Mark Gibson was re-elected unopposed to the top job of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) for the next 12 months.

It will be his second year as state commissioner after decades of service with both the Dubbo and Narromine rescue squads.

The second-in-command is a face familiar to many at Dubbo as well as to Mr Gibson.

Bruce Moon was declared the new deputy commissioner after the vote.

The election took place at the annual VRA conference at Bankstown earlier this month.

Dubbo Rescue Squad captain Neil Sturrock attended the conference, held in the Sydney suburb’s RSL club.

“It’s a bit of a coup for Dubbo to have the two in charge based in Dubbo,” he said.

The combined branches of the VRA have about 3700 members and in 2011-2012 attended more than 9800 incidents and rescued more than 2800 people.

VRA members rounded off their conference activities by attending the annual Emergency Services Volunteer Memorial Service alongside members of the NSW Rural Fire Service, the NSW State Emergency Service and Marine Rescue NSW on October 13.

The service at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair at The Domain was the 13th since the dedication of a memorial in 2001.

It has inscribed on it the names of the 86 volunteers who have lost their lives protecting others.

No additions were made to the memorial in the past year but NSW emergency services minister Michael Gallacher said it was a reminder the dangers associated with the work of volunteers and the Dubbo captain agreed.

“It was a fairly sombre service,” Mr Sturrock said.