Grenfell's Peter Keppie has been recognised for his service to the community, having marked 25 years at NSW Fire and Rescue.
Peter began working with NSW Fire and Rescue on September 15, 1999, and hasn't looked back since.
Peter said it is a rewarding career and you never look back once you're in.
"If someone had of asked me earlier, I probably would have joined, but I never even thought of it,' he said.
Peter said looking back in hindsight it was a missed opportunity he didn't join sooner.
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Peter joined NSW Fire and Rescue in 1999 after he started a new job, and was asked by the then captain of the Grenfell Station Keith White.
While he said he was a bit hesitant to start with, as it is a big job, Peter said he hasn't looked back.
While he has served out of the Grenfell station for his whole firefighting career, Peter was deployed to the NSW south coast fires in 2019, as well as heading to fight fires in the Snowy Mountains and around Canberra.
Over the years, Peter said the technological changes have been big, with everything being handwritten when he first started, which has since gone electronic.
Peter said while it was a bit of a learning curve, the technological changes have made things easier and has become a good asset.
Looking back at his 25 years in Fire and Rescue, Peter said it has been great being able to give back to the community.
Prior to joining Fire and Rescue, Peter was part of the Apex community service club, saying it was nice helping the community where he could.
After Apex folded, Peter said he was a little lost for a couple of years, before joining Fire and Rescue, which was one of the best things he's ever done.
"It's so nice to be able to help people," he said.
Peter said he would encourage others to put their hands up to join Fire and Rescue, as they are always looking for new members and it is a very rewarding job.
For most stations, Fire and Rescue is an on-call, part time job.
