Robert 'Bob' Burt's funeral car will be followed by a procession of Dubbo Rescue Squad vehicles, including 'Big Bird' on Tuesday morning, in a fitting tribute to the association stalwart.
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Mr Burt died on Wednesday morning, following a short period with brain cancer.
Dubbo Rescue Association president Neil Sturrock said "Bob deserved the thanks of the community".
"You get people who are there to serve the community, the good people that hang around, just like Bob. You don't commit yourself to the training and stay there for 30 years unless you are there for the right reasons. And Bob was."
He deserves the thanks and praise of the Dubbo community for the thousands of hours he has put in over the many years when he has helped people in times of need.
- Dubbo Rescue Squad president Neil Sturrock
Mr Burt joined the Dubbo Rescue Association in 1989.
Coming from a time in the Railway Police in Sydney, Mr Sturrock said Mr Burt brought a lot of technical skills with him to the organisation.
"He was a man who was happy to support whoever was in charge. He never put up his hand [for a leadership role] apart from being deputy captain for a few years," Mr Sturrock said.
"Bob was happy to use his technical skills to help in anyway he could. He was always doing things to support the people in charge in anyway he could."
Mr Sturrock said he had the privilege of working with Mr Burt during his entire 30 year career with the rescue squad.
"He was always there working behind the scenes and doing what he could to support the squad. He put in countless hours. He had a mowing business for awhile, and he would be there keeping the grounds looking good," he said.
"He also brought with him a lot of technical skills and you could always find him fixing the small equipment, looking after the workshop, working on chainsaw operations with members, fixing the hydrolic equipment, or modifying the vehicles to fit new equipment that we had purchased."
In recent years health had kept Mr Burt from some of the hands-on tasks at the squad, however he stayed behind the scenes, and focused on training.
"He was really passionate about driver education," Mr Sturrock said.
"The VRA used to run a mad driver program, educating young people about to get their licence. When that program finished up, Bob got involved with the PCYC and their traffic offender program.
"He wanted to educate people so they didn't get into situations where the rescue squad was needed.
Mr Burt was also involved in the camera club and shooting club, but, in recent years his passion was his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"We've all seen the softer side of Bob in recent years with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren," Mr Sturrock said.
"Some of the happier memories are loading the kids into the truck and taking them to see the Christmas lights around town, or seeing him with them on the water slides at the pool.
"When we went to visit him in hospital, he had one of his great grandchildren sitting on his bed, resting on his chest, looking at videos on his iPad, it's just what he would have wanted.
"Bob deserves thanks from the many hundreds of people over the years who he has been out and helped when rescue was needed - the vehicle accidents, the kids stuck somewhere, the animal rescues.
"He deserves the thanks and praise of the Dubbo community for the thousands of hours he has put in over the many years when he has helped people in times of need."
The Rescue Association stalwart was made an honorary life member in September, when he also received his 30 year medal.
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