Help...Fire Rank Insignia and Badges

[McMechen VFD]

OK....I'm sure we're not the only department that has differences in opinions among members, but this has become a huge debate within the dept. Need help!

We recently received a Safer Grant and are purchasing Class A dress uniforms for all our members...Great...right! Yeah, not when you're in the middle of a debate.

I need everyones input on what your department does as far as rank insignia and badge color.

Do you have gold badges for all officers or just Chief and A Chiefs?
I need number of bugles for each officer as well as gold or silver badge for each rank.

Thanks all....and hopefully this will stop the debate in our department!

[fireman4949]

FF...Silver badge, no collar insignia.

Eng...Silver and round apparatus collar insignia.

LT...Gold badge and one bugle.

Capt...Gold and two parallel bugles.

Batt. Ch...Gold and two crossed bugles.

Div. Ch...Gold and 3 crossed bugles.

Dep. Ch...Gold and 4 crossed bugles.

Chief...Gold and 5 crossed bugles.

[fireman4949]

question for TFD, whats the difference between a division chief and a battalion chief down there??

Batt Chiefs are in charge of multiple stations in their assigned battalion and work the same 24 hour shifts as all other combat personnel.

Div Chiefs are staff assignments...8am-5pm, M-F.
They are in charge of separate divisions such as training, logistics, EMS, prevention, etc.

[sepalmer]

Here is a guide for uniforms and rank I found online.

www.brunswickme.org/fire/Uniform.pdf

[nc1130]

Our Bagdes have the title listed.

Member - Silver Badge, Silver Collar Pins.

Admin. Officers - Gold Badge, Silver Collar Pins, (President, Vice-President, Secretry, Treasurer, Director)

Operational Officers - Gold Badge, Gold Collar Pins. (Chief, Asst. Chief, Captain, Lieutenant)

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

Our Class A uniforms...

FF's: Single breasted jacket with red stripes 4" up from the bottom of the the sleeves, a red "hash mark" denoting every 5 years of service silver badge with Maltese "scramble", tub hat with a maltese cross and scramble

LT's: Double breasted jacket, one silver stripe, silver hash marks, collar insignia with 1 "bugle", badge is silver, 1 bugles, tub hat has the one bugle hat badge.

Capts: same as Lt, only it's two silver stripes, etc.

Deputy Chiefs: Three Gold stripes, gold badges with three bugles, etc.

Chief of Department: Five gold stripes, gold badge with the 5 bugles, etc.

[tomcook18]

John,

In the overall scheme of things, it all comes down to these four simple letters WWGD.

[towerladder9]

OK....I'm sure we're not the only department that has differences in opinions among members, but this has become a huge debate within the dept. Need help!

We recently received a Safer Grant and are purchasing Class A dress uniforms for all our members...Great...right! Yeah, not when you're in the middle of a debate.

I need everyones input on what your department does as far as rank insignia and badge color.

Do you have gold badges for all officers or just Chief and A Chiefs?
I need number of bugles for each officer as well as gold or silver badge for each rank.

Thanks all....and hopefully this will stop the debate in our department!

Is there an e-mail address I can reach you at. I would like to talk to you about your safer grant. Thanks.