Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The Badge of Life

Since our founding in 1974, the Badge Company of New Jersey has partnered with the most respected manufacturers in the industry, to bring you the greatest availability of badge styles and features. In addition to offering our own line of custom badges, we carry the complete lines of products from these partners – more than any other badge source.

One of our partners is Smith & Warren, and this year, Smith & Warren has introduced The Badge of Life, a badge designed exclusively for EMS professionals.

The Badge of Life is a distinctive design that features the star of life positioned at the top of the badge and a custom center seal that reflects the EMS professional’s pledge to Save, Serve, and Respect.

Two models are available that have either a solid metal star of life polished and electroplated to a brilliant silver or gold finish, or a classic blue star of life finished with the highest quality hard-fired cloisonné enamel.

With a variety of finishes, attachments, lettering and EMS center seal options, The Badge of Life can be customized to meet individual needs. Using Smith & Warren’s Visualbadge technology customers can also customize and preview The Badge of Life right here on the web site of the Badge Company of New Jersey. Just specify style S623 for The Badge of Life with a polished metal star or style S623E for the Badge of Life with an enameled star.
 
Smith & Warren, The Badge of Life, and Visualbadge are registered trademarks of Smith & Warren.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

No Good News

In today’s news, an abject tragedy and a small measure of justice.

The tragedy was the school bus crash in South Jersey this morning that badly injured more than a dozen elementary school students and killed one of them, an 11-year-old girl. That she was the daughter of a New Jersey State Trooper only makes the pain greater.

The small measure of justice was the conviction today of the killer of Lakewood police officer Christopher Matlosz. Matlosz was executed as he sat in his patrol car last year.

But a murderer’s conviction is small comfort on a day when we are reminded of last year’s tragedy on the heels of today’s heartbreak.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Chargers in the Fleet?

If your agency has any Dodge Chargers in the fleet, you may want to know that Chrysler is recalling approximately 9,688 Charger police cars from the 2011 and 2012 model years.

The recall is to replace the headlamp jumper wire harnesses and to change and relocate an anti-lock brake/electronic stability control component. The problems identified in the recall could cause the low beams to fail and for some vehicles to lose their antilock brakes or stability control.

Chrysler says it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem, but who wants to lose the headlights or antilock brakes in police service?

The text of the Chrysler’s report to NTHSA reads in part, "Some police vehicles may have been built with headlamps that could experience a loss of low beam operation as a result of an overheated bulb harness connector while others may experience a loss of ABS/ESC system function as a result of an overheated power distribution center bus bar."

Apparently the failures have been observed under the severe-service conditions to which police vehicles are subjected. According to a Chrysler rep, extended periods of idling, and hard driving when used as training vehicles for police have exposed the problem.

The recall is said to affect certain Charger models built between January of 2010 and December of 2011.

The company plans to notify owners and dealers during March. Service centers will replace the headlight jumper harness and relocate the ABS/ESC system fuse free of charge.