Queen's Birthday Honours 2021 - Fire, Police and Ambulance Service

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

Queen’s Police Medal

• Fiona Taylor, Deputy Chief Constable, Police Scotland
• Roderick Newbigging, Chief Superintendent, Police Scotland

Queen’s Fire Service Medal

• Carole Glendinning, Firefighter Control, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• John Miller, Head of Service Delivery West Area, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Ronald McIntyre, Watch Commander and Training Instructor, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal

• Trevor Spowart, General Manager Fleet, Scottish Ambulance Service
• William Kinniburgh, Strategic Operations Manager, Scottish Ambulance Service

QUEEN'S POLICE MEDAL

Fiona Taylor, Deputy Chief Constable, Police Scotland

Scotland’s most senior female police officer, Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) Fiona Taylor joined the police service in 1993. Over the course of her career she has served as a chief officer in four forces, and now leads Police Scotland’s People and Professionalism branch.

DCC Taylor has shown an impassioned focus on supporting and developing the people who police our communities throughout her career. As well as mentoring young officers on their career progression, Fiona helped develop the College of Policing’s Strategic Command Course (SCC).

She is also passionate about driving cultural change in the force, encouraging a greater focus on personal reflection and learning. As part of this approach, DCC Taylor successfully introduced the Metropolitan Police Service Code of Ethics.  

A committed advocate for diversity and inclusion, DCC Taylor worked closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland to address issues that resulted from an employment tribunal decision regarding part-time working. DCC Taylor led the development of improved management processes that the Commission has described as ‘transformational’ and ‘progressive’, adding that the new processes ‘will have positive benefits for the Police in recruiting and retaining talented staff whose life experiences represent those of wider society’. Fiona is now leading a strategic review of equality, diversity and inclusion within Police Scotland. 

DCC Taylor also manages Police Scotland’s work on enhancing the safety and welfare of the workforce, which has been vital to Police Scotland’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. She has ensured that the emotional and physical wellbeing of officers and staff has been a priority throughout the pandemic, providing expert risk assessments and guidance.

In response to the often hazardous nature of police work, DCC Taylor has put a huge amount of time and energy into supporting the Police Unity Tour. This UK-wide project works to honour the memory of police officers who have died in the line of duty. Fiona also works closely with Care of Police Survivors, the UK charity which supports families affected such tragedies.

Roderick Newbigging, Chief Superintendent, Police Scotland

Chief Superintendent Roderick (Roddy) Newbigging took command of Contact Command and Control (C3) Division in April 2016 following a review of Police Scotland’s call handling process by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland (HMICS).

The review’s recommended that Police Scotland ‘adopt a more formalised risk and vulnerability assessment model for service advisors’. In response, CS Newbigging oversaw the creation of the Police Scotland Service Centre, four regional Area Control Rooms and the National Database Enquiry Unit, changes which aimed to provide an improved and consistent level of service to all callers regardless of location. During this period, CS Newbigging’s transformational leadership allowed managers and senior police officers to focus on the key deliverables of the Contact Assessment Model (CAM), a new method of improving responses to calls to the 101 and 999 service through the use of an enhanced risk assessment.

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, CS Newbigging’s innovative approach to the accelerated delivery of CAM resulted in many examples of best practice despite the challenges of a physically distanced operational service centre and control room. At this time, CS Newbigging also oversaw the introduction of new processes for the Police Scotland interface with the UK Government, Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland; and the creation of links with key partners to react to changes in the political and legislative landscape faced by the communities of Scotland. By April 2020, the newly accelerated CAM operating model was enabling Police Scotland to provide a consistent level of service nationally for all initial contacts, with response to all calls based on an assessment of risk and vulnerability.

CS Newbigging introduced significant public accessibility enhancements to the CAM system including the option of using video to enable members of the public to engage visibly with Police Officers. This change was particularly important after public health restrictions resulted in the suspension of face to face Local Policing Appointments (LPA) across Scotland in favour of telephone and video appointments with officers.

CS Newbigging has also embedded the ‘Mental Health Pathway’, a collaboration between the CAM project, NHS 24, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service. The pathway has seen the establishment of a dedicated Mental Health Hub operating around the clock to provide mental health support to callers to Police Scotland.

The  operating model introduced during CS Newbigging’s tenure has benefitted the public and vulnerable communities as well as allowing Police Scotland to better manage demand and prioritise attendance at urgent and critical incidents. The efficacy of this enhanced public engagement has been evidenced by the high levels of confidence in the police handling service shown in several public surveys.

QUEEN'S FIRE SERVICE MEDAL

Carole Glendinning, Firefighter Control, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Carole Glendinning has dedicated 44 years to the fire service, supporting her colleagues through three major technological shifts during that time: the change from a paper and audio based emergency response system to a fully computerised model in the 1980s;  the merger of eight control centres into one central service; and the move to a regional operating model.  

