Except for Federal Agencies and the U.S. Military, Smith & Warren sells all products through our extensive network of authorized dealers and distributors.

You can browse and design your custom Smith & Warren products with VisualBadge and request a quote. We will assign your quote request to an authorized dealer who can provide pricing and assist you with placing an order.
 


You can browse and design your custom Smith & Warren products with VisualBadge and request a quote. We will assign your quote request to an authorized dealer who can provide pricing and assist you with placing an order.
 

Buy Online

View Dealers

Buy In-store

 
 
 

How to create an awards program for your department.

All department recognition programs are unique, but most have several awards in common.

Published On: 07/13/2023
How to create an awards program

Creating a medals and awards program for your department can be manageable. The benefit of custom medals and awards is the ability to start small and expand as needed.

All department recognition programs are unique, but most have several awards in common. This article will outline many typical awards utilized by most departments. By starting with these basics, you can establish your program's foundation and add custom medals and award bars as needed.

Popular Medals

Medal of Honor: Traditionally, the highest honor awarded to a department member. The Medal of Honor is awarded to personnel who knowingly risk imminent personal harm and distinguish themselves by performing extreme acts of bravery and heroism above and beyond the call of duty. In some departments, the Medal of Honor is reserved for posthumous award, with the Medal of Valor being the highest active duty honor.

medal of honor

Medal of Valor: Similar to the Medal of Honor, the Medal of Valor is awarded to personnel who display extreme courage in the face of imminent personal harm above and beyond the call of duty.

medal of valor

Medal of Merit: Awarded to personnel who have displayed brave actions above and beyond the call of duty to preserve public safety.

medal of merit

Distinguished Service Medal:  Awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and outstanding performance in their duties over an extended period. It acknowledges sustained excellence and significant contributions to the department and the community.

Distinguished Service

Lifesaving Medal: Recognizes individuals who have risked their lives to save others. It honors acts of quick thinking, courage, and skill that result in saving or significantly improving another person's life.

lifesaving medals

Purple Heart: Awarded to department members injured or wounded in the line of duty.

purple heart medal

Officer/Firefighter of the Year: Awarded to an individual who has displayed distinguished and outstanding service to their department and community.

Officer of the year medal

Popular Service Bars

Recognition & Achievement: Many departments include an award bar with recognition medals. The service award bar can be worn on the duty uniform while reserving the Medal for the class A uniform.

Years of Service: Service award bars are a meaningful way to acknowledge the loyalty and dedication of individuals who have served the department for extended periods. These bars can be customized to represent milestones such as five, ten, fifteen, twenty, or more years of service.

Leadership Excellence: Recognizes individuals who have shown exceptional leadership skills and have made significant contributions to team building, mentorship, and the development of fellow members.

Training and Education: Honors individuals who have invested time and effort in continuous training and education to enhance their skills and knowledge in their respective fields. It encourages a culture of professional development within the department.

Community Service: Recognizes individuals who actively engage in community outreach, volunteer work, and initiatives, promoting positive relations between the department and the community it serves.

Professional Achievement: Acknowledges individuals who have achieved significant milestones or received notable professional recognition in their field of expertise, such as advanced certifications, specialized training, or awards from professional associations.

Creating an awards program for your public safety department allows you to honor and recognize exceptional performance and dedication. You can establish a comprehensive recognition program by incorporating popular medals and service award bars. You can add additional medals and service award bars to your program as your needs evolve.

Visit https://www.smithwarren.com/recognition for inspiration and guidance. Numerous Medals and hundreds of Service Award Bars are available that you can personalize online. 

If you need personal advice, our team has worked with countless departments to create comprehensive award programs. We will happily assist you in creating a Medals and award program for your organization.

With a well-designed awards program in place, you can motivate and inspire your department's members to strive for excellence and foster a positive and engaged workforce.

Contact Us

Contact Information
Phone & Location

Whether you need 1 piece or 10,000 pieces our team is here to make the ordering process easy for you.   

We partner with a national network of authorized dealers,

  • Online Dealer

  • Local physical stores 

You can find a dealer by using our Dealer Locator.

Another option is to build your product(s) with VisualBadge on our website and submit a quote request.  

  • Within 1 business day you will receive a quote from one of our dealers.  
  • The dealer will also send you instructions on how to place your order when you are ready.

Quantity discounts are available for badge orders over 15 pieces and large quantities of uniform insignia.  The prices we show on the website are full retail prices.  Your official quote will include any applicable quantity discounts.

We appreciate the opportunity to service your department and will do our best to make the purchasing process as smooth and easy as possible.   Our team is here to help so feel free to contact us  with any questions.

CLICK HERE for information and the process to create a custom center seal for your department's badges. A custom center seal is an easy and economical way to customize your Smith & Warren badges further.

Trust Smith & Warren to create a challenge coin you'll be proud to carry.   Minimum order quantities start as low as 250 pcs.

Designing a custom badge is a journey, but we have the experience and expertise to guide you and keep the process streamlined for your department.

BadgeStudio Design services are ideal for departments looking to outfit 50 or more sworn personnel.  Tell us more about your project below, and lets create your next custom badge together.

For questions about warranty coverage and repair services, please click here visit our WARRANTY page.

If you have image(s) of the custom product you would like to create please upload them here. 

Maximum 3 files.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif, jpg, png, pdf.

Message

Take a photo of your badge next to a ruler, or for best results, CLICK HERE to download and print the image upload template. Print the form and follow the instructions for photographing and uploading your badge image.

Maximum 3 files.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif, jpg, png, pdf.

Contact Us