Fire Badge "A.M. Dodge & Co. Fire Department"
date: label: date made
content: late 19th century
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: This shield-shaped fire badge belonged to a member of the A.M. Dodge & Company Fire Department of Jersey City, New Jersey during the late 19th century. The top of the badge has a decoration of a crossed speaking trumpet and hose nozzle behind a fire helmet. An upper banner is inscribed “A.M. DODGE & CO.” and a lower banner reads “DEPARTMENT” in raised letters. The center of the badge bears a large raised number “28” with the word “FIRE” above it. This badge is somewhat unique in that A.M. Dodge & Co. was a lumber business, and not a municipality. The company organized a fire brigade amongst their employees to prevent what obviously could be a catastrophic loss of wares if a fire did get out of hand. The lumber yard and docks at Jersey City had six fire hydrants and over five hundred feet of hose to help protect the lumber.
label: Description
content: Metal firefighter’s badges were a part of the firefighter’s uniform since volunteer companies began to proliferate in the early 19th century. As volunteer companies gave way to municipal fire departments during the mid–19th century, these badges became mandated by uniform codes. Badges served as official identification at fire scenes, as access to derelict buildings by unscrupulous citizens could result in looting. Fire badges came in a variety of shapes, most notably circular, shield–shaped, or the Maltese cross. While shield–shaped badges were often worn on the chest, circular and cross-shaped badges can be seen on jacket lapels or soft caps. Badges usually detailed the company’s name, number and department, and were often decorated with various symbols of the profession such as hose carriages, hand–pumped engines, hoses, trumpets, helmets, hooks, and ladders. For paid municipal companies, many badges also featured the badge number of the wearer.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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content: Work
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content: Firefighting Collection
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content: Fire Badges
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0233.1341
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.1341
objectType: label: Object Name
content: badge, fireman's
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 in x 1 1/2 in; 5.08 cm x 3.81 cm