After losing more than half its members.

The Owego Volunteer Fire Department pushes the village board to bring them back.

Department leaders are sending a letter to the village board, calling for terminated members to be reinstated.

They also want the village charter amended, to eliminate the 200 member limit.

To avoid any future problems, the Fire Board would like to categorize members.

This way, if cuts ever need to be made, it won't be through a random process.

"Instead of taking the time to look at it and put a group together to study it and figure it out they just kind of threw it at the wall and saw what would stick," said Michael MacNaughton, a member of the Owego Fire Board.

Last month, about 300 Owego volunteer firefighters were let go by the former fire chief.