Bristol Kendall Firefighter Refused Vaccine, Testing: Chief

YORKVILLE, IL —A Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District firefighter who was fired for insubordination was the only one who refused to get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing, according to Fire Chief James Bateman.

Officially, Bateman told Patch that probational firefighter George Richter was dismissed because of insubordination for refusing to follow an order. The chief said he violated the same order three times but could not provide further details.

Richter joined the department in May and was let go at an Oct. 14 fire board of trustees meeting.

"We take insubordination very seriously because if he doesn't follow one order, are there going to be other orders he doesn't follow?" Bateman said. "That's a concern."

Besides Richter, Bateman said everyone at the fire department has cooperated with Gov. J.B. Pritzker's vaccine mandate, issued in August. Currently, 35 percent of employees at Bristol Kendall are vaccinated, while the other 65 percent are being tested weekly, according to the chief.

If anyone else who is unvaccinated were to refuse testing, Bateman said they would also be dismissed.

"The station doesn't require vaccination," Bateman said. "Employees have the option. If they choose not to, for whatever reason, get the vaccine, we're okay with that, but you have to be tested."

He cited close proximity to the elderly and wanting everyone to be safe from the virus as two of the reasons for the vaccine or testing requirement.

RELATED:

• 'I Will Not Send My Personnel To Chicago': Kane County Sheriff
• Booster Boosterism: Pritzker Plugs COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots

(For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Yorkville Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!)