Michael Duran.
Apopka City Commissioner Nick Nesta.
From Staff Reports
In Summary:
Michael Duran announced his personal endorsement of Nesta in the Apopka mayor’s race, citing the commissioner’s advocacy for accountability and operational changes within the Apopka Fire Department after Austin Duran’s 2022 line-of-duty death. Duran said state and federal reviews identified failures in training and safety procedures, prompting families and firefighters to demand reforms. He credited Nesta with listening to first responders and helping advance staffing increases and new safety measures designed to prevent similar tragedies.
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When Mike Duran speaks about his son, the story always returns to service.
Austin Duran wasn’t just an employee of the Apopka Fire Department. He was a rookie firefighter learning the job, answering calls, and building a life in the city he served.
On June 30, 2022, Austin was injured in the line of duty. He died two weeks later, on July 15, from those injuries.
Now, nearly four years later, his father has stepped into the city’s mayoral race — not as a candidate, but as an endorser.
In a written statement released on Monday, Michael Duran formally endorsed Commissioner Nick Nesta for mayor, crediting him with pushing for accountability and safety changes inside the fire department after his son’s death.
“My name is Michael Duran. I am the father of fallen Apopka Firefighter Austin Duran,” he wrote. "Austin was injured on June 30, 2022, while serving the City of Apopka as a firefighter. He tragically passed away on July 15, 2022, from injuries sustained in the line of duty.”
Duran said the family later learned that “critical training and safety measures had not been provided to Austin and another rookie firefighter,” touching off what he described as a long and painful fight for answers.
“What followed was not only a tragedy for our family and the fire department, but a difficult and emotional fight for accountability and change,” he wrote.
This is the second high-profile endorsement for Nesta, who received former Apopka City Commissioner Kyle Becker's backing in January.
Related: Former city commissioner Kyle Becker endorses Commissioner Nick Nesta for mayor.
According to Duran, “three separate independent reports, state, and federal, identified failures in training, safety policies, and procedures.”
He said the family, firefighters, and residents spent more than a year pressing the City for reforms.
“Change did not come easily, and for more than a year we had to fight to be heard,” he wrote.
That fight, he said, is where Nesta entered the picture.
“Commissioner Nick Nesta stood with us during that fight. His support was grounded in a simple belief: take care of your people,” Duran wrote. “Nick listened to firefighters, visited every station, and brought their concerns forward to the City Council.”
He credited Nesta with helping advance several changes, including the hiring of 18 additional firefighters — a group supporters have referred to as “Austin’s 18” — as well as the creation of a training division, a safety division, and long-promised quality assurance roles.
“Nick Nesta is not a firefighter, but he took the time to learn, to listen, and to advocate for the safety and welfare of those who serve our community,” Duran wrote. “He worked to make sure firefighters and first responders had a voice when they needed one most.”
For Duran, the endorsement is personal, not political.
“To this day, my son’s sacrifice remains a painful reminder of what happens when leadership fails to prioritize safety and accountability,” he wrote. “I believe Apopka deserves leadership that puts people first and ensures our firefighters and police officers have the resources they need to return home safely after every shift — something Austin was denied.”
“For these reasons, I am proud to officially endorse Commissioner Nick Nesta as the next Mayor of Apopka.”
Duran included a disclaimer noting the endorsement is made “solely in my personal and individual capacity” and does not represent the position of The 2650 Foundation, Inc.
The endorsement adds an emotional dimension to a mayoral race already shaped by debates over leadership, accountability, and public safety — and ties one family’s loss directly to the city’s next choice at the ballot box.
Key Points:
- Austin Duran died in July 2022 after being injured in the line of duty
- Independent reviews cited gaps in training and safety procedures
- Family and firefighters pushed City Hall for accountability and reforms
- Nesta supported hiring 18 additional firefighters and creating training and safety divisions
- Endorsement made in Michael Duran’s personal capacity, not on behalf of The 2650 Foundation, Inc.
