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Firefighters are identified by
and are very proud of the badge that identifies them with their
department. The majority
of firefighter badges are in the shape of the Maltese Cross. Why
the Maltese Cross? The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection
and a badge of honor with a story that is hundreds of years old.
When a courageous band of Crusaders from Malta, known
as the Knights of St. John, fought the Sarecens for possession of the Holy Land,
they were faced with a new weapon not known to European fighters. It was
a simple, but horrible, device of war that wrought excruciating pain and agonizing
death upon the brave fighters for the Cross. The Saracen's 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 knights were burned alive; others were called upon to
perform heroic deeds by risking their lives to save their brothers-in-arms from
dying painful fiery deaths.
Thus, these men became our first firemen and the first
of a long list of courageous firefighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized
by fellow Crusaders who awarded each with a badge of honor - a cross similar
to the one firemen wear today. Since the Knights of St. John lived for
close to four centuries on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea, named Malta,
the cross came to be known as the Maltese Cross.
The Maltese Cross is your symbol
of protection. It means
that the firefighter who wears this cross is willing to lay down
his/her life for you, just as the Crusaders sacrificed their lives
for their fellow man so many years ago. The Maltese Cross
is a firefighter's badge of honor, signifying that he or she works
in courage - a ladder-rung away from death.
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