Photo by Erin Nelson.
Mountain Brook Fire Department debuted a new challenge coin in 2018 as a way to commemorate the camaraderie among fellow firefighters and honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
To some, it might just seem like a normal coin. But to members of the Mountain Brook Fire Department, the fire challenge coin stands for much more.
It represents the close brotherhood between them and honors members both past and present.
Mountain Brook Fire Chief Chris Mullins said the coin had input from every firefighter, and it took the department over a year to get each detail on it correct before debuting in 2018.
“Anything you can do to show pride in your department,” Mullins said. “We’re very proud of it. It was a big morale boost, and a lot of people designed it. We’re very close here, and it’s important to us.”
Mullins said fire department members don’t have to do anything special to earn the coin. Instead, it is given to them to signify that they are part of the department. While the first coin is distributed freely, Mullins said many department members have decided to purchase extra coins to trade and give to family, friends and even other fire departments.
The coin is filled with details, and not a single space was added unless it holds a deeper meaning. The coin shows the fire department’s logo that includes crossed axes and a spartan helmet. The axes signify that a warrior is ready for battle, and the spartan helmet pays homage to Mountain Brook High School’s mascot.
The outer rim of the coin is brown with the fire department name across it. Mullins said that brown was chosen because it symbolizes foundation and pays respects to the men and women who started the department and laid the groundwork for its future.
The coin also features the number 343 in Roman numerals, a nod to the firefighters who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks.
Mullins said he wanted to make sure the coin recognized the brotherhood at the Mountain Brook Fire Department and at all fire departments across the country.
The back side of the coin features many symbolic references to the city of Mountain Brook and its fire department. Mullins said his favorite part of the coin is the 64 stars on the outer rim that represent all the members currently working for the department. The color red, representing love and brotherhood, is set in the background.
“It represents everybody that works here, and we really operate that way,” Mullins said. “We don’t have important people or non-important people. Everybody is equal, so the newest guy we hire is just as important as me. Everybody is equally important and, if we miss a star, we aren’t complete.”
The coin has many other objects and meanings on it, including Bible verses and the department’s shared values of safety, integrity, service and pride.
Mullins said every small detail of the fire challenge coin was put there on purpose.
“There’s not a symbol, color or anything that doesn’t mean something [to us],” he said.
