Queen's Birthday Honours List 2016

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

Queen’s Police Medal

• Derek Robertson, Assistant Chief Constable, Police Scotland

• Bill Clark, Detective Constable, Police Scotland

Queen’s Fire Service Medal

• Paul Connelly, Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

• Bryan Cuthill, Watch Manager, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal

• David Kinnaird, Head of ICT Projects, Scottish Ambulance Service

QUEEN’S POLICE MEDAL

Derek Robertson
Assistant Chief Constable, Police Scotland

Derek joined the service in 1986. He has been a senior officer in legacy Strathclyde Police, legacy Lothian and Borders Police and Police Scotland and has also worked with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Home Office.

Derek’s skills are wide and varied, having been a Senior Detective Officer investigating several high-profile murder investigations and a major European investigation (anthrax in heroin), which required international collaboration.

In 2013, Derek was appointed to design and deliver a ‘new build’ for the Operational Support Division (OSD), designed to deliver effective specialist policing to all communities in Scotland. It was seamlessly introduced, with everyone understanding the direction/approach, the prioritisation of work and use of assets, the communication channels and the high expectations in service to the public.

At short notice, Derek was appointed Gold Commander for T-in-the-Park in 2013. It is the second biggest music festival in the UK with 85,000 daily attendees over a five-day period. The new processes, meetings, communications, deployment plans and enhanced plain-clothes presence that Derek introduced were a massive success – drug seizures increased, violence reduced and no serious injuries were sustained.

In February 2014, Derek was appointed temporary Assistant Chief Constable and new Silver Commander for the delivery of the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (G2014). The QBR was a unique ‘40 day in 40 Local Authorities’ event incorporating 14 local policing divisions in Scotland, specialist policing and critical partners.

Later that year, Derek was appointed Head of Training, Leadership and Development, tasked with the integration of the Scottish Police College into Police Scotland while improving standards, values and workforce trust. Significant changes were swiftly introduced and confidence rose. Higher standards and expectations were evident in all members of staff and positive changes to training were recognised by the Force Executive.

In 2015, while appointed Assistant Chief Constable for Local Policing North, Derek had portfolio areas of responsibility for both the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers and the Special Constabulary. He maintained his high standards and drive for commitment through the challenging floods that devastated the North of Scotland and ensured Police Scotland provided a full and compassionate response.

Derek always gets the best from every team he leads and empowers officers under his command to develop their own skills and talents. He is the driving force behind much of Police Scotland as we know it, using clear cost-effectiveness while remaining personable and delivering outstanding results. Derek’s passion and vision has been inspirational to many.

Bill Clark
Detective Constable, Police Scotland

Bill has dedicated more than 24 years of his Police service to making a significant contribution to ‘Keeping People Safe’ through his distinguished service as a detective. He was involved in some of the most significant and complex investigations that occurred in the North East of Scotland.

During 2007, Bill was involved in conducting enquiries in relation to the murder of a baby girl. He was central to the development of a covert investigative strategy which led to the establishment of practices and procedures to disclose highly sensitive evidential material to the Crown. This was adopted by Grampian Police as best practice and informed the development of the National Scottish Manual of Guidance on Disclosure, brought about by the Lord Coulsfield Review.

Bill’s meticulous and diligent contribution undoubtedly assisted in the successful prosecution of a man who was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years imprisonment for murder. Upon conviction, the Crown Office wrote to express their gratitude for the standard of work carried out in the lead-up to the trial.

From 2007 to 2011, Bill was an integral part of the investigation team involved in the historical murder enquiry. The investigation had significant international aspects and all requests to capture evidence from overseas required approval from the Crown Office International Co-operation Unit. Bill took an innovative approach and developed a process, painstakingly reading through hundreds of documents from which he identified potential witnesses, lines of enquiry and relevant productions.

Owing to his exemplary detective skills, Bill was chosen to carry out several weeks of enquiries in New Zealand, on two separate occasions. This required a significant personal sacrifice – leaving his wife and three young children to work extended hours with minimal rest days, on the other side of the world.

On return to Scotland, Bill was seconded to the Crown Office for several weeks to assist in the preparation of the Crown case. The subsequent trial spanned a period of four months, which is acknowledged as the longest single accused murder trial recorded in Scottish legal history. Bill’s meticulous preparation and assistance provided to the Crown led to witnesses from all over the world being called to provide evidence. This ultimately secured the conviction of one of the most notorious killers in Scotland, who received a 30-year jail sentence.

