Great Falls

I like these kinds of patches because I get to find out about the symbolism, or in this case what the scenery means.

On the left of the patch is Lewis & Clark. They discovered a series of waterfalls along the Missouri River and had to portage around them. That's how Great Falls was named.

Montana is knows as "Big Sky Country" and we see the wheat field in the center of the patch. I always thought big sky referred to the Montana mountains instead of the vastness of the sky.

To the right of the wheat field is the "Big Stack" which could be seen for miles. That stack was part of the copper smelter which was the primary source of employment for many years until it was closed down. The smelter was demolished in the 1980s.

The bison skull on the right side of the patch is the logo for the western artist Charles Marion Russell who lived in Great Falls.   

 http://www.greatfallsmt.net/fire             

Key Peninsula Fire

These guys have been in the news kind of a lot the last year.
Funding is always a big issue. Seems the smaller you are, the harder it is to get money.
I'd think everyone would want to fund Fire and EMS services.
.

http://www.keypeninsulafire.org/

Brinnon Volunteer Fire Department

A friend of mine was the fire chief in Brinnon for a while.
I'd take the family over and we'd visit during the Brinnon Shrimp Fest.
The highlight of the shrimp fest was the belt sander races.

Yep, belt sander races.
Who knew you could race belt sanders?
And of course if you raced your belt sander, you had to decorate it.
But more importantly, you had to have a long enough extension cord that
would allow you complete the race.
Oh boy, did the participants take their racing seriously too.

Not being a speed junkie, I've never really understood the need for speed or to race.
But hey, if belt sander racing is your hobby, more power to you. (Pardon the pun.)

http://www.brinnonfire.org/index.html

Made in America

For starters, I'd like to thank all of our military personnel for their service. You are what makes this country great and keeps us free. God bless all of our troops, past, present, living, and deceased.

Courage and Honor doesn't just apply to Fire Fighters. Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, and Police Officers are but a few examples.

This isn't a "real" patch. I bought a T-shirt and cut this off the front and glued it to a foam backing. I think it would make an excellent generic patch.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

We're having a cold spell here in Seattle which is why I picked this patch.

I've been to the panhandle of Alaska, but never further north.
It's my hope to visit Anchorage and Fairbanks one day.
During the summer months!

I could never live in Alaska.
Not only is it too cold, there isn't enough sunlight  during the winter months.
Hmmm. Is that so different than the Seattle area? It seems we get 300 days a year of cloud cover.
But gray and gloomy is different than dark with the sun not being up.

I like this patch. The North Star over the Aurora Borealis over the mountains.
And maybe that's why the patch is black? It's always dark near Fairbanks?

 

http://www.northstarfire.org/

Down Under

I've never been to Australia.
I missed my best chance when my cousin was living in Perth.
One day I'll get there.

I like the fire fighters helmet and tools rising above the fire.

https://www.fire.qld.gov.au/

 



Being Thankful

I'm thankful for all of the Fire Fighters, Police Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, and Emergency Medical Personnel that protect and serve this great country. God Bless the U.S.A.

Longview

Having traveled up and down the I-5 corridor, I always thought Longview was on the Columbia River. However, the river that runs along side I-5 is the Cowlitz River. And you never see the two rivers meet. So I've always been a little confused as to which river Longview was on. Turns out, it's both. Hence the green and blue stripes on the patch.

It's always a good day when you learn something new.

http://www.mylongview.com/index.aspx?page=384

Wenatchee

How fitting to have an apple at the center of the Maltese Cross.
Wenatchee, in about the center of the state, is the Apple Hub of Washington State.
Too bad Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples aren't so delicious anymore.
Granny Smith apples have always been my favorite.

http://www.wenatcheewa.gov/index.aspx?page=30

Snohomish County Fire Protection District #11

I suppose one of the good things about blogging, is that I'm free to try different things and see how they turn out. For instance, I uploaded this image first, which is centered, only to find out that the text is now centered too. Interesting.

 

I suppose if you weren't too familiar with fire department patches, you wouldn't know that F.P.D. stood for Fire Protection District. And possibly wouldn't know that Co. stands for County instead of Company.

 

At any rate, there is a Silver Lake in Snohomish County in South Everett.

