A Look At The History Of Firefighting and Firefighter Challenge Coins

Challenge coins have a tradition in the military of honoring soldiers for their accomplishments and dedication. Challenge coins are also used as means of honoring law enforcement officers and other public servants. This includes the firefighters who risk their lives for the safety of others. You might be a bit surprised by the long history of firefighting, as well as that of the firefighter challenge coin.

Origins of Challenge Coins

The modern challenge coins that we know only go back about a hundred years. Today, challenge coins are given to soldiers for their accomplishments, membership to specific units, and promotion. What started as a military tradition has reached into the civilian world as well. Challenge coins are are now being used by businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations worldwide.  Even NASCAR, the NFL, cadets of the Civil Air Patrol, Eagle Scouts, and the World Series of Poker all have their own challenge coins. They are incredibly popular with police departments, fire departments, and other fraternal organizations.

With many former members of the military securing jobs as firefighters and police officers, it's no surprise that challenge coins have exploded in popularity.  Let's take a closer look at the history of firefighting and the impact of challenge coins.

Let's start at the beginning with Emperor Augustus of Rome. Around the first century A.D., Augustus began the first fire brigade. The Roman Empire gets credited with organizing firefighting as an institution. Firefighting was quite rudimentary in the beginning and remained so until the 17th century. The great fires in the cities of Paris and London forced governments to examine firefighting as a whole.

Improvements in Firefighting and Fire Departments in America

A Dutch inventor named Jan Van der Heyden developed the first fire hose, which revolutionized the way fires were fought. Around the same time, the United States' first fire company went into service in Boston. That same year, Benjamin Franklin established the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia. Previously, George Washington was a volunteer firefighter in Alexandria, Virginia, even purchasing a new fire engine for the town. This further adds to the long and intriguing history of those who fight fires. It would take a bit more time before fire departments became commonplace across the country.

In fact, it wasn't until the Civil War that fire departments became a staple of communities throughout the nation. At that time, departments became fully funded by local, state, and federal governments. In other firefighting history, the first female firefighter was Molly Williams, who joined a fire department in New York City back in 1818. Today, firefighters are essential members of our society, and they deserve to be honored. While this is just a short version of the long history of firefighting,  it's enough to consider when realizing the role that firefighters play in our communities, especially when honored by a custom firefighter challenge coin.

Challenge coins represent courage and bravery, used to honor those who go above and beyond. This is precisely what makes them ideal for firefighters and fire departments across the world. They have become an ideal way to acknowledge those who risk their lives for the safety of others.  Firefighter coins are a great way to give back and give thanks for the dedication and sacrifice that these men and women make on a daily basis.

At ChallengeCoins4Less.com, we understand the significance of challenge coins and what they represent. We also understand the importance that firefighters and fire departments do for the safety of our towns and cities. We instill those same values into what we do. Firefighter coins are among our most popular coins, and we take pride in designing them. Our talented staff of graphic designers and artists have designed coins of all sorts and understand the crucial details that hold meaning. These coins represent service to our communities and honor the men and women who serve. 

We have nearly 20 years of experience creating custom challenge coins, and we know what a well-designed coin looks like, as well as the impact they have. We are experts in crafting the best challenge coins on the market. We supplied challenge coins to every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and for police and fire departments across the country, and we look forward to designing many more great challenge coins in the future. We're proud of our work, and we make ordering easy. 

Our staff can take your ideas and turn them into great challenge coins that you will be proud of. No matter the shape, the size, or the details, we can turn your ideas into something remarkable. We do not charge for artwork or revisions, and we stand behind everything we sell with our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. 

If you are ready to get started with your order, we can help. Simply fill out our free quote form or email us. We'd be honored to create custom firefighter challenge coins for your station!