National Emergency Medal | |
---|---|
Type | Medal |
Awarded for | Sustained service |
Presented by | Australia |
Eligibility | Members of identified organisations or individuals who rendered sustained service during specified dates in specified places in response to nationally significant emergencies within Australia |
Clasps | VIC FIRES 09 QLD 2010–11 TC DEBBIE 2017 NTH QLD 2019 BUSHFIRES 19–20 FLOODS FEBRUARY 2022 |
Status | Currently awarded |
Established | 23 October 2011 |
Total | 78,639 [1] |
Order of Wear | |
Next (higher) | Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal [2] [3] |
Next (lower) | Civilian Service Medal 1939–1945 |
Related | Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal |
The National Emergency Medal is an award of the Australian honours system given for sustained service during a nationally significant emergency; or to other persons who rendered significant service in response to such emergencies. [4] The medal was established by Queen Elizabeth II in October 2011. The medal is awarded for events specifically set out by regulation or may be awarded upon the recommendation of the National Emergency Medal Committee for significant service. [5]
The National Emergency Medal is a circular medal, ensigned with the Australian Coat of Arms. The obverse depicts a central image of a Golden Wattle branch. Surrounding the image at the edge is a further depiction of the flowering wattle. The centre of the reverse has the same border as the obverse, but in the centre it details by inscription the award and the recipient.
The National Emergency Medal ribbon colours match the colours of the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal ribbon. The colours of the ribbon are gold and eucalyptus green. Gold symbolises the Australian sun, optimism and hope. Eucalyptus green complements the symbolism of the medal design. The seven gold coloured bands represent Australia’s six states, with the seventh representing the territories. [6]
Those who performed service during the Black Saturday bushfires and meet certain criteria are recognised with the "VIC FIRES 09" clasp. Requirements include: [7]
Those who performed service during the Queensland Floods and Cyclone Yasi and met certain criteria are recognised by the "QLD 2010–11" clasp. Requirements include: [7]
Those who performed service during the Cyclone Debbie and met certain criteria are recognised by the "TC DEBBIE 2017" clasp. Requirements include: [8]
Those who performed service during the 2019 Townsville flood and met certain criteria are recognised by the "NTH QLD 2019" clasp. Requirements include: [9]
Those who performed service during the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season and met certain criteria are recognised by the "BUSHFIRES 19–20" clasp. Requirements include: [10]
Those who performed service during the 2022 eastern Australia floods and met certain criteria are recognised by the "FLOODS FEBRUARY 2022" clasp. Requirements include: [11]
The year is listed as such in the table due to the award numbers being made public based on the financial year in the Governor-General's Annual Report. [12]
Year | Number awarded | Notes |
---|---|---|
2011-2014 | 14,658 | List the number of awards issued between 23 October 2011 to 30 June 2014. This annual report period includes the establishment of the clasps VIC FIRES 09 and QLD 2010–11. [12] |
2014-15 | 9,452 | [12] |
2015-16 | 381 | [13] |
2016-17 | 156 | [14] |
2017-18 | 113 | [15] |
2018-19 | 141 | [16] |
2019-20 | 90 | This annual report includes the establishment of the clasps TC DEBBIE 2017 and NTH QLD 2019. [17] |
2020-21 | 4,945 | This annual report includes the establishment of the clasp BUSHFIRES 19–20. [18] |
2021-22 | 32,067 | [19] |
2022-23 | 18,919 | [20] |
2023-24 | 7,230 | This annual report includes the establishment of the clasp FLOODS FEBRUARY 2022. [21] |
The criteria for award of the National Emergency Medal has been criticised as not honouring the efforts of many volunteers. Due to safety issues many volunteers were rotated out of disaster areas after a few days and unable to spend the required amount of time on the ground in the disaster area to qualify for the medal. [22]
Lucy Kippist, writer at The Punch stated the Prime Minister after announcing the creation of the new medal "neglected to mention that most of the volunteers who served in those regions were completely ineligible for the award", with one reader described the award as "confusing, disorganised and grossly unfair way the National Emergency Medal was put together in the first place. Thousands of volunteers across the country also expected to be on that list". [22]
Despite being a global pandemic and declared a human biosecurity emergency in Australia, [23] the 2020–2022 COVID-19 event was not a declared nationally significant emergency. [24] As a result, some agencies have produced a state honour such as the South Australia Police 'SAPOL Emergency Response Active Service Medal (COVID-19 Major Emergency Declaration)' and the Queensland Police inaugural 'Emergency Response Medal (COVID-19 clasp). [25]
Michael Joseph Keelty is a retired Australian Police Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police from 2001 to 2009. He was also the inaugural chairperson of the Australian Crime Commission, now known as the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Australian Red Cross, formally Australian Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Australia. Tracing its history back to 1914 and being incorporated by royal charter in 1941, Australian Red Cross Society is the national member of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and part of the International Red Cross Movement. Australian Red Cross is guided by the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and as such is a non-religious, neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organisation.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service is a volunteer-based firefighting agency and statutory body of the Government of New South Wales.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) is a government department that is responsible for fire and emergency services in Western Australia. The department came into being in 2012 as a result of the Perth Hills Bush Fire review. DFES is responsible for the management, training and funding of career and volunteer Services including:
The Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan is a campaign medal previously awarded by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom for service by British Armed Forces personnel in support of the post-2001 Afghan War.
