SHERBURNE – The Chenango County Fire Police Association held its annual banquet Friday evening at The Fox Run Event Center. The fire police are volunteer firefighters who now serve a supporting role to emergency personnel. They secure accident scenes, control traffic and help with crowd control. Their services have saved the City of Norwich alone around $22,000 so far this year that it would have paid in labor costs to replace the fire police volunteers with salaried emergency personnel, said Mayor Joseph Maiurano. The fire police also save the county and other local communities countless dollars.

The Fire Police Association includes 74 members from nearly every town in Chenango County. All members are or were volunteer firefighters; many also wear a number of other hats including EMS.

“I find the fire police are the most loyal. They’re on the scene as soon as it happens and are the last to leave. I have the most respect for them, they’re fine men and woman,” said Norwich Town Supervisor David Law, who is also a fire police volunteer. Law has served the community for over 45 years as a volunteer firefighter or as a member of the fire police.