David has worked as a paramedic for 33 years, the past 21 of those years has been spent in Laurieton.

Ian has been a paramedic for 41 years, 35 of them spent at Laurieton Ambulance Station.

Now, both men are stepping back from their careers to take some well-deserved time for themselves.

David said what drew him to the role of a paramedic was the challenge and the unknown.

"The excitement drew me to the role as well," he said.

"Being able to help people right there and then when they need it is quite special."

David worked as a nurse in a hospital operating theatre before joining NSW Ambulance.

"We had the paramedic trainees come through the hospital I was working in and that's when I thought that I needed to get out of those four walls. Being a paramedic seemed to be the perfect job for me," he said.

He worked in various positions in Sydney before moving to the Camden Haven area.

"I have had a diverse career, but working here for the last 21 years as a paramedic on the road is really the only thing I ever wanted to do.

"I'm very pleased with my career and I'm proud to have been a paramedic."

David said helping save two people after they suffered cardiac arrests are two jobs that stand out to him throughout his career.

"Two cardiac arrests occurred in Lake Cathie quite some years ago and we were able to save both of those elderly people," he said.

"That isn't too common with cardiac arrests unfortunately, most of the time it's not a very good outcome but those two stand out because we were able to treat them at home and save their lives."

Ian also has a background in nursing and said he "wanted to do more".

"I was originally going to join the police and nursing was the backup plan, but then I transferred into the paramedic role," he said.

Ian previously worked in metropolitan Sydney, mainly in Summer Hill, Central Sydney and the Northern Beaches before moving to the Mid North Coast.

"I transferred up here in 1990 and have been an intensive care paramedic for the past 36 years.

"Making someone's bad day a good day is the most rewarding part. That could be something little or something big.

"Giving comfort to someone when it doesn't go well can also be rewarding."

Ian said being called to a job where a young boy in Sydney had been struck by lightning had an impact on him.

"When I was working at Narrabeen there was a 16-year-old boy who was at soccer training and a big storm cell came in.

"He was struck by lightning and was clinically dead, his mates got up and started CPR on him.

"We were able to get him back and he's still alive and he's still part of the community."

After many years spent helping other people, David has now retired and Ian has stepped away from full-time work and is now working casually before entering retirement.

They said they are both looking forward to spending more time with their families and travelling.

"There will be some travelling and also getting regular sleep," David said.

"I want to do some travel. I also have some new grandchildren coming in the next few weeks so I'm looking forward to family time," Ian added.