Jerilderie’s Andrew Browning has been recognised with the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM), honouring nearly four decades of service to the NSW Rural Fire Service and his local community.
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The award was announced on Monday, as part of the King’s Birthday Honours List.
Group Captain Browning has served 36 years with the Argoon Rural Fire Brigade, including 29 years as captain and 26 years as district group captain.
He said the honour - which comes just weeks after he received an RFS St Florian’s Day Award - came as “a bit of a shock, and maybe slightly embarrassing”.
But it’s one he accepts on behalf of his whole team.
Reflecting on his long career, he said he still remembers his first fire clearly.
“I’ll never forget my first fire, January 1987. From then to now is just extraordinary.”
Across his service he has led strike teams to major incidents in the Blue Mountains, Nowra, Braidwood, the Snowy Mountains and multiple deployments to Victoria.
Known for calm, constructive communication on the fireground, he has been praised for keeping firefighters safe during complex operations.
Grp Capt Browning has also overseen major improvements within the brigade, helping transition members into a more modern, efficient and well‑equipped unit.
He played a key role in developing the Category 6 tanker design, a heavy fire response truck suited to the district’s open grassland terrain.
“Our typical topography is open grassland, where membership, in terms of area, is quite low,” he said.
“We wanted a large vehicle with high water pressure that required low man power to operate, in order to fight fast‑moving grass fires.”
Training has remained one of his strongest passions.
“I’m passionate about training, but I am also very aware that the service needs to be very conscientious around giving them the skills without overburdening our volunteers.”
Grp Capt Browning helped establish the Mid Murray Zone Training Committee and the Biannual Zone Exercise, lifting standards and supporting new members across the district.
Despite the scale of his contribution, Grp Capt Browning credits others with the success of the programs.
“I’m very humbled at receiving the award. I’m very fortunate to have a good group, who I am very proud of.
“I’ve always been a team player and I view this as a team award.”
“I would thank my long‑time mentor Chris Barron AFSM for his support and guidance.
“I thank my family and wife, Catherine; I wouldn’t have been able to fulfil this role without their support at home.”
Group Captain Andrew Browning (centre) with NSW parliamentarian Stephen Lawrence MP (left) and Commissioner Trent Curtin.
