The Thin Green Line is representative of all Federal Agents. It represents the relentless effort of the men and women that help us in times of emergency & need. The Thin White Line is representative of our EMTs, Paramedics, and All EMS personnel. This line differs from other thin lines in that the background is white, with a red line crossing horizontally through the middle. There is an additional Thin Red Line for Nurses. The phrase has evolved into ‘Thin Red Line of Courage’ due to all the Firefighters and their courageousness in the face of danger. Red was chosen because of the color's association with fire. The Thin Red Line is representative of all the brave Firefighters. Oftentimes, people also use the flag to remember fallen officers. 'Thin Blue Line' is a phrase that refers to the line between chaos and order, with Law Enforcement officers being that barrier between.

The color blue refers to the colors of their uniforms. The Thin Blue Line is representative of Police & Law Enforcement Officers. With so many different colors available today, one of the most frequent questions is, what do they stand for? So, here is a handy reference guide for navigating the symbolism behind all Thin Line Flags. Shop our featured First Responders Flag today! Flying a thin line flag shows support for the associated service branch. In addition to the police, there are other public service branches that have adopted thin line colors of their own. The colored stripe symbolizes the thin line between the public and the danger they hold at bay. The eye-catching black and white American flag with a thin colored line running across it is a beautiful way to support the everyday heroes in our community. Watch next: Chief Billy Goldfeder shares his take on firefighters displaying thin red line flags.In recent years the Thin Line style flags have risen to popularity, starting with the Thin Blue Line flag.

Half of respondents indicated that their department does not have a policy that relates to the display of flags, decals and emblems.

For those respondents who do not support the display of thin red flags at fire departments or on apparatus, 68% said the primary reason was because it was an alteration of the American flag.

For departments that have thin red line flags, flags are typically displayed inside the station or on fire apparatus, as opposed to outside the station, where visible to the public.

Most respondents who support the thin line flags (68%) do so to honor fallen and injured firefighters.

Similarly, 79% said they support fire departments displaying thin blue line flags in support of law enforcement.

An overwhelming majority of respondents (88%) indicated support for the thin red line flags – and the responses were from an even mix of ranks.

Respondents were fairly evenly divided among working for career, volunteer and combination departments. We received nearly 2,000 responses about this complex issue. What else should I know about the thin red line flag?įireRescue1 surveyed firefighters on the use of thin line flags in public safety. There are several retailers that currently sell thin red line flags, including:

Can civilians/non-firefighters fly the thin red line flag to show their support for firefighters? Some fire departments have policies focused on the display of flags, decals and emblems so that it is clear what is and is not permissible at the station or on apparatus. Thin red line flags are sometimes displayed inside or outside fire stations or on fire apparatus, although there is debate about whether such displays should be permitted on town or city property. Where is the thin red line flag flown or displayed? And one step further, display of the thin red line flag has, to some, become conflated with the thin blue line flag. As such, some see thin blue line flags as a pushback against social injustice reform movements, like Black Lives Matter. The debate over the flags’ potential political nods is most associated with the thin blue line flag and its connection to the Blue Lives Matter movement, which was started in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. While some view the flags as representative of solidarity with public safety and a way to honor fallen or injured first responders, others simply do not agree with any alteration of the American flag, and some view the flags as representative of political statements. The thin line flags have generated debate in recent months. What is the controversy over the thin red line flag? Thin line flags for EMS (left), dispatch (middle) and corrections (right)

Blue line flag