Spotlight on Dave Small: AUSMAT is building the next generation of leaders

22 Jul 2026

As AUSMAT continues to strengthen its workforce capability, deployments are creating valuable opportunities for members to develop leadership skills in real-world environments.

A firefighter with the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service since 2021, Health Logistician Dave Small joined AUSMAT in 2023 with a desire to broaden his emergency response capability beyond day-to-day incidents.

For Dave, supporting Katherine Hospital in the Northern Territory became more than a deployment. It was an opportunity to step into a leadership role, build confidence and experience firsthand how operational mentoring is helping prepare the next generation of AUSMAT leaders.

Leadership developed on deployment

During the Katherine deployment as part of the Tropical Cyclone Narelle response, Dave stepped into an AUSMAT logistics lead role with the support of experienced AUSMAT members.

“I gained a broader understanding of how every part of the operation fits together and contributes to delivering healthcare in a field hospital environment,” Dave said.

When the team identified the need for an accessible toilet to support patients using the field hospital, Dave and his fellow logisticians designed and built a practical solution using the materials available on site — all within a matter of hours.

The experience gave Dave the opportunity to apply leadership in a practical setting while learning from experienced AUSMAT members.

For Dave, the defining part of the deployment was the mentorship and support of experienced AUSMAT Senior Health Logisticians.

One of those mentors was firefighter and AUSMAT Senior Health Logistician Ben Schmidt, who has supported AUSMAT deployment and training activities since 2012. More recently, he served as logistics lead when AUSMAT supported the 2025 earthquake response in Myanmar.

“There aren’t many people you meet in life who genuinely want you to succeed,” he said. “Ben let me run my own race while still helping me improve.”

Throughout the deployment, Ben encouraged Dave to think beyond immediate operational tasks and focus on anticipating future requirements, strengthening both his confidence and leadership capability.

“One of the biggest lessons I learned was forward planning. I was challenged to think more strategically, particularly by anticipating operational needs before they became issues,” he said.

This has since encouraged Dave to pursue leadership and professional development opportunities within the fire service, building on the confidence gained during the operation.

“A deployment is one of the best learning environments because I’m not only applying the training – I am improving and adapting in real time,” he said.

The mentorship I received reflected a culture where experienced AUSMAT members actively invest in developing others.

Building the foundations for leadership

Dave's first AUSMAT deployment, supporting the response to the 2024 Vanuatu earthquake, introduced him to the team’s multidisciplinary approach, working alongside clinicians, logisticians and support personnel in challenging environments.

While the Katherine deployment accelerated Dave's leadership development, the skills that prepared him for the opportunity had been built over many years.

Before becoming a firefighter, Dave spent a decade operating a Darwin-based business.

"I specialised in emergency response and safety equipment, including breathing apparatus, rescue tools and oxygen systems,” he shared. “This chapter in my life exposed me to a range of emergency response environments.”

Combined with the skills he later developed as a firefighter, these experiences provided a strong foundation for longer-duration emergency responses and his role as an AUSMAT Health Logistician.

While deployments involved long days and changing operational demands, Dave said the sense of teamwork and shared purpose remained one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.

“I walk into a room, and I’m surrounded by people who genuinely want to contribute and do good work,” he said.

For Dave, every deployment strengthens both his operational capability and his professional growth.

I brought my skills into AUSMAT but I also took so many skills back to my workplace afterwards. I believe being an AUSMAT member made me a better firefighter.

Dave’s journey demonstrates how mentoring, multidisciplinary teamwork and deployments are helping build the next generation of AUSMAT leaders.

Funded by the Australian Government, the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre continues to invest in its people by creating opportunities to learn, lead and grow. These investments are strengthening the AUSMAT workforce and preparing health emergency responders to meet the challenges of future deployments.