NORWICH – The Chenango County Fire Police Association met Saturday evening at the Park Place Lounge and Restaurant for its annual banquet and awards ceremony, recognizing several of its members for their decades of service with the volunteer organization.

The agency, which plays a supporting role with emergency personnel across the county, volunteers at a number of local events, including Colorscape Chenango, the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, the Parade of Lights, Halloween Parade and the Rolling Antiquer Antique Car Show and Flea Market, among others. According to long-time member “Doc” DeBoer, the group typically participates in “twelve to thirteen” details per year, saving the city “anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000” annually due to its efforts securing accident scenes, controlling traffic and aiding in crowd control.

“There isn’t any way these events could take place in Norwich without their service,” said Norwich City Police Chief Joseph Angelino of the fire police. “I don’t have enough officers and a lot of these events would not happen if I did not know the fire police were going to be there to assist. It’s an organization that should not be overlooked.”