Schererville Board formalizes turnout‑gear repayment policy; chief cites $5,000 cost per set

The Schererville Town Board of Safety on May 7 approved a formal turnout‑gear loan and reimbursement agreement that sets a five‑year prorated recoupment if a full‑time firefighter departs before the end of the period.

Fire Chief Robert Patterson told the board the policy documents a practice the department has used informally and puts it into a formal promissory‑note form. He said a typical turnout jacket and pants cost "just under $5,000" and that the gear's expected service life is about 10 years. Under the proposed policy, a new full‑time hire who receives department‑purchased gear would owe a prorated reimbursement if they separate within five years; the reimbursement amount would decline with service time.

Board members asked practical questions about why a departing employee would reimburse the department rather than return gear. Chief Patterson explained sizing and reuse issues and said the policy is also designed to help retain employees by sharing equipment‑cost responsibilities over time. The board asked clarifying questions about parity with police reimbursement terms, noting the police agreement uses a three‑year prorated schedule signed voluntarily by officers.

The policy passed unanimously and will be forwarded to the Town Council for final approval, per members' comments. The board directed that the council review the formality and financial implications before it takes effect.

Next steps noted in the meeting record include forwarding the signed agreement to the Town Council and preparing accompanying materials about fiscal impacts; the transcript did not specify the full program cost or how many employees this policy will affect in total.