The newly established Fire Academy at College of the Canyons doesn’t just train firefighters, it builds future leaders in the fire service. With the education structured around four critical teams and their roles (fire engine, ladder truck, squad truck, and brush truck), the Fire Academy sought a way to visually distinguish each team’s role while reflecting their shared purpose. Intersect GMD was tasked with evolving the Fire Academy’s branding by creating a set of badges that honor firefighting traditions, celebrate student progress, and unify teams, while representing each team’s unique function. Branding the future of firefighting at COC, we set out to design badges that serve as markers of pride and milestones in students’ journeys to becoming first responders serving our community.
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The final badge series translates the Fire Academy’s training structure into a visual narrative of skill and unity. Each badge corresponds to a specific team, featuring the college’s mascot cougar in motion, in uniform, or mid-leap, representing the agility, strength, and determination of the trainees. The Maltese cross, long recognized in firefighting, reinforces the tradition of service and protection. Details like ladder rungs or hose accents highlight specialized roles, yet shared colors and bold shapes ensure the badges feel unmistakably connected.
Featured on uniforms, equipment, and training materials, the badges foster camaraderie and immediate recognition among teams. These badges don’t just signify expertise, they unify students under a shared mission, reflect the Academy’s values, and turn everyday gear into powerful reminders of the legacy students are training to uphold and the future they are preparing to lead.
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