Badges off-duty

[cozmosis]

During a recent firefighting class, I noticed several firefighters (paid & vollie) from a combination department in street clothes with badges on their belt (cop style). This wasn't the first time I'd seen this, but I'm yet to understand the practice.

The one decent thing about the group I'm talking about was that it was department issue badges they were wearing. I have seen folks wear those generic Gall's "volunteer firefighter" badges in the same manner. Does anyone else out there do this? Can anyone tell me why?

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FIRE TRUCK YELLOW!?!
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[RADFIRE]

My opinion is that it's vanity which compels someone to wear a badge in this manner. Police have to wear a badge to show their position, title of authority, or jurisdiction. Firefighters wear a badge on duty to achieve the same purpose. Off-duty to wear a badge seems frivolous. I take pride in my job, but when I'm not there I'm not on that job. As a volunteer I may wear the job shirt for the purpose of doing work at that location in a voluntary capacity. To have a badge beltclipped is too much. If someone says they wear the identification to differentiate themselves from other volunteers or for pride in their outfit. I would be compelled to say that you should be proud of your service record or company accomplishments, instead of a piece of tin. Doing the job correctly and achieving the best end result should be the motivation. Some people wear their badges to get out of tickets or to avoid summonses. To those people, the argument remains that unless you plan on wrongdoing of some sort the badge wearing is not pride. To serve ones community doesn't entitle one to be above the laws of tha communtiy or receive special treatment.
Just my 0.02.

[BucksEng91]

Police officers have a name for those kind of people...please don't shoot the messenger here, all those with sensitive ears...but they call them "cop fags". It's pretty obvious why.

Basically, they're wannabes. If you want to walk around with a badge on your belt, become a fire cop. Meantime, get outta my way.

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J. Black

The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and may not reflect those of any organization with which I am associated.

[Dalmatian90]

By anyway do these people also drive around in vehicles which are worth less than the total number of emergency lights mounted to said vehicle?

It's vanity. Also looks silly to everyone else.

[DED1645]

That is something that the department should put a stop to. They are not thinking of if they are mistaken for an off duty police officer they are putting themselves in some serious risk. Local police in my area will tell firefighters and EMT's to take them off for that very reason. Now the second question is why? Are they intentionally trying to give people the impression that they are police officers. I really don't understand... Especially in plain clothes. Most police officers off duty don't advertise they are police officers and we have the means to defend themselves with firearms.

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David DeCant
Firefighter/NREMT-B
Barrington, New Jersey
Career or volunteer we are all brothers. Just feel good for the good you do for others.

[CaptainCarp]

I DON'T AGREE WITH THE PRACTICE OF WEARING THEM TO CLASSES AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT IF A MEMBER WANTS TO WEAR THE BADGE WHEN THEY STOP TO HELP OUT OF THEIR DIST. THEN THEY SHOULD. THAT WAY THEY ARE NOT MISTAKEN FOR SOME JOE BLOW THAT IS GETTING IN THE WAY.

[APG1]

Our members are restricted from wearing any sort of identification in the form of badge, ID, etc while not on offical department business (T-Shirts etc aren't restricted).

On calls, we all wear large gold stars of life (most on the belt) or on chains around our neck so the cops know who we are.

[FLAME5]

I DISAGREE WITH THE HOLE BADGE WEARING OFF DUTY, ALONG WITH THE WEARING OF T-SHIRTS.
I FEEL TO MANY LIABILITY QUESTIONS ARISE.
NOW I AM NOT SAYING THESE PEOPLE ARE FANATICS OR ANYTHING (ILL SAVE THAT FOR THE GUYS WITH THE 911 STICKERS ON THE SIDES OF THEIR POV'S) BUT WE SHOULD BE A LITTLE MORE CAUTIOUS

[LtStick]

I don't think the wearing of badges with plane clothes is a good idea. Besides the fact that it may give the wrong idea who the person is it also looks terrible. They are not meant to be worn with plain clothes. They should either be kept on the uniform but, if they insist on having them with them for whatever reason then they should be kept in a wallet meant to hold them. I could see the need to carry them if they wanted to carry them so that if they were rendering aid to someone outside there area they could identify themselves as a Firefighter.
I don't see a problem with Firefighters wearing co t-shirts. A number of volunteer firefighters wear co T-shirts. Some departments even sell Co T-shirts and baseball hats at there carnivals and other events.
I definitely say keep the badges off street clothes.

[dfcic]

Unlike the other few forums that I've perused this morning, this one seems to have respect in mind -- no one is getting hypersensitive or combative, and it is quite refreshing.

