FIREFIGHTER HISTORY & TRADITIONS

Traditions of customs or beliefs from generation to generation that have been passed on to one another becoming part of our culture much like how we celebrate holidays, weddings, or family reunions.
​Tradition is a moral compass and huge part of the Fire Service.
​We have a lot of history and many traditions in the Fire Service with several being listed below.
The Maltese cross originated during the Crusades when The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem lived on the Island of Malta for nearly four centuries. Dating back to the sixth century becoming a badge of honor! When a courageous band of crusaders known as Knights of St. John fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors. It was a simple, but horrible device of war. It brought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters for the cross. The Saracens weapon was fire.
As the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were struck by glass bombs containing naphtha. When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens hurled a flaming torch into their midst. Hundreds of the knights were burned alive; others risked their lives to save their brothers-in-arms from dying painful, fiery deaths.
Thus, these men became our first Fire Fighters and the first of a long list of courageous Fire Fighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by fellow crusaders who awarded each hero a badge of honor, a cross similar to the one fire fighters wear today.
The eight-pointed cross represents may traits for those who wear it and depict on the pictures to the left.
Dalmatians have been associated with the fire service for centuries and if you look hard enough, you may find that some firehouses still have them. Dalmatians were known to have created strong bonds with their owners and horses and were used to keep the horses calm. Dalmatians also guarded and protected luggage, horses, and people from strangers in the western days and throughout history. When horse-drawn fire equipment was traveling down a street, the Dalmatians ran ahead barking at people to clear the way creating a path for the fire company. After horses were replaced by automobile driven apparatus, the Dalmatian continued to be part of the fire service solely due to their loyalty.
Ben Franklin was mostly known as an inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States; and a drafter and signer to the Declaration of Independence. 
Did you know that Ben Franklin also founded the first volunteer fire company in the U.S. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1736. Not long after, many more fire companies spread across the city and soon all over the country.
The "push-in" ceremony has been a tradition dating back to 1800s when fire pumpers were pulled by horses. When the pumper returned from a call with horse-drawn equipment, the apparatus was detached from the horses and the crew pushed it back into the stall making it ready for the next call. Today, when a new fire apparatus is delivered, the crew washes the apparatus and pushes it into the bay before responding to the first call, paying respect to our history of those who came before us.
The "Star of Life" is represented on any ambulance and some fire apparatus with EMS capabilities and is synonymous with emergency medical care around the world. The middle contains a Rod of Aesculapius which is an ancient symbol of medicine and according to Greek mythology, Aesculapius was the son of Apollo and a specialist in medicine and healing beyond the mortal man. Another reason for using the serpent coiled around a staff comes from the bible, in numbers 21:8 and 9; and the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Bible 196). The six bars of the Star of Life represent six distinct phases of an EMS response – detection, reporting, response, on scene care, care in transit, and transfer to definitive care. These phases are considered critical to producing a good outcome for the patient. The phases are listed to the left.
The "Firefighters" Prayer is known by anyone who is part of this profession and practiced within the fire service by all as our creed. We believe the fire service is not for everyone and that it is a calling. After World War ll, It is said that a Wichita, Kansas firefighter wrote the poem back in 1947 to express his feelings after fighting an intense fire where three children died. The firefighter known as AW "Smokey" Linn penned this poem to convey his grief to ask God for guidance for the families involved and protection for firefighters affected by what they see. Today, the Firefighter's Prayer is seen on pictures, plaques, dog tags, and more to show support for firefighters and their families.
DUTY * PRIDE * TRADITION
The words; Duty - Pride - Tradition are not spoken lightly in the fire service by those who wear the badge.
DUTY is knowing the job and doing it. Firefighters are on call 24/7 and respond to a variety of calls, including fires, hazardous material incidents, medical emergencies, traffic accidents, and many more. They are there for any natural or manmade disasters and are trained to quickly prioritize and mitigate any incident.
PRIDE is wearing it with respect to those who came before us and always being ready for whatever comes our way ensuring everything is ready to respond. Firefighters take pride in their leadership, station, tools, equipment, and organization including fostering growth of each firefighter. Firefighters respect their crew and volunteer to do more bringing ownership to their team and the community they serve.
TRADITION is living the fire service and sharing their reflections of it of who we are and what we do. We have many traditions in the fire service and proud to accept and pass on to not forget. As a firefighters career progresses and they become mentors to younger firefighters, they are anxious to pass these traditions to the next generation which strengthens our identity, improves retention, boosts morale and helps us understand our culture.