SLSA Circular: 2012-2013 National Medal - Surf Life Saving NSW

Circular
Title: Circular 88/2012-13 National Medal
Document ID: Circular 88/2012 -13
Department: Lifesaving Operations
Audience: Presidents, Secretaries, Club Captains, Lifesaving Directors
Summary: The National Medal is a distinctive part of the Australian Honours system and is available to Surf Life Saving
Australia volunteers and employees who have eligible (and proficient) service post September 1986 for a minimum of
30 hours each year for a period of 15 years or longer
The National Medal
The National Medal was established by the Commonwealth of Australia in 1975 as one of the original elements of the distinctive
Australian system of honours and awards. The medal recognises long service in organisations that protect life and property at
some risk to their members.
Classifications
A person who has been awarded the National Medal may be awarded a clasp to the Medal for each 10-year period of service
beyond the original 15 years.
Eligibility and period of service eligibility
a) This award recognises the long service (minimum 15 years) of members/employees of SLSA as:
i. Rescue Helicopter Pilots; or
ii. Rescue Helicopter Aircrew; or
iii. Jet/Offshore Rescue Boat Skippers; or
iv. Jet/Offshore Rescue Boat Drivers; or
v. Jet/Offshore Rescue Boat Crew; or
vi. Operational Members of Emergency Response Groups; or
vii. Patrol Members

) “Patrol Members” for the purposes of the determination will be active members (including Reserve Active and Long Service) and
lifeguards of Surf Life Saving Australia who:
i. meet the requirements of the annual proficiency test for SLSA Bronze Medallion for each year of eligible service; and
ii. have completed the minimum rostered beach patrol hours / lifeguarding for each year of service or as a minimum 30 hours in
each year of service.
c) Service by a member of SLSA as a Cadet member or Junior Activities member will not be recognised as eligible service for the
medal.
d) Years of service in another approved organisation may be aggregated with service to SLSA in line with the medal guidelines (see
web site reference below for information).
Commencement date for service
The National Medal criteria stipulates that service is only recognised from the time that the organisation (or all of its state bodies)
is incorporated. This date is 18 September 1986. This means that only service after this date may be taken into account when
determining eligibility. Unfortunately service prior to this date cannot be used.
General Criteria
The National Medal was established by the Commonwealth of Australia in 1975 as one of the original elements of the distinctive
Australian system of honours and awards. The medal recognises long service in organisations that protect life and property at
some risk to their members.
Application
Applications for the National Medal should be lodged on SLSA Form 12 on the SLSA website (members / admin and resources /
SLSA forms / lifesaving forms / form 12 national medal) and submitted to your State Centre once approved by your Club (Branches
only in NSW). Once award details are checked, the form should be forwarded to SLSA. SLSA will complete a list twice a year for
submission to Government House. It will take 6-8 weeks for processing by the Government.
Please note submission dates to SLSA by your Branch or State Centre:
28th February
30th September
Please leave ample time for the application form to be endorsed by your Branch/State Centre prior to forwarding to SLSA for
processing. Please ensure that you have correctly filled in the following:
- Bronze Medallion number
- Qualifying service period
- Final qualifying date
- Details of each year’s service
- Signed declaration and authorisation
Please note that all forms must be filled in correctly, as incorrect information will result in rejection by the Government. Any forms
lacking the mandatory detail will be sent back to the Club and will require re-submission.
Questions and Answers
If I hold a radio operator’s award or first aid award am I eligible
No. While all members contribute valuably to the organisation, the criteria for the medal stipulate that members must conduct
activities in the organisation’s primary function, and that this function will be in the area where members are exposed to risk in the
course of performing that primary function. This has been defined for the purpose of the medal as listed above (see eligible
service).
Do I have to have 100% patrol attendance to be eligible
No. However, patrol members must have completed a minimum of 30 hours patrolling in each season of eligible service, and have
met minimum requirements (patrol obligations) as set by individual clubs and /or states which may exceed this minimum
requirement. Lifeguards must have worked on the beach for a minimum of 30 hours in each season of eligible service.

How do the proficiency requirements affect my application
For beach patrolling activities you must have completed a proficiency test for the Bronze Medallion during each year of eligible
service. Lifeguards will also need to have completed the proficiency test equivalent to the Bronze Medallion for each year of
eligible service.
Can I combine service from one patrol service group to another
Yes. If for example, you complete beach patrols as a “patrol member” (as described above) and Jet Rescue Boat patrols, you can
combine service hours in both categories, e.g. you may have competed 15 hours on beach patrol and 15 hours on JRB patrols,
these hours can be aggregated. You may only count each calendar year as service despite completing activities in numerous
activities, eg. you cannot count 30 hours in beach patrol and 30 hours in Support Service patrols in the one year as two years of
service.
If I’m a lifeguard supervisor or emergency co-ordinator, am I eligible to make an application
You must have engaged in the organisation’s “primary function” to be eligible. For example; a lifeguard supervisor whose duties
are largely administrative will not be eligible. An emergency co-ordinator who attends rescues to co-ordinate the use of services
(via radio etc) will not be eligible. If however, the lifeguard supervisor or emergency co-ordinator is actively involved in on-beach
activities (and exposed to risk by taking part in rescues etc) as part of their role, and this is conducted in each year of eligible
service, an application may be made.
Can I claim service prior to 18 September 1986
No. As part of the external criteria you will not be able to credit service prior to the above date. For example, if you completed two
years of beach patrols over the 1984/85 and 85/86 season and 13 years of patrols following these dates in seasons 86/87 to 98/99,
you will not be eligible to apply.
What are the seasons I can apply for service in
All service must be completed within the 21 seasons currently available for eligibility, i.e. season 1986/87 to season 2007/08.
Service is not required to be consecutive and may be aggregated, as long as the total services add up to 15 years of services during
this 21-year period.
Further Information
Further information can be obtained in the Chief Officer’s Manual for the National Medal on the Federal Government’s web site:
http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/awards/medals/national_medal.cfm or from the Operations Administration Assistant,
Annie Bretherton, at Surf Life Saving Australia abretherton@slsa.asn.au