Ambulance officer Graham Harvey (70) and paramedic Selwyn Cardno (67) were both recognised for 47 years of service to St John.
"I’m a dinosaur, so we get recognised for it," Mr Cardno said.
Both men agreed they had seen a lot of change in their 47 years.
Mr Cardno said they often encountered challenging situations and in such cases it was important to talk to colleagues and other paramedics.
"You did the best care that you could at the time."
He had been with Balclutha for the past seven years and before that was "a bit of a gypsy" as he travelled between Dunedin, Milton, Mosgiel and even Wanaka with St John.
The workload in Balclutha might be less than what he experienced in larger centres, but the jobs could take much longer once travel was factored in.
Mr Cardno said he always enjoyed helping people.
When contacted, Mr Harvey said he started with the Rotorua service and was transferred to Balclutha in 1991.
"And I haven’t left yet," he said.
For him, the job itself was why he stayed with St John.
"Helping people, the medical side of the work and answering the calls for help has been pretty satisfying."
It was one of those jobs you could either stick with for a short time or a long time.
It had been an interesting and varied experience working with St John.
Neither Mr Cardno nor Mr Harvey had any plans for retirement.
St John region area executive officer Rachel Jenkinson said the recognition night was a big one for the area.
"It was a way to get together and celebrate people’s achievements."
Several other St John members were recognised for their devotion to the organisation, including Lenore Kopua (37 years), Christopher Landreth (32 years), Karen Bradfield (27 years) and Trudie Farquhar (17 years).
