Excerpt from The Montachusett Telegram & Gazette
Sunday, March 28, 1999

PRESIDENTS AWARD
President's Award honoree Jim LeBlanc also credits his family for providing the inspiration for much of his volunteer work. LeBlanc lives in Leominster with his wife, Carol They have two sons, Keith and Troy.

LeBlanc, senior vice president of Fosta-Tek Optics, has been actively involved in the community for more than three decades.

LeBlanc's two uncles were fire fighters and his brothers, Deputy Chief Alfred LeBlanc and Lt, Charles LeBlanc, are currently serving on the Leominster Fire Department.

"Ever since I can remember, I've been involved with the fire department in one way or the other," LeBlanc said. "When we were kids, we would go to the station to see the equipment, visit with the firefighters. We were always going to the fires."

"It definitely had an effect on why I ended up volunteering and where I did that volunteer service," LeBlanc said.

"It's difficult to pick out just one reason why Jim LeBlanc will be receiving this award, because he has volunteered his time in so many areas of emergency services," said Leominster Rotary Club president, Richard Sarao.

"For three decades, the city has been fortunate to have him as an active and dedicated volunteer committed to enhancing public safety, not only within our community but wherever his help is needed."

"He has not only been a volunteer, he is also an inventor of safety equipment and an innovator in the area of public safety response," Sarao said. "For these reasons, I can think of no better choice for this award."

LeBlanc is the assistant director of the city's Emergency Management Agency and has often served as acting director voluntarily during times of retirements of past directors. He has been a rescue diver for 30 years, and he served as a rescue diver instructor for the LEMA.

In 1974, LeBlanc received awards from the State Senate, the House of Representatives and the American Legion for saving two people from freezing waters after an accident in Fitchburg.

He has served as an auxiliary police officer for 17 years and has been an Emergency Medical Technician. Through the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association he has taught more than 1,500 local citizens how to perform CPR.

In 1976, he was awarded the Rotary Club's "Service Above Self' award for saving the life of a stranger during a trade show at the Prudential Center, Boston.

KEY DESIGN
LeBlanc designed, built and donated the specialty equipment that has been used for fighting pier fires in Boston for the past 25 years. He said he received the inspiration for this piece of equipment after viewing an eight-alarm pier fire in Boston,

This specialty equipment floats underneath the piers and delivers water to the underside of the fire. It has helped to decrease firefighter injuries and deaths.

He also founded the self-supporting Emergency Canteen Service under the auspices of the Leominster Emergency Management Agency 17 years ago. This service, which is much in demand throughout Worcester County, has been credited with reducing firefighter injuries.

"We've been all over Worcester County with the canteen," LeBlanc said. "I think a lot of people don't realize how physically strenuous firefighting is, how easy it is for firefighters to become fatigued and dehydrated. This service brings those necessary supplies - water and food - right to the scene."

STILL GOES TO FIRES
LeBlanc said that as recently as a week ago he was driving the firetruck to a fire in a neighboring town. "I went to fires as a kid and I'm still going to fires, except this time, I'm driving one of the trucks."

In addition to the honorees mentioned, the club will be honoring the Leominster Teacher of the Year, Dave Fiandaca and the Leominster Firefighter of the Year, Firefighter John Pompei. Profiles on these two recipients ran in the Sunday, March 21, edition of The Montachusett T&G.

The fifth annual Leominster Rotary Club Vocational Awards Dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 29, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 464 Lancaster St., Leominster. The program features a buffet dinner and the award presentations.

The Leominster Rotary Club will name two honorary club members that evening: Leominster Department of Public Works director Pat LaPointe and Wesley "Bud" Arbo.

LaPointe is being honored for the assistance he has given the club in their many service projects within the community. Arbo is a member of the Montachusett Area Rotary Club. He is being honored for his work as an advisor to the Leominster Rotary Club for a number of years.