Air carrier pilot not flying reported ramp personnel were loading a scooter with a lithium-ion battery into cargo and the reporter was concerned about the proper procedures for transportation of the dangerous goods. After consulting with various departments; the item was properly secured and the flight took off with a slight delay.

Narrative

About 20 minutes before departure time; I was made aware there was a lithium-ion battery powered mobility assistive device being loaded in the cargo bin; as it wouldn't fit in the closet. I went to the Ramp and found the device on its side on a cart. Spoke with the Crew Chief and asked if he was planning to load this battery into the cargo bin. He said he was. I then informed him that he couldn't just load" a lithium-ion battery without any precautions. This didn't resonate with him. The problem became that the battery could not be disconnected from the device. At this time; I asked for the GSC (Ground Security Coordinator) to come to the plane and help with this escalating issue. They called other station personnel for info. No one seemed to know how to handle this. I spoke to my Dispatcher. He couldn't find an answer on how to transport this safely and legally. I spoke to the Duty Pilot 5 or 6 times with calls to and from. She tried to help with FOM references. The FOM is extremely convoluted on whether we could do this or not. I also spoke with the Dangerous Goods (DG) people. Couldn't help. Called the Manager. He walked me through a "checklist" or maybe proper FOM section that made me feel comfortable that were safe and legal. This included specific placement of the scooter and condition of its potential for operation in the cargo hold. We left 20 minutes late.Recommendations: I was floored that the ramp personnel didn't seem to have any concern about the handling of this lithium-ion battery. Nor did they have any resources to determine the viability of carriage. I understand the need for an on-time right start flight departure; but I fully feel they were willing to sacrifice safety for an on-time departure.Cause: The station didn't follow the policies for transporting a lithium-ion battery.Suggestions: Station personnel should be better educated on DG carriage and actually show concern about safe operation of the aircraft vs. on-time departure being the #1 goal."