For 50 years they have been on call, willing to drop everything at a moment’s notice to save lives on the Forth.
But as volunteers past and present mark half a century of the Kinghorn lifeboat, word of their work is being spread throughout the country.
As the birthday celebrations continue at the Fife station, tributes to the crew have been paid by both the Westminster and Scottish parliaments to honour their lifesaving work.
Motions by local MP Roger Mullin and MSP David Torrance were put forward to recognise the generations of crews, who between them have been scrambled almost 1,400 times and saved 400 lives.
Alan McIlravie, operations manager at the station, said it was an honour to be recognised at such a level.
“It was both reflective and uplifting to hear such fine praise heaped on us and our predecessors. My colleagues and I were surprised and impressed by the depth of the research that had been undertaken by Mr Torrance and his fellow MSPs as well as the genuine warmth and affection articulated towards the RNLI.
“It is humbling for us to hear such praise and to experience such generosity.”