fp Turks and Caicos

Emergency services workers across the Turks and Caicos Islands will receive a special decoration to mark the Her Majesty The Queen’s 60 years on the throne.

The governor will present the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal to 250 police officers, firefighters, paramedics and prison staff who have completed a minimum of five years of service within the Commonwealth by Feb. 6, 2012.

Royal TCI Police Force Commissioner Colin Farquhar and Superintendent of Prisons Ian Sargent were presented with their medals June 4 during the Jubilee celebrations on Grand Turk. Other qualified recipients will receive theirs over the coming weeks from the governor.

“The Queen has dedicated her life to the service of Britain and the Commonwealth, and the Diamond Jubilee has given us all the opportunity to celebrate the commitment, loyalty and faithfulness with which she has served over the last 60 years,” the governor explained in a June 7 statement. “Her Majesty has decided, as part of her Jubilee celebrations, to honour those people in the TCI who, like the Queen, continue to dedicate their lives to public good.”

“I hope the medal will serve as a mark of thanks to those who give so much in the name of the community and public service. I extend my congratulations to all recipients here in the TCI and look forward to presenting them in due course.”

Todd thanked those who organised and took part in the Queen’s Birthday Parades on Providenciales and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations on Grand Turk, which included the lighting of a beacon in Grand Turk.

“These were all spectacular events, and I would like to congratulate everyone who were both involved in the organising and those who participated,” he said.

“The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated the world over, and the TCI can be very proud of its contribution.”