TWO Oxfordshire firefighters are celebrating a combined 80 years with the county fire and rescue service, making them one of the longest serving duos on watch.

Steve Edginton reached his 40-year milestone last week, while close friend and colleague Charlie Williams is a few months ahead, already into his 41st year.

The Burford pair are on-call firefighters with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The role is normally combined with a full-time job outside the service, with Mr Edginton a self-employed builder.

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However, regardless of the project he’s working on, he knows he will have to leave at a moment’s notice when he gets the emergency call.

Mr Edginton has responded to hundreds of calls over the years, saving lives at accidents and during other emergency incidents.

One instance is in the 1980’s, when he had just come back from holiday, and the Bull Hotel in Burford had caught fire.

“My wife and I had just arrived back home from holidaying in Cornwall, so I wasn’t even on the on-call rota,” he said.

“But hearing the commotion outside, I leaped into action, reporting to the duty officer at the scene.

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“It was personal too, my wife’s manager and his children lived above the hotel.

“The fire completely gutted the building but thankfully no lives were lost. An incident so close to home makes you appreciate the role of fire and rescue, and why I do what I do as an on-call officer.”

Mr Edginton is a long-time resident of Burford and a popular face in the community. He joined the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service as an on-call firefighter in 1980.

Marking 40 years’ service, he is keen to pay tribute to his wife, Sue.

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“When we enjoy a quiet evening together or when we go out locally for an evening meal, we know our plans could be disrupted at any moment by my emergency pager,” he said.

“We’ve come to accept these ‘no notice’ interruptions, but I am, and always will be grateful for the understanding from Sue.”

Chief fire officer, Rob MacDougall, said: “For an on-call firefighter to mark their 40 years’ service is a huge achievement, one that is not reached by many in the UK.

“However, it’s not unusual in Oxfordshire, especially at Burford. Steve and Charlie have delivered a first-class service to the community of Burford for a combined 80 years.

“I would like to congratulate and thank them for their excellent commitment to our service over four decades.

“Being an on-call firefighter is a rewarding job, but needs a massive commitment. They each provide the community with 120 hours of their time every week, that’s five full days and nights. An inspiration to all of us. Fantastic role models.”