Mr Bradford has reached the 30-year milestone with Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW), all of which he has served at the Narrabri station.

He started off at the station officially on May 1, 1991, as a 19-year-old eager to begin his firefighting career.

He then progressed through the ranks to engine keeper in 1998, deputy captain in 2001 and captain/station commander in 2009.

Fast forward 30 years and he's faced all sorts of situations from housefires to car accidents, rescues, dealings with hazardous materials, and much more.

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Mr Bradford said a noticeable period of time was about 10-15 years ago when there was a hotel fire.

"We had a couple in town over the years but that would be the biggest with persons reported trapped in it. They did have injuries and we had some firefighter injuries as well," he said.

"It was a major job, and the reason it sticks in the mind is because every firefighter was all out for dinner and didn't get a chance to even finish our dinner. We had to leave our wives and partners to finish their meals and pay the bill."

Back as a young recruit, he never would've imagined FRNSW to be where it is today.

"I would say it'd never be possible. In 30 years, there's just been a tremendous amount of changes through the organisation," Mr Bradford told the Leader.

"When I joined the job it was mainly fires, you would get the odd motor vehicle accident but now we're involved in so much more - rescues, we get hands on with hazardous materials, and there's a lot more with the medical side these days."

He's been awarded many medals in his career, too.

In 2015, Mr Bradford was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in the Queen's Birthday Honour List for his commitment and distinguished service to FRNSW.

The AFSM is the highest honour for any firefighter to be awarded within Australia.

He has also received the National Medal (1st Clasp), FRNSW Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (2nd Clasp), FBEU Medal and the 2019-20 NSW Premier's Bushfire Citation.

A few people have asked whether he'll be around for another 30 years, but he wasn't so sure about that.

"I've got quite a few more years yet but I can't quite see 30. I don't think I'll be there in my 80s," he laughed.

Mr Bradford is grateful his family has backed him throughout his career, too.

"Everyone's been disrupted but it's part of the job and being a firefighter that's what we do," the captain said.

"If I didn't have their support, I wouldn't be here that's for sure. If you don't have the support from them, it just dies a natural death."

He encouraged locals to consider a role as a firefighter as it was a rewarding experience.

"We're always looking for new blood, especially on the on-call system. There's always stations looking for good, keen people who want to serve the community and get a bit out of it," he said.

"Saving a life ... or even giving somebody a helping hand, that's the reward 100 per cent."

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