Queen's Birthday Honours 2020 - Fire, Police and Ambulance Service

Recipients of Queen’s Fire, Police and Ambulance Service medals in Scotland are as follows:

Queen’s Police Medal

• Campbell Thomson, Chief Superintendent, Police Scotland
• Hazel Hendren, Chief Superintendent, Police Scotland

 Queen’s Fire Service Medal

• David McGown, Deputy Chief Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

 Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal

• John Burnham, Associate Director of Care Quality & Professional Development, Scottish Ambulance Service

QUEEN’S POLICE MEDAL

Campbell Thomson, Chief Superintendent, Police Scotland

Chief Superintendent Campbell Thomson joined Grampian Police on 19 November 1990 and quickly rose through the ranks in predominantly Criminal Investigation Division (CID) roles.

As Detective Sergeant and Detective Superintendent, he had oversight of the enquiry into Scotland’s first ‘no body’ murder and led the investigation which secured the first conviction of its kind. 

In 2008, Campbell commanded the enquiry into Operation Field which secured the conviction of Malcolm Webster for the murder of his first wife in Aberdeenshire in 1994 and the attempted murder of his second wife in New Zealand in 1998.

The following year, Campbell led the investigation into the loss of the Bond Super Puma helicopter off the coast of Crimond.

He would later pass on his experience and strategies to the Senior Investigating Officers’ of Investigations into the loss of the CHC helicopter off Sumburgh and the loss of the Police Scotland helicopter involved in the Clutha tragedy in Glasgow.

In 2014, Campbell was temporarily promoted to Assistant Chief Constable for local Policing North, responsible for the former Force areas of Tayside, Grampian and Highlands and Islands before moving to his current role of Divisional Commander, North East Division. In addition, he has undertaken the role of Strategic Firearms Commander for Royal Residence and Royal Court in the North East since 2015.

Hazel Hendren, Chief Superintendent, Police Scotland

Chief Superintendent Hazel Hendren joined Strathclyde Police in 1991. Posted to the Easterhouse area of Glasgow, she performed various roles within response policing and CID.

On promotion to Sergeant in 2002, Hazel worked in both uniform and special branch before being promoted to Inspector in 2006. Hazel returned to the Gorbals as Area Commander in 2013.

The following year saw promotion to Superintendent with the portfolio for Support and Service Delivery in Glasgow before being appointed as Divisional Commander for Argyle and West Dunbartonshire in 2017.

June 2019 saw Hazel return to take command of Greater Glasgow Division where she played an integral part in the aftermath of the sectarian disorder at a James Connolly Republican Flute Band march in September 2019, leading to widespread national media attention.

During the COVID pandemic Chief Superintendent Hendren ensured that the staff of Greater Glasgow Division have continued to offer a high level of service to the public whilst sensitively dealing with the fears and concerns of her colleagues.

QUEEN’S FIRE SERVICE MEDAL

David McGown, Deputy Chief Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Deputy Chief Officer (DCO) David McGown joined the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in September 1987 and has provided over thirty two years dedicated service as an inspirational officer.

During his time as Director of Prevention and Protection, David was an ambassador for the SFRS’s improvement work following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

He later led the development of the SFRS Safe and Well House training facility, introduced after the service worked with partners to bring in technologies and innovations to help reduce unintentional harm and injury to the most vulnerable members of Scotland’s communities.

David was in command of the response to the Cameron House Hotel fire in December 2017. Tragically, two people lost their lives during this incident but the bravery of the firefighters under David’s command, and his inspirational leadership, led to several people being rescued.

DCO McGowan is currently responsible for the delivery of services to communities across Scotland, leading over 6000 staff and managers operating from 356 fire stations across the country. He is a Trustee of the Chief Fire Officers Association Trust, the charitable body which oversees the work of the National Fire Chiefs Council.

QUEEN’S AMBULANCE SERVICE MEDAL

John Burnham, Associate Director of Care Quality & Professional Development, Scottish Ambulance Service

Since joining the ambulance profession in 1993, John has been at the heart of several pioneering developments which have changed the face of pre-hospital care.

Early in his career, John played a central role in the introduction of Community First Responder schemes, showing his commitment to understanding local needs and fostering engagement within communities by training local volunteers in basic life support.

Later, his collaborative work around coronary heart disease was fundamental to the introduction of paramedic-led thrombolysis, reshaping pre-hospital cardiac care and demonstrating his dedication to clinical excellence.

In 2006, John spearheaded a radical reshaping of education for paramedics within Scotland. Within two years of his appointment as Head of Education & Professional Development, and in the face of many significant challenges, his vision and drive was central to the transformation of paramedic learning from vocational training to higher education courses.

Since then, several programmes including the BSc in Paramedic Practice have successfully steered the development of thousands of staff.

The quality of these programmes was highlighted in an independent report delivered to the College of Paramedics which recognised them as outstanding examples of pre-hospital education within the United Kingdom.

More recently John has led the further evolution of paramedic education, setting up arrangements with five universities to provide undergraduate degree programmes.

Alongside this pioneering work, in 2020, John has led the Service’s response to COVID-19, identifying the potential risk very early, and establishing effective plans and response mechanisms.

When off duty, John continues to regularly serve his local community by providing first response support and flies with the air ambulance to provide advanced care nationwide.

His selflessness is also demonstrated through his longstanding dedication to and affiliation with St. John Ambulance and the British Red Cross. Initially providing voluntary weekend duties, his role has expanded to include delivery of advanced training to members and staff.