New South Wales
Mr Andrew Anthony Cameron, Arcadia NSW 2159
For distinguished service as a member of an Australian fire service.
Mr Andrew Cameron joined the Elouera Brigade in 1980 and helped re-establish the Hornsby Brigade in 1989 as the senior deputy captain and captain for 12 years before his appointment as the group officer in 2002.
Mr Cameron has led strike teams across NSW and interstate, including the 2003 Canberra and 2019-20 Black Summer bush fires, where he demonstrated high-level leadership skills, directing strike teams in very dangerous and testing environments at the Gospers Mountain, Green Wattle Creek and Currowan fires.
Mr Cameron is a member of the Greater Sydney Command Leadership Group and has been chair of the District Bush Fire Management Committee for a decade, leading this cross-agency group in the planning of hazard reduction and mitigation works for the whole of the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai District.
He has worked tirelessly over the past 15 years providing leadership, guidance and mentoring to brigades across the district in the preparation and conduct of hazard reduction and risk mitigation activities.
Mr Cameron is dedicated to training and developing crew leaders within the district, committing many years as part of the Crew Leader Training and Assessment Team. He is also engaged in developing future group leaders across the Greater Sydney area, where he provides training in ethics and accountability.
Assisting members who have suffered as the result of critical incidents has been an area in which Mr Cameron has demonstrated both compassion and skill. He has been instrumental in providing personal support as well as advocating for members impacted by critical incidents to receive appropriate ongoing support.
Andy Cameron, lives in Arcadia, with his wife Sonja. They own and run Camerons Nursery.
