Essex Rotary recognizes LT Anthony "AJ" Leclair

On May 13th, the Essex Rotary recognized Lt. Anthony Leclair for living the Rotary's motto of "service above self." The Rotary hosted a lunch in which Assistant Chief Stephen Trenholm of Essex Fire, Paramedic and Deputy Executive Director Maureen Hougue of Essex Rescue and Dispatcher Karen Hulbert of Essex Police were recognized for their service to the Essex communities. Sadly AJ was unable to attend. On Monday, we hosted the Rotary, providing a small barbecue and an opportunity to present Lt. Leclair with his well-deserved award.

Lt. Leclair has been an Essex Junction Fire Department member since March 20, 2017, but is well recognized, having served in multiple other first response and emergency response roles throughout Chittenden County for the last 25 years.

AJ has served as a Firefighter and EMT; in the last two years, AJ has run 236 calls. On top of his emergency response role, AJ has multiple additional responsibilities, including being the new hire lieutenant, who interviews, onboards, and manages all new members. He is one of the primary training officers in the EJFD, providing hundreds of additional hours of training for members looking to grow their knowledge of apparatus and equipment. Additionally, AJ is a dedicated instructor for the Chittenden County Rookie Firefighter Course, which is hosted every spring and fall. His efforts have trained hundreds of local firefighters, greatly impacting Essex Junction and Chittenden County.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Essex Rotary for their unwavering support and for continuing this great event. For the last 14 years, this event has been a platform for us to recognize one of our members and other local first responders, and we are truly grateful for this opportunity