 

This patch has always struck me as a bit odd. I'd never seen a green fire department patch before I'd gotten this one. And I have no idea why the creators of this patch made it green. Maybe green has to do with the color of life?

 

Today, there is no Snohomish County Fire Protection District #11. Several years ago they merged with Snohomish County Fire Protection District #1, which serves southwest Snohomish County. But that's a different story for a different patch.

 

 

 

Lincoln City, Oregon

I enjoy the Oregon ocean beaches. My wife and I actually made a snowman on the beach outside the Inn at Spanish Head one February when there was an ice/snow storm. The power was out due to a car accident, we'd already had a drink in the bar, and it was too early for bed.

This patch was actually somewhat difficult to obtain. As per usual when I'm on vacation, I stop by a firehouse and see if they'll swap patches with me. Must have talked to the wrong guy. He didn't know me from Adam and wasn't about to trade patches. He told me an abbreviated story of how someone had gotten ahold of one of there patches and tried to impersonate a fire fighter. I told him that's not how I do things, that I understood, and thanked him for his time.

So a couple of days later when we were heading out of town, we stopped by a different station to try again. The lady at the front desk was more than helpful. I got a North Lincoln patch, and she picked one of several that I offered in exchange.

http://www.nlfr.org/

Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department

I'm guessing that this must be an east coast vs. west coast difference thing?
The website says that they supplement fire fighters in Arlington, Virginia.
I don't know anything about how their layered system works, but if it works,
more power to them!

The layered system I grew up with was that of a fire engine being dispatched
first, followed by an aid car (if needed), followed by a medic unit (if needed).
Then a private ambulance company was called for transport.

I like the cherry tree incorporated into the patch. But once again, being a west
coast guy, I don't know how Cherrydale is part of Arlington. Is a neighborhood
thing, different municipality?

http://www.cherrydalevfd.org/

Historic Franklin, Tennessee

Guess I'll have to take their word for it, as I've never been to Tennessee.
I'd like to some day though.

Another orange fire department patch.
All I can say is, "Wow!"

It certainly does get your attention doesn't it.

I like the more traditional Maltese Cross patch better than the other one.
However, I like the U.S. and Tennessee flags on the other patch.

http://www.franklin-gov.com/index.aspx?page=127

Fire Fight Navy

And we're not talking aerial combat here.

I'm glad to see the armed forces take pride in the fact that they're also fire fighters.

Navy Region Northwest is headquartered out at Bangor on the Kitsap Peninsula.

I only knew one Navy Fire Fighter. That was back in the good old days when they actually had a Navy base at Sand Point on Lake Washington. I got to spend a couple of shifts riding with him. Even though the amount of action we saw was zero. I still had fun and learned a few things about fire fighting. That was back in the mid 1970s. I wonder whatever happened to Jim?

Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore paled in comparison to the devastation wrought by the Mountain Pine Beetle!
Hundreds of thousands of acres decimated. What should have been nice luscious green trees were brown and dying.

However, I was quite impressed with Mouth Rushmore, which is only about a 30 or so minute drive from Rapid City, South Dakota.

And then there was Crazy Horse. The four heads of Mount Rushmore could fit into the face of Crazy Horse. It's that huge! Also enjoyed visiting Wall Drug and the Badlands. And of course I had to stop at Little Big Horn. I highly recommend that stop. Listen to a Ranger lead tour, and then take advantage of the tour offered by the Crow Indians. Hear their side of the battle. Quite interesting.

http://www.rcgov.org/Fire/index.html

Courage, Duty, Honor

Fire fighters aren't the only people to display such traits.
I thank God for our military personnel and police officers too.
There are others with those traits that shouldn't be forgotten either.

I'm sure there were such services to honor fallen fire fighters long before
Backdraft came out, I just wasn't aware of them.

Those who serve the public trust knowing that they might perish in the line
of duty, deserve such pomp & circumstance. And I'm glad there are people
who put such displays on.

Neighbor's to the North

Growing up in Washington State, I knew where Ferndale was, but Ferndale / Tabor?
I assumed it must be in Canada. Sure enough, I was right.
However, I didn't know it was about 18 kilometers east of Prince George.

