Frank Speziale photo

NORWICH – Senator Fred Akshar visited the Norwich Fire Department on Wednesday where he announced approximately $290,000 in State and Municipal Facilities (SAM) Program funding for the city to purchase two new ambulances.

The ambulances are the first new ambulances purchased by the city since 2007, according the Fire Chief Tracy Chawgo, and they will serve not only in the City of Norwich, but in the four surrounding municipalities and county-wide mutual aid calls.

“I first want to say all thanks goes to our first responders for doing this work on behalf of people they represent on a daily basis, and they do it tirelessly,” said Akshar on Wednesday. “We rely on these men and women at our most vulnerable timers, and we also know that they are charging into danger when people are running out of danger, and they do that knowing it's entirely possible that that call to service they're responding to could be their last. And they do that without question. I think that is amazing, and I am really proud of the work [first responders] do on a daily basis.”