THERE'S an old fashioned notion of "doing your bit", putting something back into the place that has nurtured and sustained you.

It might not be as popular as it once was, but look and you'll find it in places like Barnoldswick, places where there is still a tangible sense of belonging to a community.

And nowhere will you find a better example of people "doing their bit" than brothers Malcolm and Chris Nuttall.

Between them they have put in more than 60 years' unbroken service as retained firefighters in the town, safeguarding property, rescuing the odd cat, and saving lives.

Although the description will no doubt lead to endless leg-pulling from friends, they are everyday heroes - men who, at any moment of the day or night, might be called on to put their own lives at risk for the sake of others.

Malcolm is the elder brother, now just three years away from the compulsory retirement age of 55 for a retained firefighter. When he reaches that milestone, he will retire with the maximum period of service under his belt, having already completed 35 years.

Younger brother Chris has 26 years' service to his credit so far, with another nine to go. Both he and Malcolm have reached the rank of sub-officer, which, combined with their long service, must make them unique in the county, if not the country.

Malcolm first joined the Auxiliary Fire Service - part of the old Civil Defence organisation - when he was 16. It was disbanded when the Cold War began to thaw and at 18 he became a retained fireman in Barnoldswick, then part of the old West Riding County Fire Service.

In fact, he was the last recruit at Barnoldswick under the old West Riding, while brother Chris was the first recruit under the new Lancashire regime, which came in as part of the 1974 local government reorganisation.

The brothers grew up in the town, where their grandfather, Alf Nuttall, was captain of the local fire brigade. Their father also had a keen interest in the brigade, so it was only natural they should join up as soon as they were able.

Moving from one county's control to another was a big change for the Barnoldswick brigade, the first of many that the Nuttalls would see in their long service. Among other things, it meant a fond farewell to the West Riding's old white fire engines, though one of Barnoldswick's Rolls-Royce-powered Dennis engines still survives in show condition, garaged at a Lancashire fire station.

Other changes include the rise in the number of road accidents that firefighters are called to, so much so that it is now the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

"We carry a lot of rescue equipment on the pumps and go to a lot of RTAs (Road Traffic Accidents) now," said Malcolm. "There's actually no obligation for fire crews to attend RTAs, but they always have and over the years it has evolved into a rescue service."

It has also meant the evolution of specialised rescue equipment, such as the hydraulic "jaws of life", used to cut open cars like sardine tins, and specialised training in how to use the equipment.

Conversely, there has been a drop in the number of domestic chimney fires, as people moved away from traditional open fires, and there is no longer the same high risk of a big mill fire, though they do still happen. Last year the Barnoldswick crews helped tackle a major mill blaze in Helmshore, attended by crews from across East Lancashire.

Another welcome change has been the switch to personal pocket alerts, used to notify firefighters of a callout.

"It used to be the siren on the training tower that would sound, but only till 11pm," said Chris. "After that, you had to be at home so you could hear your own house call bell if it went off."

The old siren was tested every Saturday at 10.30am, wailing out over Barnoldswick.

At any time, there's a good chance at least one of the Nuttall brothers will be on call. Lancashire has a policy of sending two pumps to any callout, except for "known small fires", so it's likely that one of the brothers will attend any emergency in West Craven, as Earby only has one pump.

It's a big commitment, not just for the firefighters, but for their partners too. Both Malcolm and Chris said they wouldn't be able to continue without the support of their partners, Cath and Sheila.

Commitment is also needed from local employers, willing to let their staff serve as retained firefighters, downing tools at a moment's notice to race off on an emergency call.

"We're very lucky in this area to have major employers like Rolls-Royce, Silentnight and Wellhouse Wires who support the retained fire service," said Malcolm. "If these and other employers didn't, we'd really be in dickey's meadow - we wouldn't have a fire brigade in the town."

And it's an astute move too by these sympathetic employers, for who knows when they might need to call on the local firefighters?

As his "proper job", Malcolm is an ambulance technician in Barnoldswick, so he could attend an emergency in either hat. Chris runs his own coach travel firm, Chris Nuttall Travel.

As they approach the end of their active service, they are already passing on their skills to a new generation. Together with firefighter Mick Strickland, they formed the Fire Cadets - now the Young Firefighters - at Barnoldswick. It was only the second such group in Lancashire and is still the only one at a retained station.

The county's Chief Fire Officer is full of praise for the Barnoldswick group and has gone on record saying he would like to see a Young Firefighters group at every station in Lancashire.

The boys and girls, aged 11 to 18, take part in nearly all the standard fire drills, in fire safety training and a variety of trips and other activities.

In Barnoldswick they also raised funds for a mini fire engine, "Little Siren", used to give children's rides at galas, shows and fetes, taking vital fire safety messages with it.

Also crucial to the running of the group are the female leaders, Jill Robinson, Jennifer Anderson and Sheila Nuttall, Chris's wife. And just to make it a real family affair, one of the Young Firefighters is their 13-year-old son Lee.

"Even after all these years, the buzz is still there," says Malcolm. "When the alarm goes, you don't know what it is you're going to, or what you can do to help."

"You name it, we've had it," added Chris.

"Anything from kids' fingers stuck in videos to a goat stuck under a garden shed, right up to the big fires. We once had three big mill fires within 48 hours.

"There's a lot of fun and laughs, but there's a serious side too and you don't always get the result you'd like. It's all about teamwork really, and doing your bit."

If you'd like to serve as a retained firefighter, or find out more about what it takes, there's an open evening at the Barnoldswick Station, on Wellhouse Road, next Thursday, April 19, from around 6.30pm. And don't imagine it's just for men - the service is particularly keen to recruit more women, especially those who can provide daytime cover. Why not go along and see if you can do your bit.