Joining the SES 20 years ago felt like a natural progression for Mr Smith after volunteering with Echuca Search and Rescue.
Mr Smith said seeing the volunteers from both services come together during a tough time for his family motivated him to become a member.
“I had a cousin (who) went missing. She was on medication and ... all these Search and Rescue guys and SES were out looking for her and I just thought, it's amazing,” he said.
“These are just community people looking after (the) community.
“We had divers out there, everything like that, and it was just volunteers and that's what got me into Search and Rescue and then the SES.”
During his 20 years in the SES, Mr Smith has lent a helping hand to communities experiencing disasters around NSW.
One of his most memorable jobs was flying to Sydney in December 2018, when hail the size of eggs rained down on the city, causing damage to roofs and cars just two weeks before Christmas.
Mr Smith was among the many SES volunteers who spent two weeks temporarily repairing homes to help keep families dry over Christmas.
Locally, one of his toughest jobs was when the 2022 floods hit Moama.
Mr Smith said he had considered stepping back from the SES in 2022, but then the floods arrived.
“I saw all these people just helping sandbag and everything and I said, ‘nah, I can't leave them’,” he said.
“It was hectic. I think I worked for about a month solid, no rest. It was full on, 24/7.
“I didn't have the members, but if you organise a community, get all the equipment there, they'll do it. They'll kick in and do it all — you just have to show them what to do.”
While Mr Smith has officially stepped down as unit commander, he will remain as a team member.
Reflecting on his time with the Moama SES, Mr Smith said the experience had been deeply rewarding.
“Twenty years — it’s gone by pretty quick,” he said.
“I've got a hell of a lot out of it, just with the community. It's a great community here at Echuca-Moama.
“I’ve been good to it and it’s been good to me.”
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