Congratulations to the four members named as recipients in the Australia Day 2024 Australian Honours List.
Receiving the Australian Police Medal (APM) are Commander Hege Burns and Sergeant Isobel Cummins; receiving the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) is Deputy Chief Fire Officer Stephen Sewell and becoming appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) is Ms Bettina Danganbarr.
Each recipient of these awards has shown tremendous dedication and passion to serving the agency and the wider Northern Territory community over many years.
Commander Hege Burns APM
Commander Hege Burns is a highly respected member of the Northern Territory Police Force. She joined the force as an Auxiliary in 1993, becoming a Constable in 1995 and serving in remote communities, before returning to Darwin. She worked in specialist areas including Intel Counter Terrorism and Emergency Management before being promoted to Superintendent in 2017, overseeing Territory Specialist Support Services. She has now been serving for 30 years.
In 2020, Hege commenced her role as a Territory Duty Superintendent within the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC), which serves as a crucial lifeline between emergency responders and the public, ensuring critical information is relayed in times of crisis.
Hege was the Incident Controller in the COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre. Hege's leadership and expertise were invaluable in coordinating response efforts, and her dedication to keeping the community safe is commendable. She has demonstrated exceptional decision-making skills and the ability to work under immense pressure as the Incident Controller, and her leadership was instrumental in ensuring the community’s safety during this challenging time.
Commander Burns has always committed to the well-being of the people she works with. As Commander of the NTPFES College, she oversees training for police recruits during their seven-month training course. She provides invaluable guidance and mentorship to the police recruits, helping them develop the skills and knowledge to become effective officers. Commander Burns helps to shape the recruits into confident and capable members of the force. She is dedicated, professional and committed, ensuring new officers are well-prepared for the challenges ahead.
She has worked tirelessly to build relationships with community members, earning their trust and respect through her professionalism and dedication. Commander Burns's honesty, ethics and integrity have never been questioned. She leads by example and is genuinely inspiring.
Sergeant Isobel Cummins APM
Isobel Cummins is an experienced police officer serving the Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF) since 1997. Commencing her career in Alice Springs as a general duties officer, Isobel continued to develop her policing skills, transferring to the Criminal Investigation Branch, where she stayed for several years before moving to Darwin in 2003 and being promoted to Detective Sergeant.
She is known for her exceptional investigative skills and unwavering commitment to solving cases, demonstrated in her capacity as Deputy Commander of the Northern Territory Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team, which she has been undertaking since 2015. Over the years, Isobel has delivered DVI training in the Northern Territory, co-conducted DVI exercises for multiple exercises, and is considered a DVI expert nationally. Her expertise was acknowledged in 2010 when she received a Commissioner's Unit Commendation for conspicuous performance during the Air North plane crash at Darwin Airport.
In addition, Isobel has been a full time coordinator and active member of the Northern Territory Police Negotiation Unit since 2021.
Isobel is known for her tireless work ethic and dedication to her job. In 2012, she was awarded the Outstanding Leadership medal. In 2013, she received the prestigious Patricia Anne Brennan Award for her significant contribution to women in the NTPFES.
She is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that a case is solved and that she has found the answers she seeks. She is a true asset to the Northern Territory Police Force; her colleagues and community respect her immensely. Her peers regard her as an expert in the homicide investigation field, and her commitment to serving her community and her unwavering dedication to her job inspire us all.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Stephen Sewell AFSM
Stephen Sewell joined the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS) in 2009, following the completion of his service in the Australian Defence Force, which he served for 20 years.
Throughout his 13 years with NTFRS, Stephen has fulfilled his duties as a firefighter and continued to provide support and guidance in his leadership role as Station Officer before securing a position within the NTFRS executive team in 2020 as Deputy Chief Fire Officer for the Territory Operations Command, ensuring effective responses to urban and rural fire or emergency related incidents throughout the Territory.
While performing as Station Officer for the Training Command, Stephen's knowledge and expertise in developing the Leadership Development Program, which saw Senior Firefighters qualify as Leading Firefighters, provided mentoring and invaluable training to his colleagues and the next wave of emergency responders.
Stephen's is highly dedicated to the NTFRS. Stephen was deployed to New South Wales as a Strike Team Leader to assist with the Bushfires 2019/22 during his tenure. He operated as the Planning Officer for the Territory Emergency Operations Centre during the pandemic, drawing from his experience and background in the ADF and NTFRS. In May 2023, Stephen deployed to Alberta, Canada, as part of an Incident Management Team. He led up to 150 firefighters, 60 pieces of plant and machinery and 17 aircraft. Stephen spent 28 days on the frontline in the Slave Lake Forrest Area. He was instrumental in stopping a fire destroying the township of Sweathouse, thankfully, residents did not have to evacuate their homes and the town sustained no structural damage.
His compassion and empathy towards those in need have positively impacted the lives of many.
Ms Bettina Danganbarr
Bettina Danganbarr joined the Northern Territory Police Force as an Aboriginal Community Police Officer (ACPO) in 2007 where she has risen to the rank of Senior ACPO and is now a very well-respected First Nations leader.
Her current role sits within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Development Unit, as part of the Community Resilience and Engagement Command where she supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander police, Aboriginal Liaison Officers and provides cultural guidance across the agency.
Her ability to work with respect and understanding in two worlds (Yolgnu and Balanda) has made her an asset in navigating complex cultural scenarios and forming lasting relationships across the Territory.
Bettina is also a fierce campaigner for women’s rights. She has opened her Galiwin’ku home to countless victims of domestic violence and co-founded the Galiwin’ku Woman’s Space, where she has remained a chairperson since 2012. She has received multiple awards for her service to her community, including being added to the Australian of the Year Honour Roll in 2018, receiving the Women’s Leadership Australia Role in 2019 and receiving an Aboriginal Leadership Medal in 2021.
As a passionate artist in her spare time, Bettina has provided designs for NTPFES football jerseys and auctioned off designs for charity in the 2023 V8 Super Cars event.
There are few people across Arnhem Land who have not met, or felt the impact, of Bettina’s tireless work to improve the safety of women and to protect and serve her community.
Quotes:
The Acting Commissioner of Police and CEO of Fire and Emergency Services, Martin Dole said, “Being recognised on the Australian Honours List is a great accolade and a testament to the dedication and service of these recipients.
“Each of them is a highly regarded member of the NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services and is passionate about serving their community and leading this agency in improving that service every day.
“I would like to personally thank and acknowledge Hege, Isobel, Stephen and Bettina. The Territory is incredibly lucky to have you.”
