Who we are: This side of our 25th Anniversary Challenge Coin shows who we are as a company, and as the people within FirstWatch.
- Genuine, Caring, Can-Do: This has been our official Values at FirstWatch for many years. The Values are supported by 20 Principles, which help provide our team with guidance and direction.
- Our people: The coin shows 72 people, arm-in-arm, representing the 72 full and part-time team members we currently have at FirstWatch.
- Remember where we came from – Stout Solutions: The thin green circle on both sides of the coin reflect on our beginning as a one-person EMS report development company, started by Todd Stout in his home office in 1998.
- FirstWatch: FirstWatch is both the name of our core product and our organization. Most importantly, it stands for our team, our customer partners, and our combined effort to make our communities safer and healthier.
- 25 Years: We feel so fortunate to serve the public safety and healthcare professions while we’re able to grow and thrive as an organization. People ask what is our secret: we take great care of team members so they can take great care of our customers. (And make enough profit to keep it all working.)
What we do: This side of our 25th Anniversary Challenge Coin shows what we do and why.
- Doing the right things for the right reasons: Along with our Values and our Principles, fundamentally we believe that doing the right thing in every situation is the way to live and work. We believe that if you do the right things, for the right reasons, as individuals and as a team, things will work out in the end.
- EMS, 9-1-1, Fire, Law, and Public Health: Our motto is “Helping The Helpers.” Many of us come from the ranks of public safety, and found joy and meaning in helping people directly, in their best and worst times. Now, we pride ourselves on helping people in Public Safety and Public Health do their best.
- Data: Most of what we do involves helping our customer partners use their data to its fullest potential. We take raw data from a wide variety of sources and transform it into useful and actionable information, to make things better.
- LOVE: It may sound cliché, but we genuinely love what we do and the people we work with both inside FirstWatch as well as our friends/customers/partners. So, we couldn’t help but embed a message of love inside the 1s and 0s.
01001100 = L
01001111 = O
01010110 = V
01000101 = E
History of Challenge Coins
- Military Origins (World War I):
The most widely accepted origin story traces back to World War I. According to legend, a wealthy American lieutenant had bronze medallions made for his unit, each bearing the unit’s insignia. One of his pilots was shot down behind enemy lines, captured, and later escaped. He had nothing to prove his identity except the coin. When French soldiers nearly executed him as a spy, he showed them the coin, which ultimately saved his life. The story spread, and carrying a unit coin became a tradition. - Growth in Popularity (World War II and Vietnam War):
The use of challenge coins grew during World War II and flourished during the Vietnam War. Special Forces units especially embraced them, and they began to be used to build camaraderie and morale. - Formalization and Expansion (Post-1980s):
By the 1980s and beyond, challenge coins had become a recognized part of military culture. Presidents and top military leaders began issuing them as tokens of appreciation, and their use spread to law enforcement, fire departments, and even corporate organizations.
Purpose of Challenge Coins
- Unit Identity and Morale:
Originally, challenge coins served to foster a sense of belonging and pride within a unit or team. They act as a physical symbol of membership. - Recognition and Achievement:
Leaders often present challenge coins to recognize exceptional service, achievements, or acts of valor. Receiving a coin from a high-ranking official is considered a significant honor. - Tradition and Camaraderie (The “Challenge”):
There’s a tradition where a person can challenge others to produce their coin. If the challenged person can’t produce one, they may have to buy a round of drinks. If everyone has their coin, the challenger might be the one to buy. This ritual reinforces bonds among members. - Commemoration:
Coins are also used to commemorate special events, deployments, retirements, or visits by dignitaries. - Civilian and Corporate Use:
In recent decades, challenge coins have been adopted by civilian organizations as symbols of appreciation, branding, and team building. Politicians, agencies, and private companies now use them to honor service and loyalty.
