DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Each week, hundreds of people launch their boats and soak up the sun on Lake Decatur. But having fun and following the rules have to go hand-in-hand. That’s where 12 Lake Patrol officers come in.

Ethan Greene, the Lead Crew Chief, has spent the last five summers out on the water. By now, he even calls Lake Decatur his “second home.”

“You never really know what’s going to happen,” he said.

He gets to work at 3 p.m. each day and is always on alert in case of an emergency. Some days, Greene finds himself towing boats or picking up logs, but other times “it goes from zero to 100 really quickly.”

“As I pass by every boat, I go through a mental checklist of what every boat needs,” he said.

One of the requirements is proper city registration, which is marked by an orange sticker usually on the side of the boat.

Along with towing people, Greene said stopping people to check their registration is another common instance. His main goal is to enforce safety while out on the water.

“No one wants to get hurt when you’re just having a good time,” he said.

The Crew Chief started enforcing “lake laws” when he was only 18, and he recognizes that he’s learned a lot between then and now.

“I think it really well prepared me to deal with different situations, and de-escalation is something that I’ve picked up really well at this job,” Greene said.

He’ll soon be using skills like that each day, as he works to join the ranks of the Decatur Police Department, or eventually the world of conservation. He knows the communication skills he’s picking up on the water will easily transfer to whatever he ends up doing back on land.

“It’s fun, it’s enjoyable, and I have a good time out here,” Greene said.

He wouldn’t be the first Lake Patrol officer to make the transition into law enforcement, as the Decatur Police Department recently shared that Chase Eller was sworn in. He is a former Lake Patrol officer as well.