About 
The 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours list announced on 13 June 2022 included four CFA members who were awarded the Australian Fire Services Medal (AFSM) in recognition of their contribution to the community of Victoria among the 992 Australians who were recognised.
VFBV congratulates these members for their outstanding contribution to CFA and the broader community.
John Cowan AFSM – John has served as a CFA volunteer across several brigades and groups in District 14 for the last 44 years. John is an experienced fireground commander and has a passion for sharing his experience with emerging operational leaders through both formal training and informally as a mentor. Recently during the pandemic John led the development of a virtual online training delivery program in District 14 to ensure that members stayed connected and maintained their emergency management skills. You can read more about John here.
Richard Cromb AFSM – Richard joined CFA in 1970 and two years later was instrumental in establishing the Sassafras-Ferny Creek Junior Fire Brigade to ensure that more young people in the area developed an interest in CFA. Richard has served as the Captain of Sassafras-Ferny Creek Fire Brigade and is still a member of the Brigade Management Team responsible for driver education and skills maintenance. Richard is also employed as a Bushfire Instructor for CFA in District 13 and has provided extensive input into the development of training material for new CFA appliances. You can read more about Richard here.
Alistair Drayton AFSM – Alistair joined the Highton Fire Brigade in 1982 before moving to Wallington Fire Brigade in 1996 where he is still a member today. Alistair is a Level 3 Incident Controller and has been involved in many incidents across Victoria, Australia and has even been deployed to the United States of America and Canada. Alistair has served as both a Deputy Group Officer and Group Officer in the Bellarine Group and led the establishment of a driver training pathway structured to suit volunteers. You can read more about Alistair on CFA’s website here.
Debra Luke AFSM – Debra has held many roles since she first joined CFA in 1980 including volunteer, administration coordinator, project manager, regional operations coordinator and lieutenant with Captain to join the list from 1 July this year. Debra has been involved in many multi-agency deployments across Victoria, Australia and internationally as a Level 3 Logistics Officer. Debra also led the development of a national expression of interest process which is used to manage the selection of suitably accredited personal from agencies across Australia and New Zealand when international requests for assistance are received. You can read more about Debra on CFA’s website here.
VFBV congratulates these four members for their outstanding contribution to the broader community along with the other Australians recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year.
Three Fire Rescue Victoria members also received the Australian Fire Service Medal in the honours, Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer Roger Chitty AFSM, Assistant Chief Fire Officer James Dullard AFSM and Commander Philip Taylor AFSM. VFBV extends our congratulations to Roger, James and Philip.
Four further CFA members received recognition in the Queen’s Birthday awards with Graeme Legge OAM made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division and Alan Crosbie, Lyndon Hart and Geoffrey Penna each receiving the Medal (OAM) of The Order for Australian in the General Division. Emergency Management Victoria Commissioner Andrew Crisp APM was also made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division.
VFBV congratulates all recipients of honours announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this year.
Nominations for AFSM's
Nominations for AFSM's are accepted at any time through CFA's Honours and Awards Committee.
The AFSM honours the distinguished service of members of fire services who make an exceptionable contribution to their communities. The AFSM recognises those whose service is above and beyond the normal zealous and faithful discharge of normal or ordinary service, either in the short or long term.
CFA volunteers are often modest and reluctant to seek out recognition for the service they have provided to their community and may not have a realistic appreciation of the impact they have had on CFA, their community, within VFBV or your Brigade or Group. They’re not in it for the honour or glory, but it’s up to each of us to ensure we take the time to say ‘thank-you’ to those people who have stepped up and help inspire us all to do better.
If you know a quiet achiever who has contributed to CFA, who goes above and beyond what could be reasonably expected of someone in a similar position, please consider nominating them for an AFSM.
The Australian Honours system has been designed to break down artificial barriers and open the Australian Honours to all parts of our society. Any member of the community can nominate any other Australian citizen for an award.
It is also critically important we encourage nominations for groups who are typically under-represented in Australian Honours like the AFSM. In particular we are encouraging a greater gender mix.
