A MAN who has risked his life and dedicated three decades of service to the community was humbled to receive the Rose City's Citizen of the Year award.

Alan Payne, who had been volunteering for the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service for 30 years, said it was a great honour to be the recipient on Sunday night.

"I was pretty excited to receive the award; I really didn't expect it," Mr Payne said.

"It's nice to know people appreciate what you do and it is something I will cherish for my entire life.

"Of course I don't do it for the recognition, but it's always nice to receive some."

Mr Payne was the group officer for the Warwick District Area for QFRS. He first joined in 1983.

"I joined because our country is prone to fire," he said.

"I wanted to help my neighbours.

"In those days it was just something you needed to be a part of."

Mr Payne said when he joined the QFRS there wasn't much training involved.

"Back then most people learnt fire skills on their own properties," he said.

"People worked on farms and fire was a part of farming.

"People learnt how to control it, how it reacted, burning into the wind; a lot of these skills seem to be lost on the modern generation."

After a series of bad fires in 2002, Mr Payne said rural fire brigades really came together.

"All the rural brigades sort of stayed in their own area before 2002," he said.

"But some big fires in the region made QFRS realise we needed to work as one big team.

"I remember two people were killed in 2002 in a Stanthorpe fire, some fires were just too big for a brigade to handle on their own."

The first big fire that Mr Payne attended was in the 1980s.

"It was in Freestone actually and it came right down near our place," he said.

"The fire was mostly in the mountains, back then you didn't have the population in the mountains like you do now though, the demographic has changed."

The fire on Cullendore Rd last week was one of the biggest fires Mr Payne had attended.

"Another large one I've attend was out at Inglewood a few years ago, every fire is very different though, they can change in an instant," he said.

Mr Payne said there was no feeling better than knowing you have saved a property, a life or someone's assets.

"The feeling is just amazing; it's great being able to help and it's great being on top of fires."

Mr Payne encouraged young people to join up with a brigade.

"If you want to be a part of it, I'd recommend you joining a brigade near you; travel is often difficult when you get a call out," he said.

"All you have to do is get into contact with the first officer, they will explain what it's all about, there will be a bit of training.

"Basically rural firies is all about being a team, there's a lot of spirit and I look at it as being part of a big family."

Over the years Mr Payne made a lot of friends.

"You are there to look after each other and protect the community you live in."

While some may find the role too demanding, Mr Payne said family always comes first, then work, then volunteering.

"There's a lot of satisfaction from helping the community," he said.

"I believe we are very fortunate and we should want to give back without being paid."

Mr Payne said a lot of people, who have had no previous connection to the land, were moving to properties.

"Most people used to have a connection with the land during their young life," he said.

"But that doesn't seem to be the case anymore, these people have no idea about fires and some basic skills could save their life.

"This generation need to go and learn about fires and how they behave.

"People need to respect fires; it's really a whole new skill."

Mr Payne's mother, Fay Payne, said she was extremely proud of her son.

"It was a great honour to see Alan receive the award on Sunday night," she said.

"The family is very proud of him.

"He's worked extremely long days and nights and it is an award well deserved."

QFRS rural member Mal Stacey has worked with Mr Payne for over a decade.

"Alan always put in a lot of time and effort," he said.

"He always goes above and beyond the call of duty.

"Especially in the past couple of weeks, Alan has put in overnight shifts.

"He'd work on the dairy in the day and be out at a fire all night."

Mr Stacey said Alan was very deserving of the award.