Boston Fire Department Challenge Coins

The Boston Fire Department is one of the largest fire departments in the New England area covering not only the City of Boston but also many of the surrounding communities within the Greater Boston Metro Area. BFD Firefighters and staff are organized into different specialized divisions with unique tasks that are all essential to their mission of fire service. Covering a wide area and a large population, the Boston Fire Department is tactically spread throughout the city and its nearby communities in different fire stations to ensure rapid response. In addition to fire department challenge coins for the entire organization, Individual fire stations under the Boston Fire Department commonly commission station-based challenge coins, representing the specific membership and pride of their local station. 

The Boston Fire Department hosts nine different divisions of firefighters with specialized roles and responsibilities including:

• The Engine Company - Responsible for bringing fire engines and water supplies to fire calls and often operate as the main ground force during a fire emergency. The department currently maintains over 30 fire engine companies including several companies trained to handle hazardous materials, weapons of mass destruction, and decontamination incidents.
• The Fire Prevention Division - A specialized fire division with the role of inspecting properties, educating fire safety to the public, and issuing relevant permits or certificates. Members of this department are the ones to inspect smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and performs environmental property searches.
• The Ladder Company - Responsible for creating entry and exit points during a fire, ladder companies deploy alongside engine companies and help manage heat, smoke, and gases. Currently, the Boston Fire Department maintains roughly 20 different ladder companies.
• The Rescue Company - Rescue experts trained to help people in need under a variety of dangerous circumstances including medical emergencies, terrorist attacks, hazardous materials incidents, and any number of complicated situations that can emerge in a crisis. 
• The Safety and Special Operations Division - Responsible for identifying safety issues within structures and vehicles, this division responds most commonly to technical fires involving multiple buildings, at airports, ships, and subway accidents. 
• The Special Operations Command - Mainly responsible for testing new equipment and researching new rescue protocols for other departments.
• The Emergency Planning and Preparedness Division - A division specifically organized to develop plans and strategies in response to dealing with any type of emergency including different varieties of fire incidents, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, chemical outbreaks, and contamination incidents.
• The Training Division - As the name implies, the training division manages firefighter trainees and teaches them about the tools and equipment they need to become full-fledged firefighters.
• The Personnel Division - Primarily maintains administrative aspects of the Boston Fire Department including hiring practices, medical clearance, and employee records.