Just curious, but do your departments issue I.D. cards or other credentials(besides a badge), and does your state require emergency service personnel to have them?  

I am curious of the reason for this information. Keep in mind we are suspicious by nature.

Don't know about firefighters, but law enforcement is requried to have a department issued ID. Why do you ask?

I GOT MINE.....

TreeHugger719 says ...

I GOT MINE.....

The sad thing is that I remember that show....Damn, I'm old!!

We do and all of our Emergency Management personnel have them too with their qualifications on file...

I work for two departments, one is a large metropolitan city where everybody has I.D. cards right down to the leaf blower guys. The other is a small town where nobody has I.D.'s, we don't even have set uniforms. Chief wanted me to look into getting some made for us because the state likes everyone to have them although it's not required yet, as well as to have them should we get involved in a situation off duty. So I was just seeing how other places feel about them. 

Ethan,

Just 7 months ago you posted this:

ethan2010 says... Welcome to PL from Alabama.  Congrats, I'm in the same hiring process myself!

http://policelink.monster.com/topics/84632-new-michigan-officer/posts

Are you telling us that your Chief has asked a newbie to research this topic?  Or are you still in the hiring phase?

Hmmm, interesting development.

And given Alabama's strict ID laws (stop and ID, voter ID, etc) you'd think they'd have Department issued cards.

I think the OP's question is BS (I apologize if I'm mistaken...).

Well then, I encourage you to go through the verification process here so that more doors will open for you, and you'll be able to post this type of discussion in a LEO only forum.

Your agency should issue cards...

How do citizens know who you are?

How do you get into a courthouse or other secure facility?

How is another LEO supposed to know who you are (if they don't work with you)?

How are your Department's personnel going to avail themselves of the benefits of HR 218 without one?

ethan2010 says ...

 I agree that it sounds odd, but yes. Our chief isn't tech savy, has had no administrator training, and thinks that because I am the only person in the department that went to college and the youngest by far, that I am more qualified to look into it than someone else. I think that he should have taken care of it too, but it's his "retired" job, so I don't think he cares much whether we get them or not, but told me to look into it. I do not carry off duty for this very reason. 

I call BS until you can provide proper information as to name of the Police Department in the state, county and city where it is located, the name of the chief and information that would prove who you are.  To my knowledge, EVERY police agency issues a police department identification card along with the flat (wallet) badge for sworn and reserve officers and a department identification card for every non-sworn department employee.  This smells.  Let's see if you can make the smell go away.

ethan2010 says ...

I work for two departments, one is a large metropolitan city where everybody has I.D. cards right down to the leaf blower guys. The other is a small town where nobody has I.D.'s, we don't even have set uniforms. Chief wanted me to look into getting some made for us because the state likes everyone to have them although it's not required yet, as well as to have them should we get involved in a situation off duty. So I was just seeing how other places feel about them. 

 

Why not talk to the brass at you large metropolitan city pd I am sure they can point you in the right direction?   Hmm, something is fishy in Denmark.

OK on a serious note. Look, can you imagine someone without creds trying to help on a violent scene and holding a weapon? I can assure you it would not be pretty. How do you carry concealed without creds? How do you make arrests without your creds? Do people just take your word for it and submit to arrest? I am not trying to knock you or your department however the scenario I am thinking of is DEADLY. Be careful.

 I could talk to the brass, but there's no need. I know how to get them made, I was not posting the forum to get advice as to how to get them. Just to ask a simple question. No one has ever asked me for an I.D. card, officer or suspect.  Card I said. We have badges, wallet badges, marked cars, patches, the whole nine yards. I only mean I.D. cards. Yall are really over analyzing it. I agree that every officer should have an I.D. card. But if we do not get them issued, then we do not have them. That's not my fault, stop blaming me please. Your agencies may issue them and require that you have them, and it may unfathomable that there are departments that don't, but it does happen. Badgering not needed, I thought we were here to learn from each other.