Where's Prince George?

About 9 hours north of Vancouver, BC.

The furthest I've ever driven was Whistler, BC.
That's only about 60 minutes north of Vancouver.

I like both of these patches.
They're crisp, sharp and clean.
They don't tell me they're in British Columbia, Canada, but that's okay.
That's what Google is for.

The fire engine on the patch to the left makes me think United Kingdom for some reason.
I see it and think, "Old fire engine. Must be British. Isn't that what British fire trucks look like?"

Speaking of Google ... Ferndale / Tabor must be a beautiful place. (Google Maps).
It looks like it's in the Canadian Cascade range, and there is a lake nearby.
Maybe some day I'll visit that way. Live? Nope. I'm a city boy through and through.

Onions anyone?

A Google search turns up many Vidalia Fire Departments.
And since I didn't receive this patch personally, I don't know which Vidalia Fire Department it is.
All I know is that the color scheme and name reminds me of onions.

Service To Others

I'm really tempted to slam the public officials who supposedly represent and "serve" us from Washington, D.C.

But I'll hold my tongue and show some support for those who really do "serve the people" of
Capitol Hill.

http://www.dcfd.com

God Bless America!

Your basic fire patch

This patch is HUGE! It'd fit nicely on the sleeve a 4XL shirt.
I think it's just your basic fire department Maltese Cross patch.
And I have no idea if it's Lakeview County #2 or Lakeview Company #2.

This has always puzzled me, because I can't tell what they are.
Are those crossed bugles or crossed old fashioned nozzles?
Can't say as I've ever seen a bugle or a nozzle that looks like that.

The Big Easy

I've only been to New Orleans once. Had a great time! Visited a plantation where they served Mint Julep's, toured the Bayou, learned the difference between a Cajun and a Creole, and even tried alligator pot pie. That wasn't my favorite. I really enjoyed the beignet's and coffee with chicory though.

I like patches with seals. That way I get to Google the seal and find out what it means. In brief: the seal dates back to February 17, 1805. The 12 stars in the outer circle and the one in the center represent the original 13 colonies. The 12 stars in the inner circle represent states admitted to the Union between 1791 and 1836. The three stars on each side represent the six states admitted to the Union from 1837 to 1850. For a full description of the City of New Orleans Seal, click on the link. http://web.archive.org/web/20020212020634/http://new-orleans.la.us/seal.asp

The Fleur-de-lis is a stylized lily or Iris and is used as a decorative design or symbol. (French: fleur = flower, lis = lily.)

I can't get used to fire department patches being orange. Maybe it makes perfect sense: orange = fire?

http://www.nola.gov/nofd/

Snohomish County Fire Protection District #7

This is a pretty basic shoulder patch, but I like it.
Says who they are, "Snohomish County VII".
And you know they're a fire department by the Maltese Cross.
I really like that the white Maltese Cross is outlined in gold.
Roman Numerals? Who the heck came up with that idea?
I like that too! Until I'd gotten this patch, I'd never seen Roman
Numerals on a fire department shoulder patch.

http://www.firedistrict7.com/

The Guardian of the Gulch

This historic landmark Fire Tower, located downtown, was originally built in 1874. It gave watchmen a 360-degree view of Helena. The bell which once hung in the tower used to warn of fire, but also signaled an 8:30 pm children's curfew. Today, it reminds us of Helena's frontier history.

 

 

http://www.helenamt.gov/fire-department.html

Engine 51

Yosemite Concession Services Engine 7 is the rebuilt Ward Engine 51 from the 70s television show Emergency!

http://firedepartment.net/directory/california/mariposa-county/yosemite-national-park/yosemite-national-park-fire-and-aviation

Radio Dispatcher

13:38 hours. MVA Response. Aid 25, Engine 16, Engine 17 ...

Someone has to tell them where to go!

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for five years. Enjoyed working the fire board a lot better than the police board. Not because it was slower, but because I thought I identified with them more. Having been a volunteer fire fighter for a short time, and watching shows like Emergency!

And I know a dispatcher, in most cases, is not a fire fighter, but this blog is about fire department shoulder patches and fire departments. So I'm kind of stretching the envelope a little bit to include this Radio Dispatcher patch. After all, a dispatcher is a vital part of any emergency communications traffic.