BUT, could those of you writing in all CAPS please switch that off? Not to sound condascending, but that is the equivalent of yelling on the internet. It is really pretty distracting to look at. Don't worry, we'll read and weigh your opinions in lower-case as well!

Thanks.



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[Engine69]

Being a full time cop and a volunteer firefighter, I can address both sides of this issue. I agree with the majority here. There is no sane reason to wear a badge on your belt when you are off duty.

The only time I do this as a police officer, is when I am wearing plain clothes with an exposed firearm. This is to help reduce the panic when I walk into the local 7-11 to get a pack of chewing gum. Normally, my off-duty weapon is concealed and so is my badge.

My biggest concern for firefighters wearing badges on their belts is mistaken identity. What do they think will happen if they wander into the 7-11 with their shiny badges on when an armed robbery is on progress? I doubt if many bad guys in desparate siturations are going to take the time to read the small print to find out that you are a firefighter and not a police officer. Never forget, that the badge is a symbol of authority... and authority is not what an armed robber wants to deal with.

Since we are talking about badges, what are your feelings on "flashing" badges when you get stopped by police for traffic violations? I have heard fellow firefighters tell me they carry badges in their wallets just for that purpose. I explain to them that this could backfire, since many police officers expect someone as visiable as a firefighter (especially the ones with the light bars and such) to set an example to the community and make the extra effort to obey traffic laws. If you think that badge will get you out of a ticket... you might be in for a surprise.

[TCFire]

The only time badges are displayed in our Company is if you are wearing your dress uniform. If you decide to wear yours outside of that you'll lose it. Agree with Engine 69....most people associate a displayed badge with law enforcement. Why take the chance of mistaken identity and getting yourself in a tight spot just because you have to wear the badge as some sort of advertisement? I know more than one cop that take a dim view of someone out of uniform showing any type of badge, causes too much potential confusion and questions. Many volunteers in my area have Company jackets that are more than adequate in letting people know you belong to a Fire Company. Our Officers have a second badge to carry with them but I've never been in a situation where I needed to show mine to anyone. I've also heard of the badge getting people out of a traffic ticket, never had the opportunity to find out whether it works or not, but I'd be a little hesitant in trying to impress a Police Officer with my Chief's badge. If they haven't been 'impressed' by the red lights on the vehicle, I'd say the badge isn't gonna do anything more than get a chuckle out of the officer as he writes my ticket.

[Lone Hunter]

Well around Rochester a cop won't write a FF for the most part.No city cop would ever write a city FF,and I hear the towns and county are also pretty good.I'm not talking 90 mph though a school zone,just a run of the mill ticket.Guess this whole "brotherhood thing" means more around here than other places.don't carry a badge cause I'm not a cop(but I do carry a gun off duty).I have a fire dept.id.in my wallet and the 3 times I got stopped in 11 years on the job,I was always polite,admitted my wrong doing ASKED if it mattered that I was a FF and was let go each time.

[This message has been edited by Lone Hunter (edited 03-19-2001).]

[tlfd600]

Well I would say I agree with about everyone here. I do have a fire department badge that I mainly wear on my uniform shirt, but do have a belt clip on it if I make a call in my plain clothes and can't grab my EMS vest we are given. There are several people in my area that do that, one guy haas the police duty belt with his fire pager, galls volunteer badge and never takes his kojac light off the roof of his truck, he gets made fun of alot by the whole county. I personally feel my saftey would be in danger by people thinking I was police if I wore my badge on my belt all the time, when I am volunteering on a fire truck or being paid on an ambulance I am a firm beliver in wait till the scene is scure before I enter and I think the badge on the belt can be as bad as entering an unsafe scene.

[hagerff/emti]

THe last ambulance co that I worked for issued badges to all of the staff. We were a vollie squad and everyone held a "day" job. We had belt clips for our badges and neck cords too. No one ever wore their badge just for fun but wore it only when the tones went off. It was the way our community could ID us and make that connection with the ambulance. THe whole wearing it to training or testing sounds dumb to me. I try not to broadcast my EMS certification to the world. I think its a law suit waiting to happen.
Our FD does not issue badges but we do have co Tee shirts that we wear. I dont see it wrong to wear a CO Tee when off duty...but thats just me!

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D. Hager
FF/NREMT-I
West Trail Amb. Svc
Mayville FD

REAL HEROES WEAR SCBA'S NOT CAPES

We will eat smoke and pull out bodies as long as they continue to build them. Just once I would like them to ask one of us how to build it!!