A RIVERINA firefighter has been recognised for dedicating more than three decades to protecting his community.
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Darren Breust joined the NSW Rural Fire Service in 1987, beginning his volunteering journey at the Tara-Bectric brigade.
Now more than 30 years on and a long list of roles later, Mr Breust has received an Australian Fire Service Medal for his efforts.
Since joining the RFS, the Ariah Park man has held positions as Deputy Captain, Senior Deputy Captain, and Captain within the brigade.
His service went above and beyond just putting out fires, as he was actively involved with building the Tara-Bectric brigade's former fire tanker until it was replaced with a new Category 3 tanker.
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Mr Breust also volunteered to have the brigade's fire tankers and NSW RFS PMR Radio/Paging tower located on his family property until a new double bay brigade station was constructed and the communication equipment relocated.
In 2007 he was nominated for, and then elected as, the Group Captain for the Bland-Temora Zone and since being elected he has represented volunteers on the Zone's Bush Fire Management Committee, the Liaison Committee, and the Senior Management team.
During operations on the fire ground Mr Breust's team see a well-respected leader with an excellent work ethic and appreciation of the volunteer culture.