Squad 51, man down ...

I'd like to see them bring back a modern day Emergency! Either in LA County, or in Seattle, like they originally planned after The Most Deadly Passage. And sticking with today's diversity, Chester B. Kelly could be played by an African-American, you have the Hispanic in Marco Lopez, Roy DeSoto could be a female (Royetta), Kelly Brackett could be a female, and Dixie McCall could be male or female. I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of being a transplant from the Deep South of the US.

And of course, it'd have to be more true to life, unlike other emergency shows of today. One example is; when the crew is responding to an emergency call, they're not holding a normal run-of-the-mill, everyday conversation about looking for houses, hair dressers, or child care. They should be reading maps, talking about what they might find at the scene, or how they're going to handle the situation when they arrive. And of course they'd have to keep the pregnancy, divorces, and unfaithful relationships to a minimum. Emergency! of the 70s was a great show (for its time).

http://fire.lacounty.gov/

CHICAGO

Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Fire, Chicago Fire, and the Chicago White Sox, just to name a few great things about Chicago.

Why does the Chicago Fire Department have black over red vehicles with green emergency lights?

Chicago is a city of deep tradition. The Cubs didn't put lights on Wrigley Field until 1986 because they wanted to keep the tradition of playing baseball games during the day. Fire departments are traditional too. Fire fighters rode the buck boards of steam pumpers, then the tail boards of more modern fire engines. Now a days, everyone rides inside the cab. So what's this have to do with black cabs and green lights?

The department chiefs drove Ford Motor Company buggies. These cars had black canvas tops that couldn't be painted. Not to mention, the cars were painted black. Red was an expensive paint color, and fire departments wanted their equipment to stand out. Bright red paint with shiny brass was a symbol of great pride in the fire service.

Then, in 1927 Albert Goodrich became a Fire Commissioner. He came from a family with strong ties to the steamship industry. If you've ever noticed a boat, they have red light on the port (left) side, and green lights on the starboard (right) side. This allows other boats, at a glance, to know which way the surrounding traffic is heading. So Commissioner Goodrich put green lights on the right front, and red lights on the left front of all fire department vehicles.

Personally, I'd like to see green lights on all fire department vehicles. And I know amber lights are supposed to mean "caution", but aren't the red lights supposed to mean "stop"? So why are there amber lights on emergency vehicles? To me, amber lights just tells drivers to slow down instead of pull over and stop.

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/cfd.html

These Fire Fighters REALLY Are the Bravest of the Brave!

Especially if they were around in the 1970s.

One of my favorite books is, Report from Engine Company 82, written by Dennis Smith.
He tells his story of working Engine 82 in the South Bronx of New York during that time span.
And not to mention the 343 fire fighters who gave their lives on September 11, 2001.

A fire fighter rushes into a burning building when everyone else is running out.

God Bless every fire fighter. Especially the ones in FDNY.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/home2.shtml

Home Town Heroes

I could talk about my experience of collecting shoulder patches and where I got them all. But the stories are all the same.

I got started collecting when I was a dispatcher with SPD (Seattle Police). Went on a ride-along and the officer gave me a shoulder patch. Said it was great fun to trade patches. Well, one patch doesn't give you much bartering power. Wound up getting about two dozen SPD patches from one of the TRU (Telephone Reporting Unit) officers. From there, I took all those patches with me and hit every fire department in the area that I could. Other than that, I bought some, and got some from other police officers and firefighters that I know. And yes, it is great fun to trade shoulder patches. I've met a lot of very nice people.

I like this Edmonds patch with the Maltese Cross and the Washington State Ferry in the center of the cross.

Seattle Fire Department

Glad to be back on the horse, so to speak. Let's start with my favorite shoulder patch. I grew up in Seattle, not far from Station 17. Those big Kenworth engines made the coolest fire trucks. Not to mention the noise they made. I could hear the roar of the engine and exhaust for what seemed like miles. I also like the design of this patch. Tells me who they are, and what they do. And that's an image of Chief Sealth in the middle of the Maltese Cross.

http://www.seattle.gov/fire/