National Emergency Medal Committee
The independent National Emergency Medal Committee is made up of five members: two ex-officio members appointed by the Minister with responsibility for the Australian honours system, and three community members appointed on the Minister’s advice by the Governor-General.
Members
As at October 2023
- Mr Shane Fitzsimmons AO AFSM (Chair)
- Mr Rob Cameron OAM
- Ms Quinn Cramer
- Ms Justine Saunders APM
- Mr Andrew Walter
Functions of the Committee
The functions of the National Emergency Medal Committee are outlined in the National Emergency Medal Regulations 2011, and include:
- Advising the Minister whether an emergency should be declared a nationally-significant emergency for the purpose of the Medal, after considering:
- whether the emergency had a serious impact on the population and region where the emergency happened;
- whether the emergency caused a large number of casualties;
- whether the emergency displaced a large number of people;
- whether the emergency caused significant destruction of, or disruption to, critical infrastructure, including infrastructure used to supply electricity, water, gas and fuel;
- whether the emergency required interstate or international assistance.
- Advising the Minister of the sustained service criteria for declared nationally-significant emergencies, including:
- the name of the clasp for the nationally-significant emergency;
- the geographical area where the emergency happened;
- the day on which the emergency began;
- the duration of the emergency;
- the type of service that a person is required to have undertaken to qualify for the Medal for sustained service;
- the minimum duration of service that a person is required to have completed to qualify for the award of the Medal for sustained service.
- Advising the Secretariat as to whether the service requirements for sustained service may be waived for a person who:
- died during the nationally-significant emergency; or
- was evacuated during the nationally-significant emergency due to injury or illness.
- Making a recommendation to the Governor-General to award a person who has given significant service during a nationally significant emergency, after considering whether the person's service:
- was part of the response efforts to the nationally-significant emergency;
- assisted with protecting lives and property;
- was extraordinary.