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The story of The maltese cross. I feel we can't do our job unless we know where we come from.
The badge of a Firefighter is the Maltese Cross. The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection, a badge of honor, and its story is hundreds of years old. When a courageous band of Crusaders, known as the Knights of St. John, fought the Saracens for possession of the Holy Lands, they were faced with a new weapon not known to European fighters. It was a simple but horrible device of war. The Saracens weapon was fire.
As the Crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were bombarded WITH GLASS BOMBS CONTAINING NAPTHA. When they were saturated with the liquid, the Saracens threw flaming torches into the Crusaders. Hundreds of Knights were burned alive while others risked their lives in an effort to save their kinsmen from painful fiery deaths. Thus, these men became the first Firemen and the first of a long line of firefighters. Their efforts were recognized by fellow Crusaders who awarded each other with a badge of honor similar to the cross firefighters wear today.
Since the Knights of St. John lived for close to four centuries on the Island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, the Cross came to be known as the Maltese Cross. The Maltese Cross is your symbol of protection. It means that the Firefighter that wears the cross is willing to lay down his life for you, just as the Crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man many years ago. The Maltese Cross is a Firefighter’s badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage------a ladder rung away from death.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Robert, exactly WHO are you referring to when you say "you lead your life on such pathetic morals"? Seriously, what kind of a moron are you that you would pass judgment on someones morals based on their attitude towards a cobbled up story of a symbol? Moreover, who the hell are you to even pass judgment? Four years in the fire service AND a captain? Wow!
But I think you sum it up best with this quote from you, "...your just a bitter burned out fireman that probably don't know it..." Again, wow! You get all of that from what I wrote? What a maroon.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Thanks, my phriend. I'm just happy that some of the brothers here don't care much about my underwear choices, their texture, or their shape.
Now it's time to return to a lecture about how burned out I am because I don't care to see inaccurate information cited as essential while we're being treated as if we were all in our first five minutes of recruit school.
Now let's see, the four sides of the fire tetrahedron are Naptha, Saladin, castles, and flashover...right?
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I thought they were Dragon, Water, Calling and Heart. I was out that day so...
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Jack, dunno. You never know when those devious Saracens will start pouring naptha onto us when we pull up to our next room-and-contents fire in a Type V SFD.
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At least you watch some intellectually uplifting TV. Do you hunt wabbits, too?
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So, what you'w saying is that you'w not into the essential symbols of cwicket hunting? Aftew aww, you can't do you'w cwicket hunting job unless you know whew you come fwom.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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Reading the comments here, I concur with Jack and Ben. Really knowing about the orgin of the Maltese Cross, Florian Cross, or whatever doesn't make learning or knowing the aspects of the job any more important. Reality is, such information is "nice to know", but is no where near critical knowing in order to do the job.
Now I do feel history and traditions are important, but some stuff really is not essential in order to do our jobs. History such as incidents like MGM Grand, Beverly Hills Supper Club, Cocoanut Grove, Station Nightclub, Texas City, etc are important to know as they have played an intergral part of our fire prevention and tactics. The orgin of the symbol that I wear on my shirt really doesn't play the same importance.
On my dept, it is unfortunate to say we really don't have a lot of tradition. Much of the stuff used in the days has gone by the wayside as progress marched forward. It did not affect how we do our jobs today, nor learn about being good firefighters, it just means we have less history than some departments. This is something we are trying to and slowly correcting, so in the future, other can look back and understand some traditions, but in the end, the symbols really do not matter in the course of doing the job.
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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I meant is makes you a better Firefighter in the whole-person sense. I quite agree with you that it is not required knowledge to put out fires, perform EMS functions, or operate a pump.
Anyone can be a drone and perform those tasks which only require simple training, and if you're only aspiration is to "put wet stuff on red stuff" then there is no need to study history, of the Fire Service or otherwise, and no need to wonder why we use the symbols we use. If everyone just wanted to "Do their Job" and not learn about the history, heraldry and traditions of the Fire Service we would not have the rich Firefighter Culture we have. No color guards, no Pipe and Drum Corps, no In Line of Duty Funeral traditions, and we'd be just another trade. Have you ever seen a Plumber's funeral procession? It'd give new meaning to Pipe Corps!
I do see real value in learning our history and traditions, especially if you aspire to any sort of Leadership role.
I do not see the analogy about the history of the Maltese cross and visiting Europe as specious at all. It is the same mindset which dismisses anything outside of a narrowly defined idea of what one needs to know; dismissing the idea of learning about the history and symbolism of the Fire Service as a whole, simply because you're not going to use it to put out a fire is rather narrow-minded. Do we really need Firefighters who go through life with such tunnel-vision? I do not believe so. You're right about Europe being rather a bit more than you'll find in Vegas, yet there are many people who perfectly happy only seeing the Vegas version.
As to military history, there are many branches of military history. Strategy and Tactics, and heraldry and even the mundane aspects of military life such as how leather tack was cared for out West and how uniforms were maintained. The Officers I've worked with two decades do not limit their study of military history to just tactics and strategy, but take active interest in all aspects of military history. Active learning keeps one's mind nimble and more capable of seeing the big picture, which does make you a better Firefighter on the fire ground.
Having lived overseas, and visited a few fire stations and talked with the Firefighters there, I can tell you that Firefighters in other countries do learn about the history and symbolism of their Fire Service Symbols.
Frankly, if you're not interested in the history of our Fire Service symbols, I don't care. I also don't think you're a well-rounded leader, and every fire department needs Firefighters who just want to be hose-jockeys.
Bottom line is this: It's not critical to know in order to be a good Firefighter, but is important to be open to learning new things to be a well-rounded Firefighter. Every Firefighter needs to have the training and the skills and knowledge to do their job well, but all other things being equal it is the better Firefighter who takes time to learn about the "extra things" in the Fire Service like history and heraldry.
I'm guessing you're not Captain of Color Guard in your department.
Greenman
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Yeah I can see how not worrying about the "history" of the maltese cross would preclude me from being a captain of the color guard. Stands to reason. Extends to me not being much of a leader as well. I'll let those personal attacks slide...for now.
Obviously, after all those years in the service you've become tradition bound. That you find it important is good...for you. That you pass judgment about others that don't find it as important or valuable shows how judgmental and arrogant you've become.
You haven't been in the fire service long enough to tell me how to do my job or what I need to know to do it or what job I can or can not do. And don't presume to lecture me on the value of education. I'm amply educated and significantly so when it comes to a being able to see the big picture.
Clearly you read only what fits your "vision" of what you choose to see. I never dismissed the need to know the history of the fire service, although you seem to have made that connection but you'll have to show me where I said that.
You belabor the point about education and history and doing the job yet it really is nothing more than your own rather high opinion. Having served for 20 years you should know better than anyone the need for un/under educated, gullible canon fodder. Well trained fire departments prefer NOT to have such people. Training and education is important to be an effective and safe firefighter. Of course, down where you are, I'm guessing canon fodder is good enough, plus they'll be intimidated by all your worldly experience.
But hey, so long as they know the "history" of the maltese cross I'm sure they'll be fine. That was what this topic was about, wasn't it?
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