National Emergency Medal

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National Emergency Medal
National Emergency Medal.jpg
The National Emergency Medal with 'BUSHFIRES 19–20' clasp
TypeMedal
Awarded forSustained service
Presented by Australia
EligibilityMembers 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
StatusCurrently awarded
Established23 October 2011
Total78,639 [1]
AUS National Emergency Medal ribbon bar.png
Ribbon bar of the medal
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]

Contents

Description

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]

Clasps

VIC FIRES 09

Those who performed service during the Black Saturday bushfires and meet certain criteria are recognised with the "VIC FIRES 09" clasp. Requirements include: [7]

QLD 2010–11

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]

TC DEBBIE 2017

Those who performed service during the Cyclone Debbie and met certain criteria are recognised by the "TC DEBBIE 2017" clasp. Requirements include: [8]

  • New South Wales: Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield, Tweed.
  • Queensland: Banana, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Burdekin, Central Highlands, Charters Towers, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gold Coast City, Goondiwindi, Gympie, Hinchinbrook, Ipswich, Isaac, Livingstone, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Mackay, Maranoa, Moreton Bay, Noosa, North Burnett, Palm Island, Redland, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Somerset, South Burnett, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville, Western Downs, Whitsunday, Woorabinda Aboriginal;

NTH QLD 2019

Those who performed service during the 2019 Townsville flood and met certain criteria are recognised by the "NTH QLD 2019" clasp. Requirements include: [9]

BUSHFIRES 19–20

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]

FLOODS FEBRUARY 2022

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]

Recipients

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]

YearNumber awardedNotes
2011-201414,658List 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]
2014-159,452 [12]
2015-16381 [13]
2016-17156 [14]
2017-18113 [15]
2018-19141 [16]
2019-2090This annual report includes the establishment of the clasps TC DEBBIE 2017 and NTH QLD 2019. [17]
2020-214,945This annual report includes the establishment of the clasp BUSHFIRES 19–20. [18]
2021-2232,067 [19]
2022-2318,919 [20]
2023-247,230This annual report includes the establishment of the clasp FLOODS FEBRUARY 2022. [21]

Criticism

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]

See also

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References

  1. Governor-General Annual Report 2023-24 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  2. "National Emergency Medal". Australian Honours Secretariat. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  3. "The Order of Wearing of Australian Honours and Awards" (PDF). It's an Honour. Australian Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  4. "National Emergency Medal". Australian Honours and Awards. Governor General of Australia. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  5. "Governor-General of Australia :: National Emergency Medal". Gg.gov.au. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  6. Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat. "National Emergency Medal Fact Sheet" (PDF). www.gg.gov.au. Government House, Canberra. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  7. 1 2 "National Emergency Medal". The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  8. "National Emergency Medal (Tropical Cyclone Debbie 2017) Declaration 2020". The Governor General of Australia. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  9. "National Emergency Medal (North Queensland Floods 2019) Declaration 2020". The Governor General of Australia. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  10. "National Emergency Medal (Bushfires 2019-20) Declaration 2020". The Governor General of Australia. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  11. "National Emergency Medal (Floods February 2022) Declaration 2024" (PDF). The Governor General of Australia. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 Governor-General Annual Report 2014-15 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  13. Governor-General Annual Report 2015-16 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  14. Governor-General Annual Report 2016-17 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 11 October 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  15. Governor-General Annual Report 2017-18 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 11 October 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  16. Governor-General Annual Report 2018-19 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  17. Governor-General Annual Report 2019-20 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  18. Governor-General Annual Report 2020-21 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  19. Governor-General Annual Report 2021-22 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  20. Governor-General Annual Report 2022-23 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  21. Governor-General Annual Report 2023-24 (PDF). Governor General of Australia. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  22. 1 2 Kippist, Lucy. "A muddled medal: Our volunteers deserve more". The Punch. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  23. Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration2020 (PDF) (Report). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  24. "National Emergency Medal - Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)". Governor-General of Australia. The Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  25. "Annual Reporting 2022–23: Major SAPOL Awards" (PDF). South Australia Police. The State of South Australia. Retrieved 3 March 2024.