THE longest serving officer at Kidderminster fire station is to have his dedication recognised with a special award.

Retained sub officer Graham Moran will receive the Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade 30-year Service Plate during the brigade's annual awards ceremony on Saturday.

Mr Moran, 55, has had to double up his duties as a part-time fireman with his job as a maintenance engineer at Cheshires in Coventry Street. He is married with two children and four grandchildren.

"I think a lot of people don't understand what a retained firefighter is and I always said it's a 24-hour, seven-day a week job," he said. "You can be called out day or night, summer or winter."

Among the outstanding incidents he recalled being involved in dealing with was a major fire at Ashland Chemicals, on Stourport Road in 1985.