Women in particular are under-represented in AFSM’s awarded when we consider the thousands of women within the fire services across the country. And while things are improving, much more can be done.
There are so many exceptional CFA women and men deserving to be recognised, so please consider nominating someone you feel is deserving.
A common misconception is that only those members who have decades worth of service are recognised by the Honours system. The AFSM is not a long-service award, its sole criterion is distinguished service. And while prolonged service forms part of the key criteria, ‘prolonged’ is considered by the honour and awards committee’s to be taken in context as to what is considered ‘longer than usual’ and in context of what is ‘above and beyond’ the normal or ordinary service expected. Exceptional service that is sustained over a period of time can be considered as satisfying the criteria. For example, has the members contribution been in excess of expectations for a ‘normal’ member and over what duration? The Committee will consider the nature of the service or achievement within the context of a member’s service history when weighing up the various criteria.
This is especially important for women within CFA who may have their service overlooked simply because they haven’t been a Captain or Group Officer for 30+ years. While these are important leadership roles – our service is a team environment, and everyone’s contribution is valued.
Nothing should take away from the incredible achievement decade long service is, but the Honours system is designed to recognise those that make a significant contribution, and to represent the things that our communities believe to be deserving of recognition, including from those who are perhaps trailblazers for others to follow. Think of those people who have pushed the boundaries or have been first to reach and hold leadership positions that has been inspirational to those around them. For example, think of members who have overcome additional barriers, like English not being their first language and who have toiled away to learn the language and become masterful communicators designing new innovative community safety engagements to CALD communities and serving as a role model for other community members. Who are the people you look up to? Who are the people who have really made a difference in your Brigade or Group?
Distinguished service includes service that is above and beyond and can be short-term or prolonged. It is service that can be exemplified by; responsibility for an outstanding event that has proven to be of significant benefit to the fire service or community; development of a new system, procedure or technique that is unique and made a significant contribution to the fire service; or outstanding leadership in the encouragement and development of others, particularly youth within the fire services.
While it can seem daunting to nominate a potential recipient, some guiding principles that could assist in completing a nomination for an AFSM are:
- In what role(s) has the nominee excelled?
- How has the nominee demonstrated service worthy of recognition?
- How has the nominee’s contribution affected a particular field, locality, brigade, group or community at large?
- Over what period has the nominee made a major commitment?
- Has the nominee’s contribution been recognised elsewhere?
- What makes this person stand out from others?
- What specific examples can be provided to show how the nominee’s contribution(s) have been outstanding?
Nominations for awards are strictly confidential. The person being nominated should not be approached for information or advised of the confidential nomination at any stage of the process.
Additional Resources to Assist
Guide to Preparing Nominations for the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM)
Want to discuss a potential nomination or need some more information? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About the Australian Fire Service Medal
Introduced in 1988, the Australian Fire Service Medal recognised distinguished service by members of Australian fire services and is awarded to both volunteer and paid members. The award recognised the distinguished service by members of a State or Territory Fire Service, a Fire Service of an agency of the Commonwealth, and the Fire Services of the External Territories of Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Island) and Norfolk Island.
The medal is awarded twice a year as part of the Australia Day award and Queen’s Birthday award announcements.
Criteria for the Australian Fire Service Medal
To be considered for this award it would be expected that the nominee has given service beyond the norm exemplified by:
- Prolonged service distinguished by exceptional performance in a particular area that has proved significant benefit to the fire service; and one or more of the following.
- Responsibility for and management of an outstanding/exceptional event that has proven to be of significant benefit to the fire service, a community or community safety generally.
- Development of a new system, or procedure, or technique that is unique and has made a significant contribution to the fire service, a community or community safety generally.
- Outstanding leadership in the encouragement and development of others, particularly youth, within the fire service and the fostering and furthering of the aims of the fire service to the long-term benefit of the fire service and the community.
- Demonstrated creativity in the development and implementation of innovative changes that have made a significant contribution to the fire service, fire/emergency operations, or the interests of community safety.
