A volunteer fire department in Cayuga County has been awarded more than $130,000 to add recruits and establish a pension program for its members.
The Sennett Fire Department will receive $130,120 through the Department of Homeland Security's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program. The grant was announced by U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer.
"Whether it's a fire, flood, car accident, or when disaster strikes, we depend on these local heroes to keep us safe, and they depend on us to give them the resources they need to do their jobs effective," Schumer, D-N.Y., said.
Sennett Fire Chief Bill Haynes said the funding will be spread around to support five initiatives. A portion of the grant will be used to establish a length of service awards program, which would allow firefighters to earn points for responding to calls, participating in drills and attending training seminars. The points would determine how much the members' pension will be when they retire from volunteer service.
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