One of them played out last Saturday at Berrara, south-west of Sussex Inlet - a reunion of NSW Rural Fire Service personnel and NSW Ambulance Paramedics who combined to save the life of 81-year-old resident Bob Butler, who had suffered a heart attack during the fire emergency.

On Saturday, January 4, the Currowan fire reached Cudmirrah and Berrara, the blind and mostly immobile Mr Butler, along with his wife Carol, were just about to shelter from the fire at a neighbour's home, when he went into cardiac arrest.

Local Cudmirra Berrara Rural Fire Brigade were being supported in the area by Fire and Rescue NSW and a Northern Beaches RFS Strike Team.

Thankfully the Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai Strike team, with the crews from Arcadia Rural Fire Brigade were on Mr Butler's street and were able to jump into action.

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Their strike team leader performed CPR and along with off-duty nurse Mandy Herbert, used an automatic external defibrillator [AED] until the arrival of local NSW Ambulance crews who were able stabilise him before he was transported to hospital.

With roads closed due to the fires, Mr Butler was airlifted by the Toll NSW Ambulance Rescue Helicopter to Wollongong.

He has since made a full recovery and is back at home and last Saturday the crew from Arcadia ventured south to the Cudmirrah village again and along with local paramedics Lee Brown and Ian Donald visited Bob and Carol to say "hello" under less stressful conditions.

"I'm extremely lucky - I wasn't breathing and had no heartbeat," Bob said.

"I had the rub of the green - everything fell into place.

"Firstly the fire crews were nearby and able to help, Mandy the nurse was just around the corner, as were the ambulance crew doing another job.

"And I don't know why but the helicopter was already at the Thomson Street Sporting Complex at Sussex Inlet.

"Everything just fell into place."

But Bob wasn't out of the woods - he had two completely blocked arteries and had to have stents put in place.

"I was on life support in an induced coma for two days," he said.

"When I woke up I had to ask Carol what had happened - I had no idea.

"I'm very lucky that something that started so bad ended so good."

He said being able to thank all his "saviours" was special.

"Someone was certainly looking over me," he said.

"It was great to be able to thank everyone involved. All I could do is say thank you as much as I could and shake their hands."

Members of the Cudmirra Berrara Rural Fire Brigade also thanked the strike team and Arcadia for helping out over morning tea and coffee at the local station.