Alas, through rounds of selection processes and other formalities, it's very much official now - he's secured Orange's NSW Rural Fire Service zone manager of the Canobolas branch.

"I've had plenty of congratulations and fantastic well-wishes from personnel and brigade people, so it's certainly now a formal thing," Mr Bowden said.

"It's taken a while for the recruiting process to reach its end, so it's nice that we've now got a bit of permanency and stability around the role again, which is a really positive thing for Orange, the team and the RFS on the whole."

After former-superintendent, Dave Hoadley announced his intention to retire back in early 2021, Mr Bowden stepped into the acting role to absorb the duties.

With eight permanent staff who manage 79 brigades, along with almost 3000 volunteers, there's a big fleet of firefighters, emergencies, vehicles and equipment to be overseen - which is why the RFS stalwart feels that continuity plays a very important role.

"While we are a firefighting organisation, we are first and foremost a people organisation," Mr Bowden said.

"Trust and respect are probably the most critical factors in our vocation and I think that without that mutual connection, it's difficult to maintain volunteers - particularly who are in positions of community responsibility, where it can also be difficult to recruit - and have that stability within the organisation.

"So, I guess it [the new appointment] does feel different, because it's a relief in a way - we have now got that continuity of trust and permanency, where things aren't up in the air as much around roles.

"We can now just get on with the job with that confidence."

Relocating to the Central West from the Hunter Region during the 90s, Mr Bowden has been a multifaceted part of the community for several decades now.

From early AFL mornings on the sideline at Jack Brabham, and commuting kids far and wide across the west, Mr Bowden says his bond to the region is "tied."

"I moved to Orange from the Hunter Valley in 1995 with my wife Cathy, whose been by my side for over 30-odd years now," he said.

"We've worked here, our children have grown up here, they now have children here - Cathy and I are both tied to the location, because of those family relationships we have, so we've always felt quite satisfied and happy to be living in the Central West."

Fire control officer with Cabonne Council on a three-year contract at the time, the RFS Canobolas zone was formed soon after, in the year 2000.

Operations officer for more than 20 years, Mr Bowden's recent announcement is a big change, laden with fresh opportunities to grow the force of the firies.

One of his main goals, the zone manager says, is to focus on preparing for the younger generation - the RFS workforce of the future.

"Our big concentration is succession planning and not only for our brigade, but for our senior volunteers - the ageing of the rural population is not a myth, it's a fact," Mr Bowden said.

"We've got to get the younger people in and make sure that they learn the ropes from the generation that we have now, so that we can pass on that expertise and capability.

"So, when that brigade captain eventually wants to stand down, there'll be someone capable and confident to take those reins; to make sure that the local community is fulfilled and with a viable, operational [crew]."

With the summer the region is leading into, in conjunction with predictions from the BoM, Mr Bowden says the heavy rains could shape into prime bushfire conditions.

Reiterating the ongoing need for the recruitment of RFS volunteers, the new role success will have the current zone members, off to a pretty confident start.

"Our peak is summer and the most dangerous time," Mr Bowden said.

"With the more-than-average rainfall for us around the Central Tablelands over the last three years, we've got the possibility of a pretty good grassfire season.

"So, with the permanency back in the team now, we'll have that stability before we get anywhere near the summer season."

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