Dr Tom Clarkson, Lower Hutt, QSO, for services to Land Search and Rescue
Dr Thomas Clarkson has been involved in New Zealand Land Search and Rescue for 40 years. He has been a Search and Rescue Advisor in the Wellington Police District for 26 years. This is a volunteer position that carries considerable responsibility, providing advice on operations were the lives of missing persons are either saved or lost. Since 2001 he has been involved in establishing the Search and Rescue Institute New Zealand. He was a foundation board member from 2002 and Chair from 2005 to 2007. He has trained and inspired hundreds of volunteers, willingly sharing his knowledge and experience. He was involved at a senior level with the Mount Erebus DC10 crash, the Karla Cardno abduction and the Coral Burrows search. Dr Clarkson is a life member of New Zealand Land Search and Rescue and is Chair of the SARINZ Trust which distributes funds to search and rescue training and research. He is a retired meteorologist with the New Zealand Meteorological Service and NIWA and was involved in ozone chemistry and the measurement of ozone depleting substances.