An excellent spokesperson, Carole was central to the media reporting of the move to the computerised system and has worked with Community Safety where she coordinated and delivered talks to schools as part of the Fire Safety education programme. She has also provided voiceovers for the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Off duty, Carole works as a controller for Blood Bikes Scotland, a charity providing dedicated motorcyclists to deliver urgent medication and vital equipment. During the pandemic this work has also involved delivering coronavirus (COVID-19) samples to testing centres and hospitals. 

John Miller, Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Head of Service Delivery West Area, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Throughout his 29 year career, Deputy Assistant Chief Officer John Miller has been at the forefront of substantial improvements to firefighter wellbeing.

Determined to help others, John volunteered to become the service’s mental health champion. He went on to develop the organisation’s first mental health strategy which is now embedded in policy.

Through speaking about his own mental health challenges, John has helped develop a more positive and supportive environment for fire service staff. His stance has encouraged others to share their experiences, helping to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health.

John’s dedication to improving the wellbeing of current and retired employees has also resulted in a partnership with Lifelines Scotland. This collaboration ensures emergency responders and their families receive the psychological treatment and support they need.

Also passionate about helping improve the mental health of those outside the fire service, John is currently in discussion with the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) around providing training and support in communities throughout the country.

As Head of Service Delivery in the West of Scotland, John rose to the challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In particular, his work with the wellbeing group was vital in producing important policy and guidance to support staff delivering services in incredibly difficult circumstances.

John was also the driving force behind the service developing a corporate partnership with Prostate Cancer UK. Employees now get access to a three year awareness programme as well as information and support for those affected by the disease. The initiative has been so successful that other UK emergency services have now developed their own partnerships with the charity.

Ronald McIntyre, Watch Commander and Training Instructor, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Watch Commander Ronald McIntyre is an exceptionally committed firefighter with over 42 years’ experience. He frequently goes above and beyond the call of duty for the benefit of others. 

In addition to his full-time firefighter role, Ronald is also an on-call firefighter in his local community. This position has helped him gain knowledge and experience which he shares with colleagues to improve firefighter safety and better serve Scotland’s communities. 

In 2012, Ronald was promoted to the role of Watch Commander before moving into the role of National Instructor for the Service in 2013. 

Ronald’s passion for ensuring firefighters are suitably skilled has been pivotal in providing high standards of training to the entire workforce. As well as delivering exceptional training, Ronald goes above and beyond as a role model and mentor for colleagues. This includes providing extra tuition in his own time in order to support and guide future firefighters.

Ronald also supports the development of new training instructors. He regularly volunteers to assist in their training, providing feedback and encouragement. This hands-on approach has helped increase the number of excellent instructors delivering high quality training across the fire service. 

As an associate instructor at the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire, another voluntary role, Ronald gained and shared insight into instructional practise used elsewhere in the UK. Ronald’s drive to help others increase their knowledge, skills and experience has been of immense benefit to Scotland’s communities and the safety of his fellow firefighters. 

QUEEN'S AMBULANCE SERVICE MEDALS

Trevor Spowart, General Manager Fleet, Scottish Ambulance Service

General Manager Fleet Trevor Spowart joined the Scottish Ambulance Service in 2008 as a Regional Fleet Manager. He became Acting General Manager in 2013, with the role made permanent in 2016. 

In his time as General Manager, Trevor has overseen a significant improvement in the service fleet. His efforts have seen the average age of ambulances and other vehicles reduced from five to two and a half years. He has replaced older vehicles with more fuel efficient, lower emission and better equipped models and has overseen the successful roll-out of electric vehicles, while managing the 1200-strong Scottish Ambulance Service fleet operating out of 15 workshops.

These improvements were supported by the strong, constructive relationships Trevor has built with vehicle manufacturers to procure high quality, well equipped vehicles at competitive prices. He has also worked closely with Risk and Resilience colleagues to develop and procure bespoke vehicles for the Special Operations Response Team.

Trevor is an exceptional manager. Passionate about supporting his team, he has gone above and beyond for the service with grace, honesty, and integrity, even during challenging periods. This was recognised in 2020 when he received the ‘Outstanding Manager’ award from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.

William Kinniburgh, Strategic Operations Manager, Scottish Ambulance Service

Strategic Operations Manager William (Billy) Kinniburgh, has worked tirelessly to design and deliver new ways of working to better support patients throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A key member of the team that delivered the ambulance station at the NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital, Billy helped the project, situated at the Glasgow International Exhibition Centre, to be built and operational in just three weeks.

Billy also worked closely with wider stakeholders across the UK to support the Scottish Government’s Test and Protect strategy. This included assisting with coronavirus outbreaks in universities, asymptomatic testing in schools and the freight industry, and the vaccination programme. His commitment to this work has resulted in over 1300 new staff providing a seven day-a-week vaccination service to patients across Scotland.

Billy has created opportunities for new and existing staff, and made himself widely available to all colleagues for advice and assistance. He has led on the response to many urgent issues, several of which have attracted significant local, political and media interest and have required careful and sensitive management.

Always an exemplary member of staff, Billy has worked clinically as a paramedic; in operational management; in specialist operations and in a senior operational oversight role. He has achieved a huge amount, diligently delivering a high quality service in a respectful and supportive way.