Vernon McCammon joined the Southaven Fire Department as a volunteer in October, 1968, twelve years before our city’s incorporation.  He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1971, then to Chief in 1974.  While serving as Fire Chief in the mid-1970s, he also joined the inaugural team who created the first-ever EMS service in Desoto County.  When Southaven became a city in April, 1980, he became the first, official Fire Chief in the City of Southaven.  He served the City as Fire Chief during monumental growth years, meeting the public safety needs of our citizens from the early days of one fire station and red, land-line fire phones, to pagers, then to the most modern technology and four fire stations when he retired in October 2006.  During this time, he hired and mentored hundreds of men and women who’ve followed his outstanding model of service. 

Chief McCammon has been interwoven into the fibers of Southaven since he moved here with his wife in the 1960s, raising his family here, helping build facilities, and extending a helping hand to whomever, whenever there has been a need.

When asked what he thought the key was to his success as a leader, his response was, “I’m a people person”.