Speakers

David Nugent has 40 years’ experience in fire and emergency management. Trained as a forester, he has worked in Victorian public land management in a range of operational and strategic roles. 

David is a Certified Incident Controller through the AFAC Emergency Management Professionalisation Scheme, and an accredited Level 3 Incident Controller. In addition, he is a State Response Controller leading the Victoria’s response to multiple hazards on behalf of the Emergency Management Commissioner.  

His experience spans major events including the 2009 Black Saturday and 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires and multiple flood incidents. David appeared at the Victoria Royal Commission in 2009, has undertaken reviews including the Wooroloo Bushfire of 2021, and planned burn escapes in the south-west of Western Australia in 2018. He has been deployed interstate, to Canada and the USA in incident controller and liaison roles.  

David is a member of the AFAC board and chairs the AFAC AIIMS Steering Committee, overseeing the AIIMS doctrine. 

When he’s not working you can find David walking in the bush or paddling his kayak with a fishing rod, often with his kids and grandkids.