The General Service Medal was instituted to recognise service in minor Army and Royal Air Force operations for which no separate medal was intended. Local forces, including police, qualified for many of the clasps, as could units of the Indian Army prior to 1947.
The General Service Medal, is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom introduced in 1962 to replace both the General Service Medal (1918), as awarded to the Army and RAF, and the Naval General Service Medal (1915). The 1962 GSM was awarded until 2007, when it was replaced by the Operational Service Medal. In 2015 the General Service Medal (2008) was introduced.
The Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal is an award in the Australian honours system. The award is presented to those who perform humanitarian service in a foreign country, in particular those working in dangerous environments or conditions or during a humanitarian crisis. The award was introduced by letters patent on 16 April 1999, following a review of the Australian honours and awards system beginning in 1995.
The National Medal is an Australian award given for long service by operational members of specified eligible organisations. It was introduced in 1975, as an original component of the new Australian honours system, and replaced a range of medals available to military and civilian uniformed services for long service and good conduct. The eligible groups have in common that their members serve or protect the community at the risk of death, injury or trauma, hence it is only available to members of the eligible organisations who are operationally deployed. In the case of corrective services, eligibility is restricted to officers with custodial duties.
The Police Overseas Service Medal is an award in the Australian honours system. The award is presented to members of an Australian police force in recognition of service undertaken with an international peace-keeping organisations or following a request for assistance from a foreign government. The award was introduced by letters patent on 25 April 1991. In 2013 the criteria were amended to also include service by regular and patrol officers of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. Recipients of the medal are not entitled to any post-nominal letters.
The Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975 recognises the service of Australian Defence Force and certain other persons in prescribed warlike operations in the period after World War II, and prior to February 1975. The medal was established in December 1997. The Australian Active Service Medal recognises warlike service after February 1975 until 2012 when the Australian Operational Service Medal was instituted.
The Australian Service Medal 1945–1975 recognises service in peacekeeping or non-warlike operations in the 30-year period following World War II, and prior to February 1975. The medal was established on 22 February 1995. The Australian Service Medal recognises non-warlike service after February 1975.
The Australian Service Medal is an Australian military decoration. It was authorised 13 September 1988 to recognise prescribed service in peacekeeping and non-warlike operations. It is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of additional clasps. The Australian Service Medal 1945–1975 recognises non-warlike service prior to February 1975. The Australian Service Medal was replaced in 2012 by the Australian Operational Service Medal, except for ongoing missions.
The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal and the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 are medals awarded by King Charles III to members of his Armed Forces to recognise long campaign service. The original Accumulated Campaign Service Medal, instituted in January 1994, was awarded to holders of the General Service Medal (1962) who had completed 36 months of accumulated campaign service. The replacement Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011 is now currently awarded to holders of various campaign service medals who have completed 24 months of campaign service.
The Australian Operational Service Medal is a campaign medal established on 22 May 2012 to recognise service by Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel on designated hazardous operations. It may also be awarded to civilians who serve alongside the ADF on designated operations under specific conditions.
The Bravery Council of Australia Meeting 79 Honours List was announced by the Governor General of Australia, the then Quentin Bryce, AC, CVO, on 1 September 2013.
The 2010–2011 Queensland Flood and Cyclone Citation is a Queensland honour established by the Governor-of-Queensland-in-Council in 2011.
The State of Queensland has created several independent honours to that of the Australian Honours System.
The National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA) was an Australian government executive agency to help those affected by natural disasters, including droughts, bushfires, and floods. It was an agency of the Department of Home Affairs from 1 July 2022 until it was replaced by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in September 2022. Before this, it was an agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The South Australian State Emergency Service is the South Australian branch of the State Emergency Service, partner of the Australian Council of State Emergency Services. The service, founded in 1962, is volunteer based, and prepares and responds to emergencies within the state. It receives on average 10,000 calls for assistance per year. The SASES is a separate entity, independent of other branches, and reports to the South Australian Minister for Emergency Services. The service is funded by a levy imposed on every household in the state, and is currently led by chief officer Chris Beattie with assistance from the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM).