THE HISTORY OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD
The men and women of Williamson County who serve are dedicated to the protection of lives and property, giving their time and efforts to the people with a heart of serving.
OUR VISION
The Williamson County Rescue Squad was established in 1966 by the Williamson County CB Club and started off with a converted school bus and a boat. The organization's primary job was searches, rescues and body recovery. Over the past 50 years our department has grown to fourteen stations with over two hundred members protecting roughly 352 square miles of rural and suburban area, both residential and commercial, in one of America's most affluent counties. The Williamson County Rescue Squad, Inc./ Williamson County Fire/Rescue receives some funding from Williamson County Government, but relies mostly on donations from the citizens we serve. The department has existed for over fifty years and we are proud to have supported all of the local communities in our response area. We look forward to the ever-evolving future of Public Safety in Tennessee.
THE MALTESE CROSS AND THE FIRE SERVICE
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 wrought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters for the cross. The Saracen's weapon was fire.
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 hurled 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 firefighters and the first of a long list of courageous firefighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by fellow crusaders who awarded each with a badge of honor - a cross similar to the one firefighter's wear today. Since the Knights of St. John existed 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 your symbol of protection. The firefighter who wears this cross shows that he is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man centuries ago. The Maltese Cross is a firefighter's badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage - a ladder rung away from death.