The tradition of bagpipes played at fire department and police department funerals in the United States goes back over one hundred fifty years. When the Irish and Scottish immigrated to this country, they brought many of their traditions with them.  One of these was the Great Highland Bagpipe, often played at Celtic weddings, funerals and ceilis (dances).It wasn't until the great potato famine and massive Irish immigration to the East Coast of the United States that the tradition of the bagpipes really took hold in the fire department.  In the 1800's, Irish immigrants faced massive discrimination.  Factories and shops had signs reading "NINA" - No Irish Need Apply.  The only jobs they could get were the ones no one else wanted - jobs that were dirty, dangerous, or both - firefighters and police officers.  It was not an uncommon event to have several firefighters killed at a working fire.  The Irish firefighters' funerals were typical of all Irish funerals - the pipes were played. 

It was somehow okay for a hardened firefighter to cry at the sound of bagpipes when his dignity would not let him weep for a fallen comrade. Those who have attended a funeral where bagpipes were played know how haunting and mournful the sound of the pipes can be.  The most famous song played at fire and police funerals is Amazing Grace.  It wasn't too long before families and friends of non-Irish firefighters began asking for the bagpipes to be played for fallen heroes.  The bagpipes add a special air and dignity to this solemn occasion. Bagpipe bands represent both fire and police often have more than 60 uniformed playing members.  They are also traditionally known as Emerald Societies after Ireland - the Emerald Isle.  Many bands wear traditional Scottish dress while others wear the simpler Irish uniform.  All members wear the kilt and tunic, whether it is a Scottish clan tartan or Irish single color kilt. Today, the tradition is universal and not just for the Irish or Scottish.

The bagpipes have become a distinguishing feature of a fallen hero's funeral. The Maltese cross is known around the world as a symbol of the fire service.  parrot ar drone kuwaitIt is often seen painted on fire trucks, on the clothing of firefighters, depicted on firefighter's badges, and is quite often the chosen design of firefighter tattoos. ar drone for sale durbanSo where did the Maltese cross come from, and how did it get to be known as a symbol of the fire service?  parrot ar drone kofferThe Badge of a Fire Fighter is the Maltese Cross. buy microdrone md4-1000The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection and a badge of honor.  microdrone md4-1000 prices

Its story is hundreds of years old. When a courageous band of crusaders known as Knights of St. John fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors.  parrot ar drone 2 quadricopter 720pIt was a simple, but horrible device of war.  parrot ar drone 2 quadricopter 720p hdIt wrought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters for the cross.  drone reeds for lawrie bagpipesThe Saracens weapon was fire.  parrot ar drone maltaAs the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were struck by glass bombs containing naphtha.  black ops 2 drohne aktivieren

When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens hurled a flaming torch into their midst.  parrot ar drone venezuelaHundreds of the knights were burned alive; parrot ar drone windows sdkothers risked their lives to save their brothers-in-arms from dying painful, fiery deaths. costruire parrot ar droneThus, these men became our first Fire Fighters and the first of a long list of courageous Fire Fighters. parrot ar drone linux sdkTheir heroic efforts were recognized by fellow crusaders who awarded each hero a badge of honor, a cross similar to the one fire fighters wear today.  parrot ar drone optical flow

Since the Knights of St. John lived for close to four centuries on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea named Malta, the cross came to be known as the Maltese Cross.  ar drone 2 tippsThe Maltese Cross is your symbol of protection.  parrot ar drone usadoIt means that the Fire Fighter who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man so many years ago.  drone reeds for naill bagpipesThe Maltese Cross is a Fire Fighter's badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage...a ladder rung away from death.ar drone 2 durata batteria The ceremonial ringing of the bell in memory of those who died in the line of duty is an age old tradition of the Fire Services that dates back over 150 years.  ar drone power edition avis

The tradition reflects respect and honor to those who gave their lives to their duty.  parrot ar drone landing gear modA distinctive bell ringing marks the end of an emergency and a return to quarters.  parrot ar drone hovercraftIn memory of all who died during the attacks on September 11, 2001 the bell is rung five times in series of fives (5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5).  ar drone parrot director modeMultiplied out this equals 3,125, a number very close to the number of people who died as result of the attacks.ar drone parrot autonomia The Dalmation was first used in the fire service when most fire companies were volunteer or privately operated.  parrot ar drone autonomia

