Take home a proud piece of American History. Be a firefighter for the day. This badge from Monroe, New York honors the long tradition of the brotherhood of America's firefighters. Cast from white metal, this badge is strong and light making it perfect for pinning to your shirt, coat, jacket, or hat. It could even be put on display prominently on top of a bookcase or on a shelf. This badge is 1-1/2" by 2". This replica has been cast from a mold made from the original.

American Firefighters have a tradition of putting their lives on the line for the service of others dating back to 1648. During that year the peg-legged governor of what was then New Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant appointed four men as official fire wardens. They were employed to inspect chimneys and to give fines to those who didn't pass inspection ensuring the safety of the city. The people of New Amsterdam then appointed eight prominent citizens to patrol the �Rattle Watch'. Those eight citizens would walk the streets at night with wooden rattles, and they would spin their rattles at any site of a fire. The sound of the rattles would then call the people to form a bucket brigade to handle the fire. Then in Boston, in the year 1678, America's first fire engine company went to work. Under the leadership of foreman Thomas Atkins, they took charge of an English built fire engine that had a direct force pump, a small hose, and a well that had to be fed by a bucket brigade. Thus, the honorable tradition of American firefighting was born.