Firefighter Baillie was presented with the first clasp to the long service medal by the recently appointed Commissioner for Fire and Rescue NSW, Commissioner Paul Baxter.

Reflecting on his 20 years in the job, firefighter Baillie said before he started his career he wasn’t looking to become a firefighter.

“I knew I wanted to be involved in serving the community in some way, but I was looking at the ambulance service.

“But my mum found an advert in the paper for retained staff and I applied. 

“I loved the job so when the opportunity came up to work full time I jumped at it,” he said.

Firefighter Baillie said what he loves most about the job, is literally ‘the job’.

"There is so much variety," he said adding he has made many great friends.

"The crew has changed from time to time, but the station as a whole stays the same.”

Twenty years on from the beginning of his career, firefighter Baillie says he can't ever imagine doing anything else.

“I really can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing, and I don’t think there’s a firefighter who would say otherwise. It’s a great job,” he said.