NSW'S longest-serving permanent firefighter Peter Welsh put his equipment away for the last time on Friday — 48 years and 10 months after joining the then-named NSW Fire Brigades.
"It's a fair amount of time for one man, one job," Mr Welsh, of Wisemans Ferry, said.
"I get to keep the hat."
The 69-year-old's colleagues at Castle Hill fire station surprised him with a morning tea on Friday morning that was "bigger than Ben Hur".
"I thought I'd just like to have a nice day — ease in, ease out," Mr Welsh said.
Mr Welsh trained as a carpenter, before joining NSW Fire Brigades when he was 20.
"It's good to know structures, what's behind the wall," Mr Welsh said.
The father-of-two has served as a firefighter at Rydalmere, Eastwood and Ryde.
He was a firefighter at Castle Hill fire station before attaining the rank of Station Officer in 1992.
"It's a good career path — woman or man," Mr Welsh said.
"I never minded the night shifts. We're now on the new 24 hours.
"I've been involved in some horrific events.
"I was one of the first people at the Luna Park ghost train fire."
The fire on the night of June 9, 1979, destroyed the amusement park's ghost train and killed six children and one adult.
"It was an all-night fire," Mr Welsh said.
"That was pretty harrowing, because in those days there was no counselling."
The Hills mayor Andrew Jefferies said it took a special kind of person to put their hand up for a job like that.
"And it takes extraordinary dedication to continue to do it for 48 years." he said.
Asked why he has chosen now to retire, Mr Welsh said: "My wife has just retired too.
"I said for her birthday we'll go to Hervey Bay and Fraser Island [in Queensland] for the first holiday in years; that will be the start of it."
He said he also looked forward to having more time to watch his favourite soapie, Home and Away.
