Logos on your rigs

[rollnrack]

I was wondering if logos boost the morale at your stations. Do you use different ones for different rigs at the same station? Any pics?

[FlyingKiwi]

"New Zealand Fire Service"

says enough, and says it with pride.

[PuffyNPFD]

All of the companies in my dept. have a logo or saying if you will. ie: Ladder 1 is the "Roof Gang", Engine 2 is the "King of the Hill" etc. It really doesn't boost morale when you are underfunded and micromanaged!:rolleyes:

[carrigan]

our brush/grass unit is called "The Frog" becuase its limegreen.
it just makes us proud to drive it.:D

[waterboy1]

"We will never forget!!" on our Ladder, also Puffy, you are not alone with the underfunding and micromanaging. :(

[CaptainGonzo]

Originally posted by PuffyNPFD
All of the companies in my dept. have a logo or saying if you will. ie: Ladder 1 is the "Roof Gang", Engine 2 is the "King of the Hill" etc. It really doesn't boost morale when you are underfunded and micromanaged!:rolleyes:

Amen, brother, amen!

[firefiftyfive]

What do you guys think about putting your Dept. web site on the sides of your rigs. MY dept. is thinking about doing this, I have mixed feelings about whether it would be good or not. To me it seems a little unprofessional looking, but I guess it could be used for good public relations with our community.. Any thoughts?

[EMTSteve]

We use this logo (scroll down and look at the image on the left)

http://branchville.tripod.com/

So far Warner Brothers hasn't sued us.

[Bones42]

On the rear of all trucks...."Stay Back 300 feet".

[mustang911]

Originally posted by EMTSteve
We use this logo (scroll down and look at the image on the left)

http://branchville.tripod.com/

So far Warner Brothers hasn't sued us.

Hello, fellow Co. 11 member!:)

Our squad has a lion on the back holding Amkus rescue tools with "King of the Road" under it, plus we have a maltese/star logo as well!

[Moose2028]

our newest engine was pai for by the community so we put that on the side. so they can see where their money is going.

[rollnrack]

We have a Calvin logo on one of our rigs and it looks nice, but I've also seen an E-ONE with a large eagle on one side of the engine and the words never forget. It is quite impressive. I guess it's some kind of sticker.

[ffexpCP]

We had a brush/grass truck a few years ago. It nad no numerical call sign. We called it 'little joe.'

Even the run sheets had the name on it.

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by firefiftyfive
What do you guys think about putting your Dept. web site on the sides of your rigs. MY dept. is thinking about doing this, I have mixed feelings about whether it would be good or not. To me it seems a little unprofessional looking, but I guess it could be used for good public relations with our community.. Any thoughts?

If it's not too large and blends in with the overall colors of the rig, I think it looks fine. We have our url on some of our rigs.

http://www.wtfd.net/images/721_drivers_side.JPG

[VaMarine]

Each of our Departments stations (3) has its own "patch". The Wagon of each station has its patch painted on the rear fold up door. I dont know if its a morale booster as much as its a way to rib the other departments. AS well since we run an engine an a Wagon out of each station it makes it easier for rooks to identify which rig they are riding on.

Station 2 is "2 bees" it has a bee with tools and a Cross
http://www.owlvfd.org/gallery/station%202/2_logo.jpg

Station 12 is the "Animal House" and the black sheep with a buring house in the background
http://www.owlvfd.org/gallery/Station%2012/12_logo.jpg

Station 14 is the "Country club" and has Elmer Fudd playing golf wearing a helmet. They just updated the Patch sooo the new patch is below im looking for a link for the old patch which is still painted on the piece.
http://www.owlvfd.org/gallery/station%2014/14_logo.jpg


Im looking for pics if i find i will either post a pic or a link.

[dragonfyre]

"Station 14 is the "Country club" and has Elmer Fudd playing golf wearing a helmet"

I wouldn't advertise it too much that you're using Elmer's image unless you have written permission from Warner Brothers. Several fire companies have been sued over the years for using such images including some by Disney. Yet I know of companies who did bother to take the time and ask permission and received it.

"So far Warner Brothers hasn't sued us."

Consider yourselves lucky. Apparently you know the risk of using copywritten material without permission but are willing to take the risk. Yet your web site clearly states, "This page © Copyright 2000, Thomas L. Tanner, Jr. unless otherwise noted." I take it that you think it's okay to use other copywritten material but don't want others to use yours.

"We have a Calvin logo on one of our rigs and it looks nice".

And I'll bet you never got Mr Waterson's permission to use that either. The illegal use of Calvin's image, especially urinating on anything, is why he discontinued writing the comic strip.

We have a stuffed red bulldog hanging out of the front bumper of our Mack CF rescue truck. He's also wearing one of our logo beanies.

[CaptainGonzo]

Jeeze Louise Dragonfyre!

I think that comppnies like Disney and Warner Brothers have more important things to worry about than someone using an image of one of their characters for a patch or station logo. Think of the free publicity that they get when people see Elmer or Goofy on the patch/rig. It's not like they were ripping of the images to make tens of thousands of dollars....

