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Two members of Murray Bridge’s Metropolitan Fire Service brigade have been awarded medals for their outstanding service.

Nick Stephen and Ryan Hansen each received the Exemplary Service Medal on Monday night.

Chief Officer Michael Morgan presented the awards, given to long-serving firefighters with spotless service records, ahead of an annual assessment of the brigade’s capabilities.

The assessment included a practical drill, for which brigade members had to respond to an imaginary scenario – in this case, a car stuck under a fallen power line.

Firefighters cordoned off part of Hill Street, radioed imaginary paramedics and technicians, and rescued a uniformed colleague who played the part of the victim, all while neighbours peered over fences and family members snapped photos.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Colin Lindsay said the assessment was intended to test the brigade’s skills in incident command and control, safety, rescue and resource utilisation.

“Assessment evenings are a perfect way for (firefighters) to demonstrate their skills, community spirit and dedication to public safety,” he said.

Murray Bridge finished 13th out of 17 regional MFS stations in last year’s assessment.

• More information about becoming an MFS firefighter: Visit www.mfs.sa.gov.au/recruitment or email samfs.retainedrecruitment@sa.gov.au.