When building your Smith & Warren badge on badgeandwallet.com, you’ll notice the option for soft or hard enamel. While the names might give you preconceived notions as to what these materials are, we wanted to clear the air and tell you a little about them. Afterward, you’ll be able to choose which type provides the look and feel you like.
1. Sinking of the U.S.S. Squalus (1939)
We know Mother's Day just ended, but Father's Day is coming up quicker than you think! Instead of buying your dad another knitted sweater this year, get him something he'll really love. We've put together this list of gifts for the dad in your life to make it easy on you (and him).
1. Family Badges
Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-11536 / CC-BY-SA [CC BY-SA 3.0 de], via Wikimedia Commons
A badge is a distinctive emblem which marks an individual's office, membership or achievement. Today, we know badges mostly as the shields worn by police, firefighters and the military, but badges have been around since the Middle Ages. During that time, badges were popular as jewelry in Europe and were made of cloth or metal and worn on clothing.
Police officers, firefighters, security guards and emergency medical service providers deserve the highest-quality badges and insignia, and that’s exactly what Smith and Warren provides.
To the outsider, a badge may not seem like much – on the surface, it’s a piece of metal that’s affixed to a person’s uniform. But for public safety professionals, the badge is a great source of pride. It’s the most meaningful piece of the uniform, and it’s an inspiration for those men and women who go out and work hard to protect and serve their communities every day.
Dogs have been used in emergency services since the Middle Ages when law enforcement officers hunted down outlaws with bloodhounds, paid for by the villages they protected. Today, dogs have many jobs within the field of emergency services, including search & rescue, emergency management, patient care and criminal apprehension. Here are some of the most common breeds known within the field:
1. Great Fire of New York (1776)
On September 21, 1776, a fire broke out on the southern end of Manhattan. New York City was occupied by British forces at the time and many accused them of starting the fire, while others accused American Patriots of attempting to destroy the city in order to prevent the British from enjoying it. The fire burned throughout the night and destroyed approximately 20% of the city with somewhere between 400 and 1,000 buildings destroyed. No arson charges were ever laid, despite dozens of promising suspects.
Emergency services have a long, rich history dating back to ancient times. With such an extensive past, it's inevitable that the meaning of some commonly-used symbols would be unknown to many working in the field. Here is a brief summary of the most common emergency services symbols and their meanings:
