A long-serving and dedicated firefighter will this year notch up four decades of service to the community.
Bryan Davies, 63, is watch manager at Talgarth Fire Station and will celebrate 40 years of dedication to the fire service this autumn.
Bryan’s career with the service began when he became a retained fireman at Talgarth station on October 5, 1982. By the late 1980s, the term ‘fireman’ had been replaced with ‘firefighter’ in all formal brigade contracts.
In November 1996, Bryan was selected from the whole brigade to represent Mid And West Wales Fire and Rescue Service at the Cenotaph in London.
In February 2002, Bryan was the recipient of The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and later that year also received the fire brigade 20-year long service medal, which was presented by the High Sheriff of Powys.
Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service started presenting 30-year service medals in 2016, with Bryan receiving his 35-year bar in 2017, to attach to the ribbon.
In October this year, Bryan will be have achieved 40 years in the fire service, with the decades of service testament to his incredible commitment to the community.
Bryan is the longest serving firefighter Talgarth has ever had since a fire station was set up during the war years in May 1943. Since first putting on the uniform, he has consistently achieved over 140 hours of availability each week.
Proud daughter Katrina said: “Age is now creeping up fast but at 63, he still maintains all his compulsory core skills, having recently passed the tough fire service fitness test that firefighters half his age have been known to fail - also recently passing the mandatory breathing apparatus assessments.”
Bryan has attended countless incidents over his years of service, including mountain and grass fires across Wales.
Crews from Talgarth were among those that attended the Belgrave House Hotel fire in Aberystwyth in July 2018 - at 10am that day Bryan ended up as the incident commander for the team.
Katrina added: “Over the years there has been lots of good times, but we must also reflect on the tragic loss of lives on some occasions.
“Here’s hoping you enjoyed reading this about someone that has served the community so well for so long.”
If you are interested in becoming a fire fighter yourself and live locally, call in at Talgarth Fire Station on Tuesday evenings between 6pm-8pm, or contact them via their Facebook page.