Firefighters Scramble Squares

Firefighters Scramble Squares When crusaders from Malta known as the Knights of St. John fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land in the early 12th Century, they and other European crusaders were saturated by naptha hurled at them in pottery vessels by the Saracens, who then threw a flaming torch at them, burning hundreds of them to death. Many of the Maltese knights risked their own lives trying to save their comrades from fiery deaths, and the Knights of Saint James became the first firefighters in recorded history. The heroic efforts of the Knights of Saint James were recognized by fellow crusaders with a cross like the one used by firemen as their symbol today. This identifying symbol of firefighting is called the “Maltese Cross.” The earliest form of organized fire protection in North America consisted of citizen bucket brigades. As shiploads of immigrants came to America looking for a fresh start in a new land, cities began to grow rapidly, and the flammability of the