Mission Statement
Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue's mission is to protect the lives and property of our community through emergency response, prevention, and education. We are dedicated to providing services which provide for the safety and welfare of the public and the environment. We are committed to being prepared to respond to all emergencies and disasters. Members of Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue will continually represent themselves, their Department, and their community in a professional manner, which will provide positive examples for others to follow.
History of the Patch
In 1979, the City of Tarpon Springs wanted to show more of its heritage in the emblem used as the City Seal. Prior City emblems were non-specific and generic. One of the Tarpon Springs Police Officers, known for his artistic talents, designed an emblem that depicts Tarpon Springs, its heritage and the historical values held today.
This emblem shows a water scene to depict the coastal community and importance of the mariner. On the water there are several boats; one catching a Tarpon; the namesake of our City. Other boats symbolize sponge harvesting vessels, to indicate the history of the sponge industry in which Tarpon Springs is world renown. Also significant in the emblem is Lighthouse Island with the sun setting in the west behind it. The Lighthouse is to light the way for all of our mariners to find their way home…Tarpon Springs.
Once this artwork was adopted as the official Seal of the City of Tarpon Springs, the Fire Department incorporated it into the seal emblematic of the Fire Service; the Maltese cross resulting in the patch used by today’s Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue.
