Australia Day Honours for CRC experts

A Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC end-user and a CRC board committee member have been recognised with the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in the 2021 Australia Day Honours List.

Dr Lachlan McCaw AFSM

Dr Lachlan McCaw, Regional Duty Officer and Level 3 Planning Officer at the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), has had a long history with the CRC and with the previous Bushfire CRC. He is currently the lead end-user of four core research projects, has supervised two post-graduate student projects, and was on the research team of the A guide to develop bushfire case studies - a case study of cropland fires Tactical Research Fund project. For the Bushfire CRC, Dr McCaw led the Managing forest fires in south Western Australia research.

Dr McCaw’s recognition includes his work in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire taskforce, where he was part of a team of fire scientists assembled by the Bushfire CRC to investigate the behaviour of the Black Saturday Victorian bushfires.

The AFSM acknowledges Dr McCaw's academic and operational experience, his commitment to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and to the fire safety of the wider community, is most noteworthy.

Jeremy Fewtrell AFSM

Deputy Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell at Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) is a member of the Research and Utilisation Committee of the CRC Board.

Deputy Commissioner Fewtrell received his AFSM as recognition of his distinguished and exemplary service to FRNSW, and to public safety. This includes his work in fire investigation, public safety, research capability and strategy for response to high rise and complex buildings, as well as significant projects into smoke alarms and sprinklers which resulted in key changes to the Building Code of Australia.

Congratulations to Dr Lachlan McCaw and Jeremy Fewtrell on the recognition and acknowledgement of their work in the Australia Day 2021 Honours List. Read more about the awards and Dr McCaw and Deputy Commissioner Fewtrell’s achievements on the Governor-General’s website.