"I know everybody says they're humbled [to receive an AFSM], but it's a reality, I suppose it's the sort of thing that makes you think about your experiences in the RFS and how long you've been doing it for," he said.

For 45 years Mr Peters has volunteered with the Hartley District Bushfire Brigade, part of the NSW RFS and spent countless hours on fire fronts experiencing the highs and lows of firefighting.

"The highs and lows probably can all happen in the same day. Things like this last particular fire season was certainly the worst I'd ever seen and requiring the longest commitment," he said.

During the 2019/20 bushfire season he performed as a Divisional Commander for many weeks in numerous areas within the LGA along a 90 kilometre front.

"The things that I saw and experienced during that fire season are ingrained in my memory now, I'll never forget them," he said.

"It was fire behaviour that should never have happened, in all reality it should never have gone on with the intensity it did. Things burned that should never have burned and fires catching that shouldn't have."

"But then at the same time, there was so much support from the community," he said.

Mr Peters said the community rallied behind the RFS and its brigades and it felt like an emotional roller coaster.

"There was community support for the operations and activities of the brigade members, that was a real highlight and the heartfelt gratitude that residents showed when their property had been saved... that's the sort of highs that you get out of it," he said.

During his time with the RFS Mr Peters has been elected to the positions of Training Officer, Deputy Captain and Brigade President which he has held for over 20 years.

He was also elected as group captain in 2001 and appointed a member of the Lithgow Bushfire Advisory Committee.

"That group captaincy involves representing three different brigades; Kanimbla, Hartley and Clarence and that makes me part of the senior management team for Lithgow.. I like to get involved, let's put it that way," he said.

He said being part of the RFS was about the community helping itself and uniting in defence of property and life.

"It's a real community based organisation and there's more volunteer hours put into the RFS in any emergency than any other organisation ever could," he said.

"It's about the thankless service that everyone puts into it and this AFSM is a recognition of service not just bushfires, but fires in general."

Mr Peters said he had his suspicions of who nominated him for an AFSM and wanted to thank them as well as his fellow crew members.

"Thanks to the people that do it [be a firefighter] willingly and volunteer hours, days and sometimes weeks on end," he said.

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