A veteran firefighter who served in the Hunter for almost 40 years is being remembered as a "true leader" and a "great mate", after he suddenly died at the weekend.
Ian Smith, captain of the Fire and Rescue NSW brigade at Tarro, suffered a fatal heart attack on Saturday.
Captain Smith joined the Tarro station in 1982 and worked his way up through the ranks, serving as engine keeper and deputy captain before he was put in charge in 2017.
He earned the National Medal - Second Clasp - as well as the Long Service Medal and the Union 25-year Medal.
His crew took to Facebook to say that Captain Smith's commitment to the community was "impossible to put into words".
Firefighter Jeff Allen told the Newcastle Herald the Tarro firefighters had been supporting the 62-year-old's family since Saturday.
"He was a great bloke, he was honest, respectful. It's hard to say how good of a bloke he really was," he said.
"He was a true leader but most of all he was a great mate for everyone who came into contact with him.
"Knowing Ian, he would want us to get back on the truck and remember him that way."
