June 26, 2023 – A cohort of about a dozen Jerry J. Dawson Civic Leadership Institute (DCLI) students heard from a former Decatur Public Schools graduate and wildland firefighter during the final week of a 4-week long public safety training program.
Adrian Walker is a graduate of MacArthur High School and currently works full-time as a grant administrator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. But in the summer, he canvasses the western United States fighting wildfires alongside hand crews dispatched from across the nation. Walker, 39, visited the Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center (MCLETC) this morning to present about his time spent fighting fires in states like Colorado, Utah and California and answered students’ questions about career opportunities in the field.
“Being able to provide a public service to people and being able to, in some fashion, put my life on the line, shows me that there’s a greater purpose out there,” Walker said. “Just being able to go out there and be one of the ones that’s making a difference in helping fight in these places in need is a huge takeaway.”
Throughout June, sophomores, juniors and seniors from DPS high schools enrolled in DCLI’s public safety program have learned about various aspects of the industry from professionals at MCLETC, including through hands-on activities like suiting up in full firefighter gear and rappelling down a training tower. Walker’s presentation was a piece of the camp aimed to give students a look into career opportunities in Decatur and beyond, and he said he was honored to have been selected to spend the morning with them.
“I feel that there’s a lot of will and drive in our students, and I think it’s just a matter of channeling that energy, putting it towards whatever they find an interest in, and making it happen,” Walker said.
Brylan Woods, one of DCLI’s student engagement coordinators and a public safety camp participant, said Walker’s presentation helped him learn about the various moving pieces of a firefighting team and encouraged him to consider a career in the field someday.
“It was eye-opening to me,” Woods said. “It made me think—maybe I want to do this. Seeing him—how he was so happy about it and really loved what he did—maybe I could do that too.”
For more information about DCLI, click HERE. To view the photo galleries from previous DCLI public safety trainings, click HERE and HERE.
(Contributors: Tray Brown, Isaiah Bradford and Andreas Walker)