There was some competition for services.  Some of the firefighters were actually recruited not only for their strength in fighting fire but for their fighting abilities to protect the company and its equipment.  ar drone battery 2300mahInsurance companies paid the fire company that put out the fire, so the one that made it to the scene, hooked up to a hydrant and completed the task, got paid.  parrot ar drone director modeThe dogs worked well at this task of protecting not only the horses, but the equipment in the stations and on the fire ground as well. parrot ar drone obstacle courseEarly firefighters took tremendous pride in their companies. parrot ar drone in qatar

They would turn out and parade through the city at almost any occasion. Great care was taken in making your rig fancier than the next one. ar drone 2 2300mah batteryPolished brass brilliant paint jobs and gleaming leather were always maintained. parrot minidrone preisIt was only natural that when word of this remarkable spotted dog was heard, companies had to have one. parrot ar drone emergency buttonDalmatians began appearing with fire companies and they had the expected impact. parrot ar drone melbournePeople pointed and gawked. parrot ar drone torontoThey were that extra piece of fancywork that every Jake wanted on his rig. difference parrot ar drone 1 et 2

The Dalmatian did the job proudly but they had some drawbacks. They were hard to get and many of them were deaf. parrot ar drone limitationsThe American fire service was well served by this noble breed. parrot ar drone reservedelerFree roaming "wild"dogs would dash out at passing teams of horses.  ar drone 2 incelemeThey would nip at the legs of the horses and generally harass the equines.  parrot ar drone 2 mode d'emploiThe Dalmatian, or coach dog,  would fend off these marauding dogs whenever the steam engine traveled over the road.  parrot ar drone 2 indoor hull

It was a very common sight to see the Dalmatian running out in front of the horses. ar drone parrot mode d'emploiToday the Dalmatian serves as a fire house mascot, but back in the days of horse drawn fire carts, they provided a valuable service.  parrot ar drone baratoDalmatians and horses are very compatible.  parrot ar drone peruThey have an amazing calming effect on the horses.   parrot ar drone mode emploiThe dogs were easily trained to run in front of the engines to help clear a path and guide the horses and the firefighters to the fires quickly.  parrot ar drone distancia

Once on the scene of a call, they took over as guard dog, making sure nothing was stolen from the apparatus.  ar drone hull camoThey are still chosen by many fire fighters as pets in honor of their heroism in the past.parrot ar drone ob The most widely-accepted reason that fire engines are painted red dates back to the 1800s -- a time when there was a lot of competition between the fire brigades of neighboring cities and towns. ar drone motor disassemblyThe firefighters of each brigade took great pride in their pumper.  parrot ar drone 2 offerteEach brigade wanted their rig to stand out by being the cleanest, having the most brass, or being a regal color. parrot drone 2 usato

Because red was the most expensive color, that's what color most crews chose to paint the pumper. macdev drone dx bewertungOther sources cite the tradition of painting fire engines red going back to the early 1920's.  parrot ar drone acrobaticsHenry Ford wanted to make cars as inexpensively as possible and only offered cars in one color: black. ar drone 2 cdiscountWith all of these black vehicles on the road, the fire service began painting their vehicles red in an effort to stand out. parrot ar drone indoor hullToday, just as you have many more choices of colors available to you for your vehicle, so do the fire engine manufacturers.  ar drone motor stiff

It is not uncommon to see white, yellow, blue, orange, green, or even black fire engines, in addition to red. parrot ar drone slow motionAnd while some studies hint that colors such as lime-green may be more visible to the public than traditional red, the vast majority of fire departments continue to use red fire engines -- a color instantly recognized by everyone as that of a fire engine. parrot ar drone 2 prezzoMost recent fire engines purchased have shifted to the Chicago-famed, black over red paint scheme. ar drone 2 technische datenThe first closed-cab chief's cars in Chicago had black tops which were of a tar composition and could not be painted. ar drone 2 tillbehör

Someone among the brass liked the appearance, so as new closed-cab apparatus came onto the roster, the cabs of the fire engines were painted black. ar drone 2 link di controllo non disponibileYou may also notice the green light on fire engines in northern states. parrot ar drone bestellenThis is also a traditional Chicago-style fire engine feature.  parrot ar drone documentationCommissioner Albert Goodrich of the Chicago Fire Department (1927 - 1931) had a nautical background.  parrot ar drone malaysia priceHe applied the marine scheme (red light on port, green light on starboard) to fire apparatus, and the idea became a tradition of the Chicago Fire Department.  parrot ar drone 2 radio transmitter & receiver kit uk