OTTUMWA — After three hours of testimony, the Ottumwa Civil Service Commission unanimously upheld the firing of Firefighter Jason Crandall.

City Fire Chief Steve O’Connor issued a “Specifications for Dismissal” Jan. 30 to Crandall after a coffee can containing Crandall’s feces was found “in an area where it would be presumed to be found by another person.”

O’Connor said the act was “an unaccepted social practice, an exposure to a potential bloodborne pathogen” and considered it serious misconduct.

Crandall appealed his termination to the commission and city staff set up a hearing for Monday.

City Attorney Tom Kintigh tended to the commission’s concerns while Attorney Michael Galloway of Ahlers & Cooney, Des Moines, represented the city.

Attorney Ken Duker of Ottumwa defended Crandall.

Sgt. Mickey Hucks of Ottumwa Police Department investigated the incident and said Crandall told him he had to provide stool samples for medical tests. Crandall said he had permission to do so while on duty Jan. 8 for a 24-hour shift.

Crandall told Hucks the doctor gave him a kit so he could put samples into the vials. The firefighter said he has suffered “chronic diarrhea since having a gallbladder removed” a couple of years ago.

To collect his sample, Crandall used one of the extra coffee cans the firefighters kept for various purposes. He left the can on a corner of a bench filled with equipment in the fire station’s apparatus room.

“Crandall said there wasn’t room in his locker so he put the can in an area where it was hidden,” Hucks said.

Crandall was off work by 7 a.m. Tuesday and left the can at the station because he knew he’d be back on Thursday. He didn’t want to do the sample again and feared freezing and thawing would harm the sample if he took it with him.

The firefighters’ union met Tuesday night and Crandall attended. Hucks testified he was told there was a “farting contest” after the union meeting. He said Crandall got his can out and participated in “mechanical farting.”

Assistant Chief Tony Miller testified Crandall was one of his crew members, was known to be a prankster and was warned to stop. He said Crandall was known for startling people and for the time he filled light bulbs with water and put them back in use.

Galloway asked if that was dangerous.

Miller said it’s “not recommended.”