A person who’s devoted 37 years of his life to serving and protecting his home town is more than just a man, he’s a local institution and a symbol of trust.
For nearly four decades, the people of Oxford have looked to Fire Chief Jack LeRoy, 59, for leadership, expertise and help in times of crisis, both on a personal level and community-wide.
But soon it will be time for this town to say good-bye to LeRoy.
Oh, don’t worry, he’ll still be around.
You just won’t see him in a fire uniform or rushing to accident scenes anymore. He’ll no longer be the first face people see after placing a 9-1-1 call.
At tonight’s township board meeting, officials will discuss LeRoy’s plans to retire at the end of October.
‘I think now’s the time,? the chief said. ‘All in all it’s been a very rewarding career, but I’d just like to be able to do some things while I still can. I don’t want to work right up to the very end.?
LeRoy’s recommended the board consider appointing Deputy Chief Pete Scholz as his replacement. He’s been with the department since 1976.
‘I believe that Pete has both the experience and the necessary leadership to move the Oxford Fire Department forward in the future,? LeRoy wrote in a memo to the board.
For those who don’t know it, Jack LeRoy is part of a very rare and special breed.
He’s a hometown boy at heart. Born, raised and educated here in the Gravel Capital of the World, LeRoy could have gone anywhere, could have done anything after graduating Oxford High in 1967, but he chose to stay here and faithfully serve his town.
‘I had no real interest in moving away from my community. I didn’t see the need to go any place else,? he said. ‘I’ve seen a lot of places I wouldn’t mind living, but it’s always nice to come home to Oxford.?
After spending two years in the U.S. Army, LeRoy returned home to serve with the Oxford Police Department from 1971 through September 1994. He spent his last 7? years there as chief of police. He took over as the full-time fire chief in October 1994 after having served as a paid-on-call firefighter since 1983.
‘At that time, I had a strong desire to pursue the fire end,? he said. ‘Not that I didn’t like law enforcement, but at that time I’d been doing it for almost 24 years. I think I was looking for a change.?
That’s not surprising because it seems LeRoy’s heart has always been with the fire department. It’s where he spent his formative years.
Back in 1963, when the town’s only fire station was located downtown next to the movie theater, LeRoy, who lived a block away on Dennison Street, was hanging around with the firefighters and tagging along on calls.
LeRoy said the firefighters offered him ‘lots of guidance,? watched out for his well-being and ‘kept me on the straight and narrow.?
‘They all looked out for me,? he said.
Despite the fact he was only 14 years old, LeRoy found ways to help out at the station.
Many is the time the town’s fire siren would go off and he would race down to the station and start all the trucks ? there were only three at the time. The young LeRoy would call up dispatch on an old crank telephone to find out where the emergency was and write the location on a blackboard for the arriving firefighters to see.
When he was 16, LeRoy joined the department’s Junior Firefighters program. Members would sweep the station, clean the trucks and go on calls with the firefighters. Although they weren’t allowed to enter burning buildings, sometimes the Junior Firefighters would man the hoses outside.
‘Later on, as liability got to be more of an issue, they had to drop the program,? LeRoy said. ‘It was a real learning experience.?
After graduating high school, LeRoy got his first taste of emergency medical care working part-time for the ambulance service that used to be operated by the Bossardet Funeral Home.
LeRoy said he was glad to have grown up in the Oxford of the 1950s and 1960s. Where else could he sneak rides with railroad engineers, ride along with firefighters and do all the ‘things kids couldn’t do today.?
‘I got a small town education,? he said.
LeRoy loves it when ‘newcomers? to the area talk about how ‘quaint? Oxford is.
‘I have to chuckle because they don’t know what quaint was,? he said. ‘Quaint was when you could roll a bowling ball down Washington Street any time after 9 o’clock at night and not hit anything.?
Despite the many changes he’s seen during his lifetime, Oxford still remains a place where folks talk to each other and neighbors help neighbors.
‘When times get tough, when things are at their worst, people here pull together,? he said.
Looking back over his careers in law enforcement and the fire service, LeRoy said, ‘I think all in all it was an eye-opening and well-rounded experience for me.?
‘I’ve enjoyed every minute here,? he said.
Although answering duty’s call has caused him to miss countless hot meals, numerous holiday moments and at least one daddy-daughter dance, the chief doesn’t begrudge the town any of it.
‘Anyone that’s in this line of work, if they’re dedicated and committed to their vocation, is going to be interrupted,? he said. ‘I missed a lot of things because duty called, but that’s the way it is. It’s part of the job.?
One of the many things LeRoy’s proudest of is how far the fire department has come over the years.
When he took over as chief, there were no full-time employees (other than himself), only paid-on-call personnel, and the fire station was a steel pole barn.
Fourteen years later, the department has two stations, 14 full-time firefighters (including the chief), 26-28 paid-on-call firefighters, 15 pieces of equipment and offers Advanced Life Support services.
‘We came from behind and actually we’re at the top of the pack now,? LeRoy said. ‘I’d put our department right up there with any department in this county.?
But don’t think for a moment that LeRoy wants to take credit for this.
‘It wasn’t me that did it. I don’t want anyone to think it was me alone,? he said. ‘This could not have been done without the group of people that were together at the right place, at the right time and had the desire to make it work.?
‘We wouldn’t be where we are today if we hadn’t had that group of people (from firefighters to command staff, past and present) to make this department what it is. I couldn’t ask to work with a better group of people than here.?
One of the chief’s ‘pride and joys? is the fire prevention program the department conducts for school children.
‘I feel pretty confident there’s hardly any kids in this community that don’t get some form of fire prevention by the time they’re in their early elementary years,? LeRoy said. ‘I think that has had an impact on the number of fires we have in the community. I really think that we, per capita, are a much safer community fire-wise than many communities of equal population.?
LeRoy plans to spend his retirement traveling with his wife, finishing those written histories of the police and fire departments he’s been working on and catching up on some long overdue projects around his house.
‘I don’t plan on leaving,? he said.