From Service to Safety: How Veterans Strengthen the Fire Protection Industry

When William “Mike” LeBleu left the U.S. Army in the early 1980s, he wasn’t sure what would come next. Like many veterans, he carried valuable lessons in leadership and discipline—but not a clear path for how to use them in civilian life.

A friend pointed him toward a job inspecting fire extinguishers at the Medical College of Virginia/VCU, and before long, Mike discovered a calling that would become a lifelong career in fire protection. “The military gave me drive and discipline,” he said. “That’s what helped me build a career, a company, and a team that takes pride in keeping people safe.”

Now the co-founder of Veterans Fire Protection, Mike leads with the same principles that shaped him in uniform: reliability, accountability, and service to others. “When you’re taking care of fire protection systems, people’s lives are on the line,” he explained. “This work demands pride and attention to detail, because what we do keeps people safe.”

To Mike, the word service bridges his two worlds. “In the military, service means taking care of your fellow soldiers,” he said. “In this work, it means taking care of your community—protecting people and property.”

It’s a mission that continues to resonate across the trades, where leadership, teamwork, and commitment matter just as much as technical skill. “I’d fill my company with veterans if I could,” Mike said. “Their discipline and dependability are exactly what this industry needs.”