PALMERSTON – Peter Henderson, a longtime volunteer fire captain with Minto Fire Department, died Tuesday at 66.
Fire chief Chris Harrow has served 27 years with him and remembered him as a great leader around the fire hall.
“Everybody respected that quiet leadership technique that he had,” Harrow said. “When he spoke up, everybody listened.”
With his construction background, Henderson was instrumental in getting Palmerston’s fire hall built in 1995. Harrow said he was a great role model for other firefighters.
“He served as a captain for a long time, he taught and mentored a lot of the firefighters we still have here,” Harrow said. “I think that’s why everybody says he meant so much to them.”
Harrow explained a fire captain is normally the first one to take command of a scene and then if the chief or deputy gets there they would assume command.
“But Pete was such a good incident commander and he knew so much about fire service that Pete just stayed in command a lot of the time because he was good at what he did,” Harrow said. “He was good at all the scenes he took command of, it didn’t matter if it was big or small.”
Mayor George Bridge said he was saddened at this news and how current circumstances means a celebration of life can’t be held yet.
Henderson used his experience as a contractor to help out anywhere needed in the community as a volunteer.
“He was a great man for the community being a firefighter for all those years but just a great role model for everybody,” Bridge said.
Henderson leaves behind a wife of 44 years, three children and four grandchildren.
