Fifteen years later, her commitment to helping disaster-impacted communities has not only taken her across the state, but beyond international borders.
Ms Moulton recently returned from Tonga after taking part in a Rotary Vocational Training Team (VTT) scoping mission aimed at boosting disaster preparedness.
Rated the second most at-risk nation for natural hazards in the Pacific, Tonga is prone to earthquakes, volcanos, tsunamis, sea level rises, cyclones, storm surges, flash flooding and landslides.
In the event of a disaster occurring, local emergency services are on their own for the first 48-72 hours before foreign aid beings to arrive. This is when most injuries and/or fatalities occur.
Ms Moulton joined Rotary Project Team Leader Paul Marshall on the mission, which sought to enhance the training and skills required by local emergency services to be self-sufficient to cover this critical period.
"The Pacific Islands are extremely vulnerable due to their size and fragile infrastructure and many of these Nations require international assistance in times of disaster," Ms Moulton said.
Ms Moulton and Mr Marshall were responsible for identifying training needs through a comprehensive gaps analysis. This involved consultations with government officials, emergency services, NGOs and community leaders.
"We've established strong relationships, and we can now determine the training resources and the type of subject matter experts who will accompany us when the VTT returns to Tonga," she said.
"There's also a lot we can learn from the Pacific - I'm constantly inspired by the resilience and adaptability of its people, even in the face of consecutive disasters."
The mission was funded by the Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards, NSW and ACT, which each year raises funds to send a VTT to a developing country in the Asia/Pacific Region. Rotary International may provide additional funding to support the project.
Long-serving Rotarian Dorothy Hennessy OAM said strengthening these Pacific partnerships is important as we are stronger together.
"The Rotary Emergency Service Community Awards fund and support teams of Emergency Service personnel from New South Wales, ACT and Victoria to deliver vocational training across the Pacific," Ms Hennessy said.
"This project aims to make improvements to the initial response after a significant disaster and will hopefully lead to better outcomes for the people of Tonga."
Ms Moulton's connection to Tonga runs deep. Her great-great-grandfather, Dr James Egan Moulton, founded Tonga's national education system after serving as the founding headmaster of Newington College in Sydney in 1863.
"I'm proud to continue that legacy and contribute to Tonga in a meaningful way," she said.
Ms Moulton was recently recognised for her 15 years of service with the NSW SES at the Metro Awards Ceremony. She joined her local Unit alongside her husband in 2009 and has served in various roles across the agency since becoming a staff member in 2012.
Most recently, she led the Community Mobilisation initiative during the May floods on the Mid North Coast. In just 48 hours, her team transformed the Taree SES office into a volunteer hub to coordinate local clean-up efforts.
"I've been fortunate to work with many communities across NSW and witness firsthand the strength and resilience people show in times of crisis," Ms Moulton said.
"Disasters affect everyone, but not all communities have equal access to information or education. I believe in empowering communities through inclusive, strength-based approaches that enable them to shape their own outcomes.
