NYSAFC Remembers Chief Henry A. Campbell
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Chief Henry A. Campbell, chairman of the NYSAFC Public Relations & Information Committee, passed away on July 14, 2017.
A 37-year veteran of the Mount Vernon Fire Department in Westchester County, Campbell rose through the ranks to serve as chief of operations from 1986 until his retirement in1996. At the time of his passing, he was an active member of the Rhinebeck Fire Department in Dutchess County, serving as safety officer and public information officer.
Campbell served as acting fire coordinator/commissioner for the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services from 1999-2000. He also was the first director of the Westchester County Career Chiefs Academy. Campbell was a member of the New York State Department of Civil Service Fire Advisory Committee, an adjunct instructor at the New York State Academy of Fire Science, an OSHA trainer throughout the Hudson Valley, and a New York state fire instructor for Dutchess County from 1983-1992. He also served on the Westchester County Arson Task Force from 1980-1996, Westchester County Local Emergency Planning Committee from 1987-1996, and Westchester County Fire Advisory Board from 1988-1996. Campbell was the Yonkers Command Post coordinator after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and subsequently served as a terrorism training instructor, as well as the emergency management coordinator for the town of Rhinebeck.
Campbell was a member of numerous fire service organizations, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Westchester County Fire Chiefs Association, Westchester County Career Chiefs Association, Westchester Firefighters Emerald Society, Firemen’s Association of the State of New York, International Association of Fire Fighters Local #107 Mount Vernon, and New York State Police & Fire Retirees Association. He also was an honorary life member of the Pleasant Valley Fire Department.
A member of NYSAFC since 1984, Campbell served on the Career Chiefs Committee from 1998-2001. He was then appointed to the newly formed Public Relations & Information Committee in 2002 and served as chairman and the sole member of the committee from 2009 until his passing. Campbell’s contributions to NYSAFC are immeasurable, and his passion for sharing his knowledge and information concerning the emergency services is unparalleled. Many members looked forward to his daily CHIEFHAC e-blasts to bring them up to speed on national and New York state fire service news. Campbell also contributed "CHIEFHAC's Corner" each month in The NYSAFC Bugle e-newsletter and he frequently wrote feature articles for SIZE UP magazine. Henry will be fondly remembered for his lively conversations at association meetings and conferences, which were always insightful. For his dedication to the association, Campbell was named the NYSAFC Committee Member of the Year in 2004.
