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Schererville fire department pauses hiring while new merit board is organized
Summary
Fire Chief Robert Patterson said the fire department will delay active hiring until a newly constituted five‑member merit board convenes and establishes procedures for hiring, discipline and promotions.
Schererville Fire Chief Robert Patterson told the Board of Safety on March 6 that the fire department will pause filling positions while a newly formed five‑member merit board organizes and adopts procedures.
"With the new merit board coming into play, we're gonna be waiting until that gets, moved forward to actually move forward with the hiring process," Patterson said. He and the town attorney said the board has five members and the department will schedule an organizational meeting soon to set meeting dates, member terms and procedural rules.
Patterson said the appointments are "statutorily compliant" and that two of the initial five members will serve two‑year terms so the board's membership is staggered; the other members will serve four‑year terms. He listed appointed members as Paul Petrie (nominated from the floor), Thomas Fulk (council or council‑president appointment), Roger Florkowitz (council or council‑president appointment) and Tim Arvinitis; one additional appointee remained to sign the oath at the time of the meeting.
Town legal counsel reiterated that the department must adopt implementing procedures soon after the board's organizational meeting. Patterson said the department and counsel aim to hold the first merit board meeting within one to two weeks and that the board then has 90 days from appointment to adopt further rules addressing hiring, firing, promotions and discipline.
No formal action was taken by the Board of Safety at this meeting regarding staffing; Patterson presented the status and timetable for the merit board's organization.
The update followed a study‑session conversation earlier in the evening between department leadership and town counsel about the board's membership and next steps. Chief Patterson and counsel said they will coordinate meeting dates and circulate materials to the appointed members so the merit board can begin its work.
Looking ahead, Patterson said the merit board's first business will include establishing meeting schedules, adoption of internal procedures and identifying which two initial members will serve the shorter two‑year terms to create staggered expirations. The department emphasized that hiring decisions will resume only after the merit board has adopted the required procedures.
