Tywyn Fire Station has been named North Wales Fire Station of the Year.

They were awarded at the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Awards Ceremony on 25 September.

A station spokesperson said: “This award means a huge amount to every member of our crew and recognises what has been an incredibly busy, rewarding and progressive year for the station.

“One of the things we are particularly proud of is the strength of the crew we have built at Tywyn.

“Through recruitment, training, commitment and a huge amount of work behind the scenes, we now maintain an average appliance availability of around 90 per cent – a fantastic achievement for an on-call station and testament to the dedication of everyone who makes themselves available day and night.

“When the alerter sounds, our crew could be leaving their jobs, businesses, families or beds. Maintaining that level of availability takes a huge collective commitment. And this year has certainly tested that commitment.”

During one particularly intense period this summer, crews responded to 29 calls in just 12 days.

They added: “But being part of Tywyn Fire Station is about much more than responding to emergency incidents.

“One of our proudest achievements has been establishing our Fire Cadets branch.

“Creating opportunities for young people to become involved with the Fire and Rescue Service, learn new skills, develop confidence, understand teamwork and discipline, and become part of the wider fire service family is something we are immensely proud of.

“Hopefully, amongst those young people are some of the firefighters of the future.

“We have also continued to support Aberdyfi Fire Station dual crewing, working closely as neighbouring crews and helping to maintain emergency cover across our communities. The relationship between our stations and the willingness of crews to support each other has been an important part of what we have achieved.

“Alongside operational duties, we continue to be heavily involved in our communities – supporting local events, fundraising, engaging with young people and being there for the communities we serve.

“But there is another group of people without whom none of this would be possible. Our families.

“As proud as we are to receive this award, we would like to dedicate it to them. They are the people who live with the alerter too.

“They put up with interrupted meals, cancelled plans, missed occasions, sleepless nights and us disappearing through the door at a moment's notice – sometimes not knowing whether we'll be back in 20 minutes or hours later.

“During some of the busiest periods this year, our families have barely seen us, yet they have continued to support and encourage us, and understand why serving our community means so much to us.

“This award belongs to them just as much as it belongs to the crew.

“We would also like to recognise our employers and local businesses. On-call firefighting simply wouldn't work without employers willing to support their staff and allow them to respond when their community needs them.

“Finally, thank you to our community.

“The support we receive locally is incredible and something we never take for granted.”