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Knife Under Pillow Ends Career Of Indiana Firefighter
DAVE STEPHENS
South Bend Tribune
SOUTH BEND - The firefighting career of Jordan Jostes is over with the city of South Bend, but exactly how it ended is not clear.
What is known is that Wednesday morning, during the Board of Public Safety meeting, the board's members voted unanimously to end Jostes' employment by the city.
Board member Patrick Cottrell made the motion that the board give Jostes until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to resign from the department, or he would be automatically terminated.
But Jostes did not attend the meeting to hear the board's decision and neither did anyone from the firefighters union.
At a hearing two weeks ago, Jostes and the union pushed back against an allegation by Chief Howard Buchanon that the firefighter had violated department rules against weapons by bringing a Bowie knife to work and keeping it under his pillow.
Jostes had claimed the knife was a tool, and union president Ken Marks testified that most of the department's firefighters kept a knife with them while at work.
But Buchanon told the board he pushed for Jostes' termination because the firefighter had already had two suspensions in the past year, with the knife incident being his third.
Although safety board members voted in open session to terminate Jostes, they did not discuss their reasons for giving him the option of resigning.
But after the meeting, Todd Skwarcan, vice president of the firefighters union, said he, Jostes and union lawyer Chip Lewis met with Assistant City Attorney Tom Bodnar the day before and that Jostes had already resigned at that meeting as part of an agreement brokered by the union.
But the board apparently rejected that agreement and made the vote for Jostes to resign or be terminated, a move Skwarcan called "unbelievable."
Bodnar did not return a late Wednesday phone call, and it's not clear if Jostes resigned or was terminated.
Regardless of how he left the department, Jostes' future is already known.
At his earlier hearing, Jostes told the board he had joined the Marines and was leaving for boot camp in October, for what he said was the start of a four-year commitment.
Copyright 2010 South Bend Tribune Corporation
All Rights Reserved
September 16, 2010
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on
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I too always keep a full platoon of soldiers in my pants.
Ya just never know when you may need some extra manpower!
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Permalink Reply by Bull Collier on
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I would have to agree with you on this. I live in what most people would call the "boonies". There are usualy two deputies on duty for the whole county. Most people in this area have some form of 'wepon' on them at all times. At least what the general public would call a wepon. Down here they are all tools. Even guns are looked upon as such.
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I just realized that I should NOT tell you who I know - you are from West Philly and YOU could be a rival gang member ???
I swear I am ONLY friends with gang members that belong to your same gang - just my local branch - I SWEAR !!!
hmmm... we're still cool, right ?
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AND I know it SHOCKING to even hear that I have SEVERAL friends...
I am fortunate enough to have surplus cash - which makes is more convenient to pony up the cash $$$$ to purchase such a large number of friends!
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Permalink Reply by Gordon Kuhn on
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He`ll fit right in here in Gauteng in South Africa.
Due to all the shooting and stabbings going on here, he might have need for it.
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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I too always keep a full platoon of soldiers in my pants.
I keep sea men in mine.... ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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Seriosuly? I don't think we'll ever hear the full story on this one. There's gotta be more to it, but...
At least we can take a "stab" at speculating.
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ROTLFMAO - THAT WAS FUNNY - REALLY GOOD COME BACK !!!
... insert always prepared with tom-cat joke here...
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Lutan:
There's something strange in the neighbourhood....
... there's an invisible man sleepin' in your bed...
Who ya gonna call...?
Ghost Busters
Sorry I was a little slow getting your joke...
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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I aint fraid of no ghosts! :D
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I only carry two, but they're just a couple of nuts!
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