The History of the the Maltese cross

The badge of the firefighter is the Maltese Cross. This Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection and a badge of honor. Its history is over 700 years old.

The story begin during the Crusades when a courageous band of crusaders known as the Knights of St. John, fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land. The usual plans called for siege warfare and as the Knights advanced on the wall city, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors. It was a simple, but a horrible device of war; it 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 wall of the city, glass bomb containing naphtha struck them. When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens hurled flaming touches into their midst. Hundreds of knights were burned alive; others risked their own life 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 there 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 firemen who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man so many years ago. The Maltese Cross is a fireman's badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage - a ladder rung away from death.

The Symbol of EMS is the Star of Life.

The Star of Life was designed by Leo R. Schwartz, Chief of the EMS Branch of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Star of Life was created after the American Red Cross complained about the common use of an Omaha orange cross on a square background of reflectorized white which they saw as an imitation of the Red Cross symbol. The NHTSA investigated and felt the complaint was justified.

Adopted from the Medical Identification Symbol of the American Medical Association, the newly designed six-barred cross was registered as a certification mark on February 1, 1977 with the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks in the name of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Each of the bars of the blue Star of Life represents the six system functions of emergency medical services. These functions are as listed :

• DETECTION
• REPORTING
• RESPONSE
• ON SCENE CARE
• CARE IN TRANSIT
• TRANSFERE TO DEFINITIVE CARE