Three volunteer stalwarts of the Napier Civil Defence had their efforts recognised on Monday night through the presentation of long-service awards.
Anthony Ganderton received a framed award for 10 years' service, Lesley Harrison for 20 years and Eric Lamb for 30.
"When I first started I had a white hard hat and a tin box, like an old ammunition tin, to put papers and things in," Mr Lamb said with a smile. "But that was 30 years ago - it's all changed now."
During his time as a volunteer he had been involved in exercise planning and served as welfare manager for Napier - his duties in the latter were well used during the Chaucer Rd siege when he and everyone they could call in worked to assist people unable to return to their homes as gunman Jan Molenaar "held the city to ransom".
"That was an extraordinary time - you can plan for tsunamis and earthquakes but you can never plan for something like that."