Welcome to Yogi's Corner© of the Red Jacket Fire Department.   

Well well well.  After our Monday night meeting on July 5th 2010, the "merger committee" informed the approx 30 members of the Red Jacket Fire Department that since the Village of Seneca Falls FD is the one that is dissolving, then WE (RJFD) should not lose our name.  However, the name of the department would need to be voted upon by the MEMBERS (RJFD). 

With all of this WONDERFUL information....I am glad and very very proud to be a member of the RED JACKET FIRE DEPARTMENT with hopes of continuing to be under that name. 

Thank you Seneca Falls Merging Committee for this AWESOME information. 

Which also includes many other topics that were discussed, which will not need any change.  (Ie. By-laws)

I would also like to let all of my neighbors know, that if you are having a medical emergency and I just happen to be home or in the area, please do not get upset that I do not respond to assist.  Please do not get upset if you see that "non-ems" Red Jacket member drive by your house, when you are having a medical emergency.  As we have been told that NON-ems personell are NOT needed at medical scenes in the Village.  I understand that I do traffic control for RJ, but there have been times that I have assisted our EMS personell on medical calls.  I also know of others in our department who have assisted on medical calls and they are NOT ems personell.  I think this is a crock and I will stand behind all of everything that I am writing!  

The merging of the two Departments should be going a lot more smoothly...except...well...it isn't.  And Red Jacket has had NOTHING to do with causing any rough spots or bumps in the road.  We (RJFD) would like to assist the SFFD whenever we can and help make things go easier with the merger.  However, we have hit numerous bumps and it really sucks for the CITIZENS//Victims.  If it were me and I was a victim of a medical emergency, I could care less how many people were on scene.  I just want HELP! 

Please check out my new web site! 

YoGee's Tees and Things

History of the Maltese Cross

The Badge of a Fire Fighter is the Maltese Cross. The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection and a badge of honor. Its story is hundreds of years old. 

When a courageous band of crusaders known as The Knights of St. John fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors. It was a simple, but horrible device of war. It brought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters for the cross. 

As the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were struck by glass bombs containing naphtha. When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens would hurl a flaming torch into their midst. Hundreds of the knights were burned alive; others risked their lives to save their brothers-in-arms from dying painful, fiery deaths.

Thus, these men became our first Fire Fighters and the first of a long list of courageous men. Their 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. 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.

The Maltese Cross is our symbol of protection. It 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. The Maltese Cross is a Fire Fighter's badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage - a ladder's rung away from death.