Pat Burrows has always wanted to be a firefighter, and that means putting his life on hold at the drop of a hat to do what the job demands - even when it affects his business.
Pat works on a casual basis as a firefighter, and as well as running his own catering venture, he also works with people with disabilities.
"I am a retained firefighter, so you only go when you get called," he said.
"You go to the station, jump on the truck and do what we need to do.
"It's really good because I have my mum and dad to help me when I need to go."
Despite the Tamworth Country Music Festival being the primary source of income for his catering business, Pat has made the tough decision to forgo the event to help out as a retained firefighter.
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A choice that has not been easy, despite it being the right one.
"With everything that is happening - this massive disaster, all these fires - I have decided it is better to be selfless and stick to helping the community," Pat said.
"I think it is important to help people in need."
Pat said, realistically, not attending the city's biggest event will have an impact on business, but there are plenty of firefighters who make similar sacrifices.
"Country music is my main source of income for Pat's Lebanese Catering," he said.
"It is a big loss for me, but I would rather help people in need and do something for the community."
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