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Two years after moving to Tocumwal, Mervyn Reed joined the Tocumwal Fire Brigade and he has been there ever since.

Now called Tocumwal Fire and Rescue NSW, he has been captain of the brigade since 1983.

This April will mark 43 years of service for Capt Reed.

For his committed service he was named as a recipient of the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) on Australia Day last Thursday.

He was one of only three NSW firefighters to receive the commendation, which will be officially presented later this year at Government House.

Capt Reed moved to Tocumwal in 1967, and joined the fire brigade on April 1, 1969.

‘‘I was invited to join by some existing members at the time,’’ he said.

‘‘I said I’d come over and take a look, and I’ve been involved ever since.

‘‘It is a very enjoyable occupation, so to speak, in that you get to help the community.’’

Capt Reed said while he considered the ‘job’ enjoyable, he said it had come with its fair share of sadness over the years as well.

‘‘There have been a lot of tragedies along the way too,’’ he said.

‘‘We’ve had to go to home and car accidents, as well as fires.’’

Among the most memorable call-outs for Capt Reed was a large fire more than 20 years ago.

‘‘In January 1990 we had a very large fire surround the town.

‘‘It was a hot, say 45 degrees, and there was also hot winds.

‘‘It kept us on our toes for a day-and-a-half.

‘‘I’ve also been to Sydney and surrounds, to the Blue Mountains, to assist with fires.’’

During his time with the Tocumwal fire brigade, Capt Reed said the Firefighters Championships were a highlight.

‘‘I went to my first one in 1970, and I’ve been involved ever since.

‘‘In 1998 Tocumwal got two firsts at the State Championships.

‘‘I was on the committee for 10 years, and while I’m not now, my wife Rosemary and I still go every year to work as volunteers.’’

Capt Reed also lends his time to raising money for the Royal Children’s Hospital every year, which he said was a ‘‘station initiative’’.

‘‘The station does it every year, and I’m area supervisor.

‘‘It’s something we look forward to every year, and we have raised many thousands of dollars over the years.

‘‘We would get about $9000 or $10,000 each year.’’

Capt Reed was given the AFSM for ‘‘providing dedicated service to the people of NSW, particularly the Tocumwal community’’.

‘‘Captain Reed has gained a reputation for being an active, ethical and reliable community member who is always willing to lend a hand when needed,’’ his commendation said.

After the award recipients were announced on Australia Day, Capt Reed said he got phone calls of congratulations from the Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner, a number of the deputy commissioners and Deniliquin Fire and Rescue Captain Bill Muirhead who was given the medal in 2011.