Trio honoured with Ambulance Service Medal

Assistant Commissioner Brian White joined NSW Ambulance in January 1979. His distinguished career ranges from being a station officer performing critical interventions in dangerous environments to an ambassador for NSW Ambulance and delivering pre-hospital care education for colleagues in Thailand.

Additionally, he contributed significantly to the paramedic community by training more than 1,000 Thai paramedics from 1994 to 2004.

His ability to champion empathy and remain contemporary with leadership has been recognised by peers over his extended career, with several nominations for meritorious awards.

Brian has developed a reputation for flexibility, remaining calm under pressure and a willingness to assist NSW Ambulance adopt and implement change. In 2017 Brian lead a team that developed a performance management indicator data-gathering program for the state executive to assist with effectively managing resources and identifying opportunities to improve business performances and service delivery outcomes through astute and more accurate operational management statistics leading to improved financial accountability.

Brian also led several structural reforms including the transition of the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Zone from the Southwest Sydney Sector to Regional Operations, becoming the third zone in Southern Sector.

Brian is a leader at the forefront of patient advocacy, performance, staff and patients. He led a team responsible for the transition of the regional roster reform for the Southern Sector with the improvement of paramedic welfare and work-life balance.

Brian was integral in leading the sector team for the governance and accountability framework by bringing paramedics, station officers, duty operation managers, zone managers and sector management to implement these initiatives. This involved identifying strategies for those areas that were underperforming and reporting processes for sector base improvement, which saw the Southern Sector as one of the key leaders in improving regional operations.

Chief Superintendent Marty Nichols joined NSW Ambulance in June 2000 and has provided distinguished service throughout his career. He is a passionate clinician who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in his multiple roles.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marty had the challenging role of overseeing all issues of practice and risks for paramedics based on his extensive clinical currency and paramedic expertise.

As associate director, clinical practice, Marty is responsible for delivering high quality, patient centric clinical care to the people of NSW. Marty works innovatively to foster a responsive, future focused culture which supports staff to deliver true excellence in patient care. Within this capacity, Marty was tasked to coordinate the first deployment of extended care paramedics to support the flood disaster in the NSW North Coast in February 2022.

Marty created a deployment model that successfully assessed and managed several hundred patients, adding significant value to affected communities. This giant undertaking also created the structure for future deployments should the need arise. Marty is also leading work involving the redesign and review of clinical protocols which are being reconstituted as clinical guidelines.

Marty’s expertise in paramedicine extends across local, state, national and international boundaries, where he is a sought-after speaker as a leader in the paramedicine profession.

Marty is a founding member of the Paramedicine Accreditation Committee with independent accreditation powers described under the Health Practitioner National Law. He was part of the team that developed the new accreditation standards and the process by which accreditation is administered and is now involved in implementing the NSW Ambulance accreditation process.

Inspector Kay Armstrong joined NSW Ambulance in April 1994. She has been instrumental in numerous emergency responses, including the state response to the bushfire emergency 2019-20 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kay has mentored many less experienced managers through their progression and is passionate about supporting females into management positions.

Since 2013, Kay has been a peer support officer. Her authenticity, emotional intelligence and common sense have provided a highly valued level of support to her colleagues and junior staff in extremely difficult circumstances. Her reputation for discretion and a compassionate approach has elevated her reputation amongst all NSW Ambulance paramedics who are fortunate to have her as a manager or support person. These support activities often require above and beyond work outside of rostered working hours.

Kay is a role model and inspiration for female employees. Her integrity, commitment to clinical excellence and management acumen have provided an example to many junior staff who have modelled themselves on her. She has actively identified and encouraged female paramedics, preparing them for challenges faced within management roles. She has contributed to discussions and forums recognising women in management and the development of programs to promote female leadership within NSW Ambulance.