SECURITY GUARD EARNS OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Jim Roche, an officer in the Saint Francis Medical Center's Security Department, has been named the 1995 Officer of the Year for Exemplary Service by the Missouri Association of Hospital Safety and Security Directors.

Roche received the award during the medical center's employee recognition banquet May 12 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. Making the presentation was Saint Francis security director Rich Fehr, a board member and district representative to the Missouri Association of Hospital Safety and Security Directors.

A member of the medical center's security staff since 1983, Roche is actively involved in the center's crime prevention, safety and fire prevention programs.

"He was instrumental in starting the Hospital Watch program here and made it possible for the medical center to be the first business in Cape Girardeau to display "Business Watch" signs," said Fehr.

Roche volunteers time to various community safety activities. He also presented programs on child abduction prevention to a number of civic groups.

In his off-duty time, Roche is a captain in the Millersville Volunteer Fire Department, coordinator of his rural neighborhood crime watch and is a Cub Scout den leader. he is also a member of the Army Reserves and was recently one of 42 non-commissioned reserve officers to be selected to teach cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West POint.

He and his wife, Pam, a registered nurse at Saint Francis, have two children.