Hazleton Heights Volunteer Fire Company No. 4 of Hazelton, PA just recently celebrated their 90th Anniversary, and our friend Joe Bugda was kind enough to share some photos of the awards ceremony. FireAwards.com sends a big “Congrats” to this first class department.

Tags: Hazelton Volunteer Fire Company, Fire Department Awards Presentation, Hazelton City PA.

Tags: Decals, Firefighter, EMSBy popular demand, FireAwards.com has obtained a great line of firefighter and EMS themed decals. Most come in 2 sizes, are printed on highly reflective vinyl, and the graphics are great. Be Sure to check them out!

The premier of the movie "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James is slated for July 20th and has been anxiously anticipated by the staff of FireAwards.com. Just over a year ago we were contacted by the friendly people at Universal Pictures regarding some props for a movie and based on the trailer - it looks like some of them made it to the big screen (check the walls in the Captain’s (Dan Aykroyd) office). Early reviews of the movie have been great. Check out the Chuck and Larry web site.

Tags: Chuck and Larry, FireAwards, movie props

We have just received in inventory a great looking “Old World” styled pocket watch. After careful scrutiny from our staff - the consensus is that this new model will be every bit as popular as a similar watch we used to carry but had been shamelessly discontinued by the maufacturer. The Antique Firefighter Pocket Watch is part of the Firemen’s Pride Line of gifts and awards and is very reasonably priced at $25.95. Bottom line is if you need something cool to give an “Old World” fireman, heck - you could probably even go “New Age” and not have a problem - these pocket watches are always a BIG HIT! We give volume discounts on these babies so buy a few while you’re at it and save a few bucks.

If you are a police, fire, or ems first responder and are not aware of Steven Jones and his First Response Coalition then you need to check out the First Response Coalition web site. In brief, the FRC is dedicated to the support of first responders particularly regarding interoperable radios and communications systems, as well as the establishment of a National First Responder Appreciation Day. We at FireAwards.com have signed the petition and support Mr. Jones and the First Response Coalition - you should too.  Tags: first responder, fire, police, ems

A quick search on the Fireawards.com site for the term “Maltese Cross” will return dozens of items used as gifts or awards for firefighters. A quick search on Google for the same term returns about 1,230,000 results. The short version of how this symbol became synonymous with firefighters and fire service is as follows:

The Maltese cross is known around the world as a symbol of the fire service. It is often seen painted on fire trucks, on the clothing of firefighters, depicted on firefighters badges, and is quite often the chosen design of firefighter tattoos. So where did the Maltese cross come from, and how did it get to be known as a symbol of the fire service?

The Maltese cross is named after the island of Malta, which came to be the home of the Knights of St. John. The Knights of St. John existed during the 11th and 12 centuries. The armor worn by the Knights covered their entire bodies as well as their faces. Because of this it was often difficult for the knights to recognize one another during battle. They realized they would need some type of symbol that could be used to quickly and easily identify them selves. They chose the Cross of Calvary, which would later be known as the Maltese cross. During the Crusades, the enemies of the nights commonly used fire as a weapon. It was quite common for a Knight to have to risk his own life to save another Knight or extinguish a fire.

The Knights of St. John were also known for their care of the sick and injured. Combined with their abilities to fight fires, and the pride and honor they took in their work, the Maltese cross seems a fitting symbol of the modern fire service. Firefighting is a proud profession, and only a symbol of pride would exemplify the work of a firefighter.

So basically, you had a bunch of guys banding together under a common symbol, working for the common good - sound familiar? Tags: firefighters, maltese cross, fire service symbol

McLaren Regional Medical Center paramedic instructor Jamie Kitchen receives an “Award of Gratitude” from his paramedic class of 2007 presented by Paramedic Chris Tolan. McLaren Regional is located in Flint, Michigan.  Tags: Award, Paramedic, McLaren Regional Medical Center

Ever need a lot of plaques or awards but also needed to watch your budget? Well FireAwards.com has just the solution to that problem.

A 5″ x 7″ plaque as low as $6.50 each in quantity, that includes 4 lines of engraved lettering, is just a flat out great deal when the need for many awards arises. Parade participant plaques, Car Show sponsor plaques, Golf Outing plaques are just a few occasions that come to mind. This great plaque is also available in larger sizes at similar savings. Get all the details on the Firefighting Economy Plaque and watch for future economy award offerings from FireAwards.com.Tags: Firefighter Awards

Receiving an award is a big thing for most people.  Whether the setting for the ceremony is informal or formal, we all like to be recognized and appreciated.  With this thought in mind, there are a few things that an award committee (yes - even if it’s only 1 person) can do to boost the value of the award to the recipient, and at the same time garner some recognition for the organization itself.

1. Announce when and where the ceremony will be held to all members of the group or organization well in advance of the actual date.  While this sounds pretty obvious, you’d be amazed how often this little act is overlooked resulting in a less than SRO crowd.
2. If the ceremony will be open to the general public, notice should also go to any local newspaper or posting boards which are receptive  to local  “News”.  Doing this notification may also result in some unexpected press coverage.
3. During the actual ceremony be sure to take some photos.  They can be used on the company web site, emailed to the recipients of the awards, or even framed and hung in a lobby or office for others to see.
4. Announce the winners!  Write a small press release or article with the details and send it to newspapers or other local media.  Have it posted on your web site and included in your newsletter.  Basically, unless it is a “Top Secret” affair, spread the word far and wide!

Undertaking the four simple steps above does not involve a tremendous amount of time, money, or even effort for that matter.  But the results can be very gratifying for all involved.  Take the award experience one step farther than normal and reap the benefits.

Posted By Gary Barber FireAwards.comTags: Awards, Recognition Ceremonies

In an effort to help customers make buying decisions, FireAwards.com has added a “Customer Product Reviews” feature for each item in the store. 

Customers may now rate a product they have purchased and comment on their experience with that item,  and by doing so, will help other customers in making an informed decision relating to that particular item.

“We’d like to think that all of our products are great, but if there is a particular item lacking in some way - this will be a great way for us to find that out directly from our customers.” - Gary Barber - FireAwards CEO

FireAwards.com features recognition awards and gifts  to the fire service, EMS, and law enforcement markets.

Tags: customer priduct reviews, recognition awards