Why Every Firefighter Needs a Custom Hat, a Therapist, and a Nap

🚒 Why Every Firefighter Needs a Custom Firefighter Hat, a Therapist, and Probably a Nap

Let’s be honest—no one joins the fire service because they’re emotionally well-adjusted. We run toward chaos, spend holidays with strangers, and laugh through things that would break most people. And somehow, through it all, we wear custom firefighter hats like they’re gonna hold the pieces of our personality together.

Spoiler alert: they won’t.

But damn if it doesn’t feel better wearing a Richardson 112 snapback with a leather patch that says “Still Crying From Medic School.”

The Language of Leather Patches

Every custom hat tells a story. Most of them are just warning labels with good stitching:

  • “Engine 4 – First In, Last Out” = You peaked during your first working fire.
  • “Truck 3 – Axe Holes” = You talk about ventilation more than your kids.
  • “Riding Backwards” = You’ve accepted your fate. You are the assignment.
  • “BLS ≠ Basic Life Stability” = We see you. We know the rage is real.
  • “Still Crying From Medic School” = Shoutout to The Salty Paramedic for making PTSD look memeable. Behind every joke is a 3am call that still haunts you, huh?

Let’s not pretend these hats are just fashion. They’re shields. They say what we don’t.

Why Fire and EMS Keep Roasting Each Other (Instead of Dealing with It)

It’s easier to say, “Nice patch, loser,” than “That call last week is still eating at me.”

It’s easier to wear “Emotionally Numb Since 2012” than admit you haven't felt normal in years.

And it’s easier to tag The Salty Paramedic and laugh than text your own partner and say, “Hey... I’m not okay.”

We joke because it’s safe.
We laugh because if we stop—we might not start again.

The Hat Isn’t the Fix. But It’s a Start.

The Richardson 112 isn’t magic. It doesn’t erase trauma, fix your sleep, or bring back the kid you couldn’t save. But it gives you something. A way to connect. A way to say, “I’ve been there,” without actually saying it.

So yeah—keep rocking that patch. Keep the sarcasm. Keep the dark humor. But know this:

You don’t have to wear it alone!

If You Need Help—Here’s Where to Start

We roast because we care.
But we mean this part with no sarcasm:

If the job is getting too heavy—talk to someone.

Not your lieutenant. Not the group chat. Someone trained. Someone real.

Fire/EMS Mental Health Resources:

There’s no patch for trauma.
No snapback strong enough to hold it all in.
But there’s help. And it’s okay to reach for it.

Final Words Before the Tones Drop Again

You’re not weak. You’re not broken.
You’re just a human—behind all that fire gear, sarcasm, and those sleepless nights.

So keep the patch. Keep the jokes.
But if you need help, take the damn hand.

Because we’d rather hear your story… than your eulogy.

Back to blog