On the same note... one of the weekly papers that I write for received a letter from the attorneys of the Wall Street Journal threatening to sue the publisher of the Main Street Journal for copywrite infringement for the use of the words "Street" and "Journal" on the masthead.

The publisher sent a letter to the Wall Street Journal with a copy of the Main Street Journal. The letter stated in a very nice way that it would take an insipid moron to confuse the two papers. Nothing was heard from the Wall Street Journal after that.

Arguments like that are as stupid as Donald Trump wanting to copywrite the words "you're fired!" :rolleyes:

[hwoods]

Originally posted by dragonfyre
We have a stuffed red bulldog hanging out of the front bumper of our Mack CF rescue truck. He's also wearing one of our logo beanies.

So, I should think that you have Mack's permission...............:roll eyes:

[mcaldwell]

Originally posted by CaptainGonzo
I think that companies like Disney and Warner Brothers have more important things to worry about than someone using an image of one of their characters for a patch or station logo. Think of the free publicity that they get when people see Elmer or Goofy on the patch/rig. It's not like they were ripping of the images to make tens of thousands of dollars....:rolleyes:

You would be surprised Cap. Logo use is a big deal to a company that is built on it's characters, and Disney has been known to regularly attack anyone who uses thier copyrighted material without permission regardless of the intent. I have seen many of these articles in recent years. I would suspect a Fire Dept would not get anything more than a nasty letter from the Disney legal team, but it would certainly be bad publicity for the dept if it came up.

All for the sake of not bothering to ask. Corporations are usually pretty willing to let you use this stuff for things like this if you ask and let them set the conditions, but the precident of failing to pursue a copyright infringment case would be akin to Microsoft letting another company copy and distribute it's software. It doesn't matter that the intent may have been innocent and not for profit.

[rollnrack]

You have a point of coarse. Permission was aquired from the chief of our department prior to painting. Although our Calvin is not urinating on anything it was painted so that he is squirting water on a large ball of fire while holding a hose with a nozzle. I can only guess that permission was granted to boost our morale after a long hard fought contract agreement.

[dragonfyre]

Thank you Mcadwell. It's not like I make up this stuff it's the real world out there and Disney has sued companies for such a Mickey Mouse matter.

As far as Calvin goes that was my favorite comic strip and I'm really p**ssed that the writer decided it was easier to just cancel the strip rather than have the world rip off his character. Even though there are enough lawyers in the world to sue everyone who ripped him off he just didn't think it was worth it.

Yes maybe it is trivial but there's a reason the copywrite laws exist. If someone took the time to use their talents to create something they should be protected.

And yes, we do have permission for the dog. We even gave him the beanie for free, you can buy one for $10.00.

[Bones42]

I think that comppnies like Disney and Warner Brothers have more important things to worry about than someone using an image of one of their characters for a patch or station logo. Actually, a department near me WAS sued by Disney because of their logo. After about 6 months back and forth discussions/letter writing, they finally got permission to use the logo, but did have to change it a little bit.

It does happen.

[SMB53172]

Take a look at this article regarding the Milwaukee, WI fire department.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jan04/196852.asp

[NeilMcD]

Originally posted by dragonfyre
As far as Calvin goes that was my favorite comic strip and I'm really p**ssed that the writer decided it was easier to just cancel the strip rather than have the world rip off his character.


Actually, IIRC, Watterson decided to cancel the strip because he felt that he was getting so burned out from the pressures of creating a daily strip that he'd rather retire than have Calvin go down the same path as Peanuts (where it went from a great strip to a one that was just repeating itself every so often). In a sense, he went out on the top of his game. The whole licensing battle was one reason for the burnout but it wasn't the sole reason.

Many people say that the comic strip "Frazz" reflects a grown-up Calvin working as a janitor in a high school.

If you want to discuss comics in depth, check out Gene Weingarten's chat on www.washingtonpost.com on Tuesdays at noon called "Chatological Humor". He often has "Picks of the Week" and will discuss comics in depth if asked.

Apologies for hijacking the thread. Back to the main point; it's usually easier to ask for permission first. You may get some "conditions of use" but it's better to do that than to have to remove and re-paint a new logo onto your rigs.

[EMTSteve]

Consider yourselves lucky. Apparently you know the risk of using copywritten material without permission but are willing to take the risk. Yet your web site clearly states, "This page © Copyright 2000, Thomas L. Tanner, Jr. unless otherwise noted." I take it that you think it's okay to use other copywritten material but don't want others to use yours.

I didn't create the logo or the website. Both existed long before I joined my department.

[hwoods]

There are a lot of things out there that are within an area called "Public Domain". First noticed (by me, anyway) on record labels, public domain is a term for stuff that is no longer (or never was) copyrighted, and thus, can be used freely. Is anyone suprised to learn that copyrights expire? Yup, they do. It's complicated, and I'm no lawyer, but yes, copyrights expire. Sooner or later.

[CALFFBOU]

VaMarine- Thanks for sharing those awesome picture links!

-Bou

[DaCheif]

Logos do boost moral. Especially if everyone chooses the particular logo!!