Maltese Cross Meaning Firefighter

If you take a look at almost any fire apparatus today you re likely to see the maltese cross.

Maltese cross meaning firefighter. Symbolism of the firefighter emblem maltese florian cross the firefighter cross is a symbol of honor valor courage and integrity. So in this article we re going to do a deep dive into what the cross is what it symbolizes and how it s actually used. Today firefighters across the country wear the time honored. The cross was later called the maltese cross and represented the principles of charity loyalty chivalry gallantry generosity to friend and foe protection of the weak and dexterity in service.

The maltese cross firefighters. The story is that these knights had a cross on their tunics and that the saracens used fire as a weapon against them. One can easily find a hundred web sites that will tell you that the symbol of the fire service comes from the knights of malta and their battles with ottoman pirates or the saracens. Their enemies had resorted to throwing glass bombs containing naphtha and sailing their war vessels contain naphtha rosin sulphur and flaming oil into the vessels of the knights.

While it s not really there for aesthetic appeal this emblem has a very rich history and it symbolized an elite group of people that have dedicated their lives to serve their everyone in need. The legend of the maltese cross grew as it became associated with the admirable qualities of loyalty bravery and defender of the weak. During the crusades many knights became fire fighters out of necessity. It s fitting that the national volunteer fire council and the international association of fire fighters as well as thousands of fire departments across the country have adopted the maltese cross as a symbol that exemplifies the courage and abilities of firefighters.

The history of the maltese cross by mica calfee. But there is. This cross is almost universally used as the symbol of firefighters around the world. The maltese cross is a cross symbol consisting of four v or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles two tips pointing outward symmetrically.

It means that the firefighter that wears it is willing to protect and lay down his own life for the safety of his brother just as the crusaders did centuries ago. Although chiefly associated with the knights hospitaller and by extension with the island of malta it has come to be used by a wide array of entities since the early modern period notably the o. The cross is eight pointed and has the shape of four v shaped arms joined together at their bases so that each arm has two. The symbol of the knights of malta what became known as the maltese cross quickly became a widely recognized and admired badge of honor that extends to the current day.

The maltese cross is a symbol of protection. Many knights were called to perform. There were many of these knights who risked their lives to save their comrades or structures from the fires. The maltese cross is a badge of honor signifying that he works in courage a ladders rung away from death.

The maltese cross is identified as the symbol of the christian warrior. It means that the fire fighter who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their. All of this is true.