Fire police captain named Clarendon’s ‘Firefighter of the Year’

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 March 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – John Harvey (left), the fire police captain for the Clarendon Fire Company, is congratulated by Marc Major, a captain with the fire company, after Harvey was named winner of the Everett and Letha Campbell Award which is the “Firefighter of the Year.”

CLARENDON – John Harvey can be counted on to show up for nearly every fire and EMS call in Clarendon. Harvey is one of the dedicated members of the Clarendon Fire Company’s fire police.

He is often out directing traffic, keeping motorists from dangerous scenes and also protecting firefighters from traffic. Harvey, 78, also drums up business for Fire Company raffles and fund-raisers.

On Saturday, he was named Clarendon’s “Firefighter of the Year” – winner of the Everett and Letha Campbell Award.

“He is at every call,” said Danny Campbell, the outgoing Fire Company president and son of Everett and Letha. “He is very, very dedicated.”

Harvey is fire police captain, a group that includes eight volunteers, and he is also secretary for the Fire Company. He has volunteered with the Clarendon Fire Company the past 14 years.

He previously joined the Rochester Protectives in 1973 and was a past president of the group that worked with salvage, setting up and operating fans and lighting at incidents, and also pumping out flooded basements.

Harvey said he has made many friends through the fire service and is grateful for the chance to support the local fire company and community.

Often he and the other fire police will be at a scene for several hours, sometimes in the freezing cold. Harvey said some motorists are rude and don’t like to be redirected away from an emergency scene.

“You want to protect the public so they don’t get in a dangerous situation,” Harvey said. “And we want to keep the firefighters safe because they have enough to worry about.”

Harvey said the raffles and other fund-raisers are also important for the Fire Company, helping to outfit firefighters with safe and current gear, as well as paying towards other equipment.

“Without that funding a majority of the equipment that is not mandated we might not have,” Harvey said.

He expects to keep busy with the Fire Company for years to come.

“I enjoy it immensely,” Harvey said. “I just love it.”