From a young age, Alan Tull had a love of flying that took him around the globe.
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"He started learning to fly fixed-wings but then he got into helicopters," his fiance Sheila Ryken said.
"He was able to work all over the world, from Mongolia to Guam, Indonesia and New Guinea."
The helicopter also helped to protect others by fighting multiple bushfires from a water-bombing aircraft over his long career.
The 57-year-old died in his service to others, after his helicopter crashed while he was fighting bushfires near Ulladulla last August.
Mr Tull was among the 23 names remembered at a national memorial service on Wednesday, honouring emergency service workers who died in the line of duty.
His name will join the 528 others listed at the national memorial at Rond Terrace since it was built last year.
Ms Ryken, who was at the memorial service along with her family, said it was important to see her fiance's work remembered.
"It's been very important. I would rather have my Alan here but it's a nice gesture to remember him at the service," she said.
"His mum's elderly and in her 80s and couldn't make the service, but she's very proud of him.
"I miss him terribly."
The families of 23 emergency service workers honoured at the service were presented with medallions by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove.
In his address, Sir Peter said the sacrifice made by emergency workers would always be remembered.
"When disaster strikes, it's the men and women of our emergency services who come ready to our aid," he said.
"We'll honour them with wreaths and medallions, but more importantly, we'll do it with out hearts and reflections."
Ms Ryken said it was touching to see the level of support.
"Alan was very well respected, and he loved to mentor the younger pilots."
Emergency workers who lost their lives in decades past were also honoured at the memorial.
Among the names read out was that of Peter McIntosh, a volunteer firefighter from Kurri Kurri in NSW, who died in 1965 aged 26, after collapsing while fighting a blaze.
His wife Evon was at the ceremony, alongside a photo of him and Peter's original fireman's helmet, polished to its former glory.
She said firefighting meant a lot to her late husband.
"His father was a volunteer, and long before Peter was appointed to a position at the fire brigade, he would fill in for his father. It was his life and he loved it," Mrs McIntosh said.
"He would have loved to have joined the permanent brigade, the volunteer one was the next best thing."
She said the service took on added significance for her son Glen, who was just nine-months-old when his father died.
"It's lovely to recognise Peter's work and the ceremony was quite moving, but it's even more so for the likes of his son and grandsons and extended family," Mrs McIntosh said.
"It was really special to have all the generations here."
Emergency service workers who assisted during the Christchurch massacre in New Zealand earlier this year were also honoured at the ceremony.
New Zealand High Commissioner Dame Annette King gave thanks to Australian emergency workers who helped in the aftermath of the attack.
Sir Peter paid tribute to emergency workers put their lives on the line during the incident.
"It turned out to be a policing matter, but so many of these awful acts by man can involve the whole gamut of emergency services," he said.
"Every person of the emergency services played their part on that day."