NORWICH—The City of Norwich Fire Department (NFD) was recently awarded more than one half of $1 million in federal grant funding to assistance the department in securing additional paid firemen.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) award in the total amount of $560,694 was disbursed last week to the NFD, which is currently the only paid fire department in Chenango County.

The 2014 round of FEMA's SAFER grants were awarded to a number of fire departments, and represent the interests of both paid and volunteer firefighters.

State senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer endorsed that application for the grant.