A central Illinois mayor says volunteer firefighters are not leaning on the nearest fire department enough. Reports say that Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis says he blames that reluctance on four fire deaths in Bartonville and West Peoria over the past 11 years. A recent time-response analysis found that in each of the fatal fires, Peoria firefighters were not called to the scene. The calls instead went to other departments that are staffed by trained volunteers. Ardis says the Peoria Fire Department is often minutes away from residential calls outside the city and should be used as a primary backup. Bartonville Fire Chief Mike Cheatham and West Peoria Fire Chief Terry Schadt didn’t immediately return calls for comment regarding Ardis’ statement.
