Fire Badge "Passaic Fire Department 147"
date: label: date made
content: late 19th century
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: This circular metal fire badge belonged to a member of the fire department of Passaic New Jersey during the early 20th century. The badge’s rim is made to look like a riveted fire hose. The top of the fire badge is decorated with a crossed hose nozzle and speaking trumpet behind a fire helmet. An upper banner reads “PASSAIC” and the lower banner reads “FIRE.DEPARTMENT” in raised letters. A raised metal number “147” is in the center of the badge. The Passaic Fire Department was first incorporated in 1869, and various volunteer companies operated until 1909, when the paid fire department was instituted. The badge would date to after 1909.
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.
place: label: place made
content: United States
label: associated place
content: United States: New Jersey, Passaic
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
label: Exhibition
content: Always Ready: Fighting Fire in the 19th Century
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
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: 2005.0233.1361
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.1361
objectType: label: Object Name
content: badge, fireman's
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/4 in; 5.715 cm