THE Kootingal-Moonbi Rural Fire Service unit made history this weekend.
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The bushfire crew became the first RFS unit in history to win the Australasian Firefighter Championships which were held in Tamworth over the weekend.
The Kooty crew beat their city cousins from the Tamworth and West Fire and Rescue NSW brigades to claim some prestigious bragging rights.
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There was daylight between Kooty's first-placed crew, which scored 140 points, and the second placed Bega Fire and Rescue team with 108 points.
While the Kooty RFS unit only has about 15 to 20 active members, it was able to enter two sides in the championship hit out.
It capped-off a massively successful year for the RFS unit.
It also won three NSW firefighter titles this year.
Captain Kendall Thompson said it had been one of the most memorable periods in his 19-year stint with the Kooty crew.
His crew has been taking part in the Australiasian competition for a number of years.
The Kooty unit had travelled to New Zealand and interstate to compete.
But claiming the title in Tamworth made it even sweeter.
"It is just a good way to keep up to date with what other brigades are doing," he said.
"And it helps us keep our eye in on whatever we need to do."
"The team's done really well this year; they're such a great bunch of blokes."
While there might be only 20 people the Kootingal RFS could call on when disaster strikes, it is still one of the biggest brigades in the district.
Captain Thompson admitted attracting new members to the volunteer cause was challenging.
It means there are limited resources to call upon to help defend against fires when they break out.
The title-winning captain followed in the footsteps of his father and brother into firefighting.
But it was helping the community which kept him there for close to two decades.
"It is just giving back to the community," he said.
"Especially when you see these horrible things on the news about fires starting, it is good to give back."
He said the start to the bushfire season in Kootingal had "been busy", but some of his crews had been sent to help with other fires in the region.