Between April 2012 and January 2013, Bill was involved in an independent force enquiry at the request of the Crown Office. This related to alleged criminality by members of the former Tayside Police Drug Squad. Bill’s tenacity and compassionate nature allowed him to effectively engage in extremely difficult circumstances with Police officers who were both suspects and witnesses.

Bill has the unique talent of being extremely versatile and innovative and is able to very quickly grasp challenges and develop solutions from his own experience and skills. The positive influence of such an individual in a Policing context cannot be underestimated, and is the epitome of distinguished Police service.

QUEEN’S FIRE SERVICE MEDAL

Paul Connelly
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Paul commanded and successfully resolved a number of large and complex incidents over his 29 years of public service. His current role is Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Head of Service Delivery for the West of Scotland, where he commands 127 community fire stations.

Paul is passionate about the heritage of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and promotes this on an almost daily basis. He worked tirelessly to help commission and erect the ‘Citizen Firefighter’ statue just outside Glasgow’s Central Station in June 2001. Three months after its unveiling, this statue became a focal point following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when people flocked to leave flowers and messages of sympathy for those lost in the terrible events in New York.

Paul became involved in the legacy charity – Strathclyde Fire Brigade Widows and Orphans Fund – more than 20 years ago. As a young firefighter he committed himself to supporting the charity and ensuring the welfare of his Service colleagues, as well as supporting and assisting the registered female beneficiaries and their families at times of difficulty and greatest need.

Over the years he has assisted hundreds if not thousands of Fire Service personnel. He deals directly and discreetly with enquiries from potential beneficiaries, offering support and referrals to charitable services, as required. Paul will undoubtedly be a huge loss to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service when he retires in September.

Bryan Cuthill
Watch Manager, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Bryan is now in his 38th year of Retained Service with the Fire and Rescue Service. As a resident of Brechin, Bryan was aware the town needed people to offer their time and commitment to provide a local fire service. While already working as a qualified plumber, he joined what was then Tayside Fire Brigade in December 1978. He remained a very enthusiastic and dedicated member at Brechin throughout his time in the service.

Bryan served as a firefighter for nine years, before he was appointed as Leading Fire-fighter in 1987. He went on to be appointed as a Sub Officer in 1989 and finally as Station Officer of Brechin 1995. In 2006 he became the Watch Manager. Bryan worked hard to ensure the equipment and facilities provided to Brechin were maintained to the highest standard. His dedication and drive has ensured that the training and professionalism of the crew has been second-to-none.

Bryan fully embraced the change from a reactive service to a proactive service, working extremely hard to ensure as many households as possible in the Brechin, Edzel and surrounding areas had a home fire-safety visit. Bryan conducts many visits personally, provides advice on how to avoid fires in the home, fits smoke detectors, and ensures occupants have a fire escape plan. Bryan regularly liaises with social workers to discuss referrals and makes sure that any information gathered is shared with the relevant partnership group. He always goes above and beyond the duty of a fire fighter to ensure that the risks within his area are reduced, and often makes no claim for any payment or reward for his time and effort. He is a truly remarkable individual that puts the needs of others before his own.

Throughout his time in the service, he has been called to attend numerous and varied incidents, from fires, road traffic collisions, flooding, and moorland fires and more. Being a local, he has on occasion been in the unfortunate position of having to deal with the aftermath of an incident involving people he has known. Bryan has always conducted himself with a level head and calm authority.

Bryan has made himself available to the Fire Service and the local and wider community as much as possible for almost 38 years. He has been willing and able to undertake the potentially hazardous and arduous duties of a firefighter, regardless of the impact on his life.

QUEEN’S AMBULANCE SERVICE MEDAL

David Kinnaird
Head of ICT Projects, Scottish Ambulance Service

David leads the delivery of innovative ICT projects which transform and enhance patient care. This includes the delivery of the first electronic patient reporting system in the UK which significantly improved efficiency, effectiveness and patient safety. The system gives clinicians access to enhanced patient information while en route to incidents, as well as a comprehensive electronic patient report to capture and share patient information. This programme was recognised through the 2010 EHI award: ‘Best use of mobile technology in healthcare’.

David’s latest achievement is the ability to electronically send patient information gathered by ambulance clinicians to healthcare partners. This offers the potential to maintain continuity of patient care, improve safety and reduce waiting times. This technology may be extended to social workers when the need arises, and funding has been secured to accelerate this technology throughout NHS Scotland – this will enable more patients to be treated in their own home or community.

David is a consummate professional who is committed to improving patient care and safety. He is highly respected by his colleagues for his ability to interpret their requirements and deliver large-scale, leading-edge, transformational ICT programmes on time, and within budget.