Dunedin firefighters Pete Douglas and Nigel Manson cannot think of anywhere else they would rather be.
The two firefighters received their gold stars for 25 years' service at a Dunedin Metropolitan Fire Brigade presentation ceremony recently.
Mr Douglas (42), who has now completed 26 years with the Fire Service, said he had loved every minute of the job.
''What's there not to enjoy about it? No two days are the same - the rewards far outweigh the downfalls.''
Mr Douglas said he started with the Fire Service as a volunteer because firefighting was ''a family tradition''.
The fact he and Mr Manson were still there after 25 years came as no surprise.
Both men's fathers had received gold stars.
Mr Douglas said the fire that stood out the most for him was at Radio House ''about 15 years ago'', when he was at the scene for 12 hours.
Luckily, the building was vacant.
He also recalled a huge fire at Carters in South Dunedin in 2003, when his limited years in the job exposed some naivety.
''Not really understanding a great deal about fire science, I broke a window to make entry and [the building] got very black very quickly. A fireball came towards us. Eventually, my old man and another firefighter pulled us out by a hose.''
Mr Manson (44) said the best part of the job was the camaraderie.
''It gets said a lot, but it's true - the brigade is like a second family. In a big job, your life is in [your colleagues'] hands ... '' He recalled a fire at Bracken Court in 2005.
''Five firefighters got burnt at that one. An explosion came over the top of the guys and knocked them over. It knocked them off the stairwell.''
Mr Manson said it was an honour to be involved in ''one of the longest-serving brigades in the country.''
''It's quite a big deal that I've done 25 years - especially with my father getting a gold star as well. It was quite a special moment.''
About 100 people attended the awards at the Dunedin Central Fire Station on Saturday.
The awards were. -Long service good conduct, Michael Harrison; life honorary members, Trevor Allum, Ian Anderson, Robert Calder, Ken Campbell, Keith Maydon, Gerald Newbury, Chris Ryalls, Jim Tall, Owen Williams, Jeff Woodford; 45-year gold bar, Colin Astle, Robert Calder, Bevan Moreton, Wayne Stephenson, Owen Williams; 43-year gold bar, Larry Cooney, Barry Gibson, Neil Morris; 41-year gold bar, Peter Smith, Richard Yardley; 39-year gold bar, Ian Anderson, Michael Howell, Ben Pitelen, Wayne Reid, Ivan Richards; 37-year gold bar, Alan McNeil; 35-year gold bar, Bruce McGavin, Lindsay Rae; 33-year gold bar, Murray Little, Howard Weir, Chris Ryalls; 31-year gold bar, Ray Adams, Brent Foster, John Griffiths, Richard Huukes, Robbie Torrance, Gerald Vorges; 29-year gold bar, Ron Oranje, Grant Swanson; 27-year gold bar, Mark Leonard, Kerry McNamara, Laurence Voight; gold star, Peter Douglas, Nigel Manson; 21-year silver medal, Craig Geddes; 19-year silver bar, Martin Jansen, Brent Key, Scott Lindsay, Anthony Mason, Ant O'Neill, Geoff Powell; 17-year silver bar, Dave Palmer; 15-year silver bar, Michael Harrison, Peter Leckie, Cam McLachlan; 13-year silver bar, Kate Hill, Ed Oskam, Mark Townsend; 11-year silver bar, Julian Fuller, Barbara Olah; 9-year silver bar, Ricky Atkinson, Jared Cowie; 7-year silver bar, Calvin Harradine, Renee Johnson, Jared Smith; 5-year medal, Josh Spence.
