Maltese Cross Meaning In The Fire Service

The maltese cross like we ve established symbolized a special breed.

Maltese cross meaning in the fire service. The story is that these knights had a cross on their tunics and that the saracens used fire as a weapon against them. Their enemies had resorted to throwing glass bombs containing naphtha and sailing their war vessels contain naphtha rosin sulphur and flaming oil into the vessels of the knights. During the crusades many knights became fire fighters out of necessity. The cross was later called the maltese cross and represented the principles of charity loyalty chivalry gallantry generosity to friend and foe protection of the weak and dexterity in service.

There were many of these knights who risked their lives to save their comrades or structures from the fires. Many knights were called to perform. What does the maltese cross represent. Fast forward to today the time honored maltese cross is being worn by the men and women of the fire service as a badge of honor on their uniforms all across the country.

The maltese cross is the very familiar red center circle with four shapes emanating from the center. There are eight points on the maltese cross each point symbolizing one the beatitudes given by jesus christ. The answer isn t simple and neither is the history. But there is.

Many people ask us what the connection is between the fire service and that maltese cross. While the symbolism of these eight knightly virtues hasn t changed over the years their working has. One can easily find a hundred web sites that will tell you that the symbol of the fire service comes from the knights of malta and their battles with ottoman pirates or the saracens.