ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Despite initially denying he had a new county vehicle, emails obtained by News 6 reveal former Orange County Fire Chief Anthony Rios directed the purchase of a 2026 Ford Expedition intended for his use, then shopped for accessories after the SUV was delivered to his office.
“Please secure the following three items,” Rios wrote in a July 13 email to one of his division chiefs that included links to Amazon products. “The first is a charger for the county phone, the second is for organizing the county badge and writing instruments, and the third is a cover for the hitch opening to prevent rust due to weather exposure.”
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Two days after sending that email, Rios was questioned about his agency’s recent vehicle purchases.
“Don’t you have a new car too?” Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe asked Rios during a July 15 county budget workshop.
“I do not,” replied the fire chief.
In a letter announcing his resignation nearly two weeks later, Rios acknowledged his public denial about the vehicle “could only be perceived as inaccurate”.
Emails obtained by News 6 through a public record request show Rios had been heavily involved with the purchase of the new SUV since at least early June.
“I was also looking online for affordable options,” Rios wrote in response to a June 5 email from Division Chief Martis Mack that included links to two new Chevrolet Tahoes for sale at local dealerships. “Could we purchase a demo or courtesy vehicle? Those are typically cheaper but considered new. I’m fine with some low miles.”
Rios originally said he would be willing to delay the SUV purchase until October so he could custom order the vehicle but then indicated he wanted it sooner.
“Also, it would be nice to get one now versus having to wait until the end of the year,” Rios wrote. “See if (the dealership) would take 63. They offer $500 off for first responders.”
At the time he was shopping for a new SUV, county records show Rios was driving a 2024 Ford Explorer that had been assigned to him about two years earlier while he served as deputy chief. Maintenance records indicate the Ford Explorer had less than 30,000 miles on the odometer as of early June.
“As we are in hurricane season, this current vehicle, as it’s too low to the ground, presents limitations if I have to canvas the community,” Rios wrote. “Also, the cargo area is too small to accommodate my PPE [personal protective equipment].”
Despite those limitations, records show Rios intended for his 2024 Ford Explorer to be reassigned to a division chief.
“It appears the Expedition may offer the height, cargo, and safety features needed,” Rios wrote in a June 13 email.
One week later, records show Orange County Fire Rescue purchased a 2026 Ford Expedition for $61,234 from an Orlando dealership.
The SUV was delivered to Rios’s office at OCFR headquarters on June 23, emails indicate.
That evening, Rios thanked the agency’s assistant fleet manager for the work on the vehicle and then requested he follow up with the dealer on a list of items.
“B-pillar inside molding is significantly scratched,” Rios wrote. “There’s a chip in the paint on the front right fender. Please have them provide a touch up paint brush.”
Rios noted the Expedition appeared to be missing the owner’s manual, floor mats and window rain visors.
“This vehicle is supposed to have connectivity package – 1 year included with the Ford app,” Rios wrote. “Also, the MSRP shows this vehicle is equipped with BlueCruise for one year. How do I activate?”
BlueCruise is a hands-free highway driver-assist system available in some Ford vehicles for a monthly or annual fee.
While OCFR’s fleet management division was outfitting the new SUV with emergency lights and other equipment, records indicate Rios searched Amazon for “2026 ford expedition accessories”. He also received emails from the online retailer with suggested SUV accessories.
Records reviewed by News 6 indicate Rios forwarded some of the messages about the Ford Expedition from his county email account to his personal Gmail account.
Rios declined to answer questions from News 6 about the email messages and referred News 6 to a prepared statement.
“During a budget workshop before the Board of County Commissioners, I gave an incomplete response to a question regarding department vehicles,” Rios said. “At the time, I was still driving my previously county-assigned vehicle and had not yet been officially assigned or placed into service with the replacement vehicle.”
Hours after his presentation, Rios emailed Uribe saying he wanted to make sure his answer to the commissioner’s vehicle budget question “was clear and complete.”
Rios’s acknowledgment that “one of those vehicles is scheduled for me” appeared in the 17th sentence of his 19-sentence email to Uribe.
The day after the budget workshop meeting, News 6 submitted a public record request to Orange County Fire Rescue seeking documents related to the Ford Expedition.
Emails show Rios was personally involved with retrieving some of the information sought by News 6, which he forwarded to Orange County Deputy County Administrator and Public Safety Director Danny Banks.
“What is the status of the new Expedition that was purchased by the Fire Department? Have we taken physical possession of it yet?” Banks asked on July 20.
“Yes, the vehicle was received by fire rescue, and the lights were being installed the week prior,” Rios responded. “The registration is due this week and is scheduled to be put in service next week when I return.”
Rios resigned on July 28, ending a nearly 27-year career with Orange County Fire Rescue.
In his resignation letter, Rios noted that the SUV purchase complied with all county procurement policies and procedures.
“My decision to resign was not about the vehicle itself. It was about leadership,” Rios said in a statement. “When it became clear that the discussion surrounding my communication had become a distraction from the important work of Orange County Government and the Orange County Fire Rescue Department, I believed the responsibility of leadership required placing the institution ahead of the individual.”