The Peoria Fire Department is trained to do much more than just put out flames; in fact now they're adding a new skill to their repertoire, that could save someone's life, but not in the way most would assume.
They're joining the fight against human sex trafficking in Central Illinois through a new training.
"The goal of this training is to help our firefighters recognize the signs of someone who may be a victim of sex trafficking." explained Peoria Fire Chief, Tony Ardis.
The Center for Prevention of Abuse in Peoria reports 80% of sex trafficking survivors in the Land of Lincoln are from Central Illinois, not Chicago, which they say many people assume.
Joyce DeRenzy, Associate Executive Director, for the Peoria CPA outlines alarming statistics in our backyard.