Meet Our Crew: Firefighter Corey Walker

Corey Walker was at a fire/EMS conference in his native West Virginia when he attended a survival class taught by a couple of Midway Fire Rescue firefighters.

The Midway guys talked to some of the students about life in Pawleys Island.

“They just made it sound like a dream job working down here,” said Walker, 25. “It gave me the idea to go to (paramedic) school.”

It took him about three years to complete his training, and in October he joined Midway as a firefighter/paramedic. He said his fellow Midway firefighters are “like a family.”

Walker grew up in Boone County, West Virginia, and graduated from Scott High School in Madison in 2008.

A friend who was a volunteer firefighter got him interested in the profession, and he started volunteering with the Madison Fire Department in 2011.

Walker’s training includes ropes, auto extrication, and swift water rescue.

He said his worst experiences were the first couple of times he saw dead people.

“You get used to it and learn how to deal with it,” he said.

Walker is looking to some day take the next step to firefighter II, but right now is working on getting all his training and certifications from West Virginia up to date in South Carolina.

“I’m still getting comfortable as a new medic and I just want to concentrate on that,” he said.

Walker is single and lives in Pawleys Island.

When he was in West Virginia, he enjoyed fishing and kayaking, and he’s looking forward to trying out the Lowcountry waters.

By: Chris Sokoloski

South Strand News