Fire Chief (name not provided on transcript) presented a budgeted purchase to provide each firefighter with a second set of bunker gear and to replace expired gear, citing national firefighter health guidance and operational continuity.

The chief said the FY25 budget includes up to $383,932 for purchasing 100 additional sets and 16 replacement sets, funded through the approved budget. He said the city is buying the Globe brand gear through the vendor Bennett under a Lake County contract and that the change follows guidance to keep a backup set available while dirty gear is washed and serviced.

The chief framed the purchase as a cancer-prevention measure and operational necessity: "Sometimes if it's exposed to electric vehicle, we have to get rid of the entire set of gear. So we don't want to have a truck down or a person down." He told the commission the backup sets help keep units in service and avoid borrowing incompatible gear from other departments.

The presentation noted industry practice has shifted toward providing a second set of gear for each firefighter, and that turnout gear also has an expected service life and periodic replacement schedule (gear typically expires after about 10 years). The chief said the city will continue an annual replacement program for expired or damaged sets.

No formal vote or contract award was recorded at the workshop; the purchase was described as budgeted in FY25 and expected to proceed through the standard procurement process.