BARTONVILLE, Ill. – Talk about replacing volunteer firefighters with paid employees has sparked an eruption of emotions throughout the Village of Bartonville.
For more than a century, the Bartonville Fire Department has relied on volunteers. Nearly 30 people respond to around 900 calls each year in the village and the surrounding areas.
Village Trustee Tim Carol wants a change.
According to the Bartonville fire chief, Carol told his department he planned to dissolve the volunteer department and bring in paid firefighters. Carol allegedly told them about it at the department’s annual budget meeting on Wednesday, saying he even had support from other trustees.
The fire chief and his assistants said they felt like they were stabbed in the back.
“I’m standing up here, totally heartbroken tonight, to know that this was even a thought in your mind to do to the men and the women of our volunteer fire department,” said Assistant Fire Chief Drew Zachman.
Instead, the chiefs want to operate the department with in-house, on-call volunteers, a plan they’ve had for three years.
Zachman said the plan calls for a couple of firefighters to be on stand-by at the fire department from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. The volunteers would be paid per shift at a rate of $120 on weekdays, and $50 on weekends.
Currently, volunteers respond from home and get paid a small stipend per call.
The Bartonville firefighters tell 25 News their plan would cost less than $200,000 a year, which Assistant Chief Kevin Cheatham said is significantly less than full-time, paid employees.
“It’s going to be $1,020,000, and guess who’s going to be paying for that?” said Cheatham.
Bartonville taxpayers and supporters, including firefighters from surrounding volunteer departments, nearly filled the seats at the village meeting.
Many people asked the board, with most questions directed to Tim Carol, whether they’ve considered all the requirements of a paid fire department.
One man asked a series of questions, such as how many people would be hired and what they would be paid.
“Have you discussed staffing patterns and how to run shifts, either first, second, and third, or 24 on and 48 off? Have you discussed retrofitting the current facilities to accommodate fully functioning kitchens, sleeping quarters, and showers? And most importantly, have you discussed the increased financial burden to the residents of this village.”
Trustee Carol didn’t address the crowd at the end of Thursday’s meeting. However, Mayor Leon Ricca assured those in attendance that there won’t be an action item on next week’s agenda regarding a paid fire department.
Comments