, and a mix of unusual items — among them 15 televisions, baby shower decorations, and a beer-can cooler.
The audit launched after city employee whistleblowers brought spending concerns to elected officials.
City Commissioner Stacy Cantu said she heard directly from firefighters and the fire union president who shared her concerns.
“There’s no logs kept. That means… we were paying for their insurance, their gas, are we paying for that when they’re not working?” Cantu said.
Driscoll pushed back — hard
When city auditor Abenit Belachew presented his findings to the commission in April, the meeting ran until nearly 2 a.m. Driscoll stood before commissioners and rejected the report’s conclusions.
“The seemingly subjective report furnished by the city auditor unfairly and potentially negligently disparages and brings harmful discredit upon the men and women of the fire department,” Driscoll told the commission.
Belachew said the pushback caught him off guard — and that Driscoll never engaged with the findings before the public meeting. Belachew says he sent the report to both the fire chief and city manager in February and gave them an opportunity to respond. Neither did, he said.
“The message was clear — you need to push back an auditor, you need to question audit findings, not you need to implement corrective action,” Belachew said.
Auditor: This isn’t about fraud — it’s about accountability
Belachew was clear about where his authority ends. He said it’s not his job to declare whether fraud occurred — that’s a matter for the courts. His role, he said, is to flag gaps in oversight.
“Regardless of that amount, the elected people should be concerned of why we are spending a penny without a good reason,” Belachew said.
At least four of the 14 take-home vehicles have since been returned to the city. The state is also conducting a separate audit of the city, expected to wrap up within the coming months.
The city’s internal auditor continues working through reviews of other city departments, with a goal of finishing by end of year.
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