Thursday, October 28th 2021, 12:56 pm
The Oklahoma City Fire Department said it has terminated a firefighter for refusing to be tested for COVID-19.
The department identified the now-former firefighter as corporal Jerimiah Hoffstatter, who spent more than nine years with OKCFD.
An OKCFD official said Hoffstatter, as a part of the Urban Search and Rescue Team, was dispatched with other firefighters to assist with response to Hurricane Ida.
During the deployment, other rescue team members who worked alongside Oklahoma Task Force 1 were removed due to them contracting COVID-19.
Upon returning to Oklahoma City, it was discovered that three members of Oklahoma Task Force 1 tested positive for the virus. Hoffstatter was required to get tested for the virus upon returning to the metro, but the official said he refused.
An OKCFD investigation concluded that Hoffstatter had been "insubordinate" for refusing a COVID test. Fire administration said it offered a last-ditch agreement to Hoffstatter that included time without pay.
Hoffstatter refused the agreement and did not sign any documentation of the determined discipline. He was promptly terminated.
October 28th, 2021
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