By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – It’s likely the next time an emergency strikes in McLean County, Curt Hawk won’t be the one to answer the call. The county’s emergency management director since 2004 is retiring at the end of the month.
“I definitely will miss that rush, the opportunity to go to different areas and help out,” Hawk said.
The 61-year-old Hawk, who service to the county dates back to 1983, added his time serving is far from over.
“I still plan to be a volunteer for the agency and help them in any way I can,” Hawk said.
The McLean County Board presented Hawk with a proclamation honoring him at its monthly meeting on Tuesday.
County Board Chairman John McIntrye noted Hawk’s volunteer work restoring the World War II memorial outside the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington.
“Because of Curt’s efforts, you can actually read everything on there,” McIntyre said. “It was very nice work.”
Hawk said technology has changed emergency operations over the years. GPS mapping and live video feeds make for greater immediacy while tracking severe storms while social media enables the agency to communicate with the public more easily.
“(It’s) a way of controlling the false information, the rumors that are being tracked,” Hawk said.
Hawk said he’s already started on his next venture – author. He’s already finished writing an emergency manager’s survival guide, parts of which he has shared with other emergency managers over the years.
Hawk said he proud of how the county has pulled together quickly when storms have hit. His most memorable moment though was when a tiger got loose on Bloomington’s west side and eventually had to be shot and killed by police in 2002.
“Here in McLean County, a tiger running loose was something you don’t often hear about,” Hawk quipped.
Hawk said he is retiring in good health. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, in 2012.
“The health issues I’ve had in the past and controlled,” Hawk said. “Knowing I’m in good health now, I thought this was the perfect time to enjoy life and enjoy free time.”
Hawk is recommending the county tab deputy director Bob Clark as his replacement.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
