Elkhart Fire Department updates policy manual and probationary training manual

The Elkhart Fire Department brought updated department policies and a probationary recruitment academy training manual to the Board of Public Safety on March 10, and the board approved both documents by voice vote.

The fire chief said the revisions were completed through a collaborative effort involving fire administration, the city's legal department and human resources to reflect current operational practices and applicable laws. “Legal actually participated in this,” the chief said when asked to confirm legal review. Board members said the revisions were intended to modernize the manual and address out-of-date references.

Board action: a motion to approve the Elkhart Fire Department policy manual passed by voice vote, followed by a separate motion approving the probationary recruitment academy training manual. No substantive amendments or dissent were recorded during the discussion.

The board also approved scheduling for a fire merit commission election (to be held March 31, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. in the Squad Room on East Street) and accepted routine updates to ambulance-billing arrangements and staffing notifications during the same portion of the agenda. The meeting record does not attach detailed redlines of the policy changes; the chief said the revisions updated dates and clarified procedures but did not enumerate major substantive policy shifts during the oral presentation.

The department and board indicated legal and HR reviewed the materials; the board approved both manuals to allow the fire department to implement the updated procedures and training guidelines.