Incident Name:
Date: 3/1/2014
Personnel: Jerry Campbell
Age: 61
Agency/Organization: Tennessee Division of Forestry
Position: firefighter
Summary: Firefighter Jerry Campbell was at a work center on Friday night (2/28/14) preparing his Cocke County Tennessee-based firefighting unit to deploy from Newport to help control a wildland fire near Tellico Plains in the Cherokee National Forest, TN, when he fell ill from an apparent heart attack. Campbell was taken to the hospital in Newport and was on the hellipad for transport to another hospital in Knoxville when condition suddenly deteriorated and he passed away. He was pronounced dead at 0145 Saturday morning at the Newport Medical/Tennova Healthcare Center.
Newport Medical/Tennova Healthcare Center, Newport, Tennessee (U.S. National Grid: 16S GE 4585 1665)
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Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- USDA Memorial Database: Jerry Campbell
Wildlandfire.com Links:
- Jerry is survived by a brother and a sister.
- Funeral arrangements for TN Division of Forestry Firefighter Jerry Campbell were held Tuesday, 04 March 2014. The family requested only a graveside service at the Roberts Family Cemetery on Lark Road off of Sweetwater Road (south of Newport). Procession lined up at Manes Funeral Home, 363 East Main Street in Newport, at 1 PM Tuesday and drove to the cemetery.
- The flags at Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville TN were lowered the week of March 7 in honor of Jerry Campbell, a wildland firefighter who died in the line of duty preparing for fire response. Mr. Campbell was a part of the East TN Forestry District.
- Assistant Commissioner and State Forester Jere Jeter: “We deeply regret the loss of Division of Forestry employee Jerry Campbell, and our condolences go out to his family. By all accounts, Jerry conducted himself professionally and was committed to his duties as a wildland firefighter. I know that he will be greatly missed by his fellow employees.”
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