John Rose, the embattled Oak Bluffs fire chief who has been under pressure for months following allegations of misconduct, has agreed to resign, the Oak Bluffs selectmen said in a brief statement Friday afternoon. Chief Rose will step down at the end of April, the statement said.

“Chief John Rose and the Oak Bluffs board of selectmen have mutually agreed to part ways so that the fire department and EMS services can begin their next chapter,” the statement said in part. “The town will start the process of finding a replacement in the interim.”

The fire chief’s resignation comes amid a swirl of controversy that has enveloped the town fire and ambulance department since early this year, when an FBI inquiry into ambulance finances and sexual harassment allegations against the chief came to light in the same week. Executive session meeting minutes from last summer released recently showed that selectmen were torn over whether to fire the chief after sexual harassment claims were filed by the fire department administrator who was Chief Rose’s subordinate. Eventually a settlement was reached that included a $97,000 payment to former administrator Cynthia Hatt, and no admission of wrongdoing on both sides.

The FBI inquiry into the town ambulance department’s billing practices remains ongoing.

Some current and former members of the fire and EMS departments have received subpoenas to appear before a federal grand jury this month.

In recent weeks selectmen have scrambled to contain the fallout, holding lengthy closed-door meetings, issuing tight statements, and releasing a five-point performance action plan aimed at rehabilitating the chief’s professional behavior. As public pressure continued to mount, maneuvers reached a crescendo Friday afternoon.

The statement said the town had reached a mutual separation agreement with Chief Rose that includes payment for accrued leave time, cooperation if requested, and a non-disparagement agreement. It also said the town and Mr. Rose would not comment further on the matter.

“This is a stressful time and both parties have agreed to limit their comments to this statement,” the statement said.

On Saturday, Oak Bluffs selectmen held an emergency session to meet with some the Oak Bluffs fire and EMT staff.

Chief Rose informed members of the department of his resignation in an emotional email Friday that was obtained by the Gazette.

“I have spent many years of my life growing up in this department and carry a deep respect for all the positions I held in that time and the people who helped and taught me along the way,” he wrote in part. “I know the rebuilding process may be difficult for the department in the near future but I am confident that the captains and lieutenants alongside the chiefs will carry the department in the right direction.”

The fire chief acknowledged his own 30-plus years of service, thanked the volunteers and staff, and apologized for not being able to tell them in person about his departure. He noted a deep appreciation for camaraderie of his department and described how he had come up through the ranks.

“It has been a pleasure working alongside all of you over the span of my career, from when I first started out as a volunteer firefighter in my teens, to being the captain of Engine 4, becoming an EMT/paramedic, captain of the ambulance, assistant chief and eventually the chief of the department,” he wrote. “For those of you who know me personally, you know that I put my blood, sweat, tears, heart and soul into my job.”

A longtime town employee with deep experience in firefighting and emergency response, Mr. Rose has been fire chief since 2013, when the town decided to merge the fire and EMS departments following an external review that recommended the change. Prior to that he headed the town ambulance department for a number of years and was active as an EMT.

His current salary is $131,736. He has no contract; in Oak Bluffs, the fire chief position is governed by the town personnel bylaw.

He was named permanent fire chief by the selectmen in 2014, after serving as interim chief following the resignation of former chief Peter Forend. As part of the decision, selectmen decided to promote from within over conducting an outside search for candidates on and off-Island. His promotion marked the first time the town had moved from a part-time to a full-time fire chief.

A year later, in March 2015, Mr. Rose was cited by the state ethics commission, which said he had violated conflict of interest laws by hiring and supervising four members of his family. Ultimately, the ethics commission declined to fine Mr. Rose, choosing instead to send a public letter disclosing details of what had happened and explaining requirements of the law.

In the statement issued Friday, selectmen said the chief’s resignation and retirement would be effective April 30.

“The town thanks him for his service to the town’s fire and emergency needs for the last 30 years,” the statement said.