10/14/2026
Fire Chief James E. LeBlanc inducted into the Louisiana Fire Chief’s Hall of Fame
Ascension Parish – Longtime St. Amant and 5th. Ward Volunteer Fire Department Chief James E. LeBlanc was inducted into the Louisiana Fire Chief’s Hall of Fame on Wednesday October 14, 2026 in Lafayette Louisiana. LeBlanc, who was elected as the youngest Fire Chief in the State of Louisiana at the age of 19 years old, has now been Fire Chief in Ascension Parish for the past 40 years. LeBlanc, has served as Fire Chief of the Prairieville, St. Amant and 5th. Ward Volunteer Fire Departments here in Ascension Parish.
Chief LeBlanc’s journey began when he was thirteen years old as a Junior Firefighter of the 7th. Dist. Volunteer Fire Department in Ascension Parish under the Leadership of Chief Eugene Witek. At the same time that Chief LeBlanc was serving as a Junior Firefighter, his dad Virgil James LeBlanc was the Fire Chief of the Prairieville Volunteer Fire Department. At this time, the Prairieville Volunteer Fire Department did not have a junior firefighting program.
At the age of eighteen years old, after Chief LeBlanc was promoted to the ranks of firefighter, he transferred to the Prairieville Volunteer Fire Department in Ascension Parish, where he would be elected Fire Chief at nineteen years old. By the blessings of God, my wife and my family, forty-years later I’m still serving as Fire Chief of the St. Amant and Darrow communities here in Ascension Parish. LeBlanc, would then be elected the youngest Fire Chief to ever serve as President of the Louisiana Fire Chief’s Association.
Over the years, I have watched our Parish Fire Rating go from an 8, to a 7, then many years as a 6. Today, in Ascension Parish Fire Dist. #1, which is the six volunteer fire departments here in Ascension Parish, we enjoy a PIAL Rating of a #4, and this is without Paid Firefighters and a Parish wide water system.
For the past 40 years, Chief LeBlanc has create a Culture of Service and Safety. “We have become a public relations type organization, all we want to do is help people and different organizations across our Parish”, stated LeBlanc.
I want to begin by thanking God for every opportunity, every lesson, and every person He has placed in my life and in my fire-service journey. None of this would be possible without His guidance, grace, and provision.
To be recognized and selected among my peers—men and women I respect deeply and have been honored to serve alongside—is truly awesome. Their trust, friendship, and example mean more to me than words can express. This honor is not just personal; it represents the shared commitment of so many who give their hearts to this profession.
To my wife of 39 years—thank you for your unwavering love, patience, sacrifice, and support. You have stood beside me through every call, every challenge, and every season of this journey. This honor belongs to you as much as it does to me.
To my five children and my ten grandchildren, thank you for always believing in me, thank you for always understanding that I had to miss things in your life, while I was committed to serving the great people of Ascension Parish.
To my mom, my sister, my family, and my friends—thank you for believing in me, encouraging me, and shaping the man and leader I have become. Your love and support have carried me farther than you may ever know.
To my Pop, who passed away in 2009, thank you for paving the way for me to get into the fire service at a young age. I will never forget the daily life lessons you taught me as a young child growing up. My daily blessings, is to be half the dad you were to me and my sister, to my five children.
I am humbled by this recognition, but I know it reflects the many firefighters, mentors, colleagues, and community members I have been blessed to serve alongside. I accept it with gratitude and a renewed commitment to serve God, my family, and the fire service with integrity, humility, and purpose.
