Official abbreviation: Ht.g.T.B.
Copenhagen version: Ht.O.BM.K.B.
Frederiksberg version: Ht.O.B.M.F.B.
Instituted 29. July 1903 by King Christian 9th. (Copenhagen)
Instituted 25. March 1926 by King Christian 10th, discontinued 18. May 2018 (Frederiksberg)
Instituted 5. December 1973 by Queen Margrethe 2nd. (The rest of Denmark)
Awarded to persons who have been a member of the local (municipal) firedepartment for 25 years. Awarded to both volunteers, part-time (retained/on call) and full-time firefighters.
A silver oak leaf device may be added to 40 years of service and a gold device for 50 years.
It may also be awarded to foreigners who have done noteworthy deeds for the fire departments and to Icelandic and Greenlandic fire fighters.
The Copenhagen and Frederiksberg Fire brigades have their own medal designs, see images below.
Awarded by the Director of the Danish Emergency Management Agency (presented by the municipal fire chief)
Design: The medal is worn in a bright yellow ribbon. Fire Brigades outside Copenhagen use a medal with a more modern image on the obverse. The modern medal contains a large fire-helmet covering a crossed axe and nozzle (As seen in the middle of the obverse on the old design).
Other information:
Before the 1973 medal, there where two medals, one for “brandkorps i købstæderne (Fire Brigades in Market Towns) and one for “brandkorps på landet” (Fire Brigades on the Countryside).
Persons with a dual membership of both the Civil Defense and the Municipal Firebrigade may only be awarded one of the two medals.
Volunteer members of the Civil Defense or supplemental volunteers at a part-time/full-time station are given the Hæderstegn for God Tjeneste i Redningsberedskabet.
If eligible for this medal a recipient can’t be awarded the Fortjenstmedalje for the same service.
Official decree (Danish)
Price: The medals are ordered by the local authority (normally by municipal fire chief) and the order is processed by the Danish Emergency Management Agency (Beredskabsstyrelsen).
The price of the medals are as follows:
25 year medal: 693 DKK
40 year medal: 763 DKK
50 year medal: 769 DKK
Further information on the Copenhagen medal
The Copenhagen medal contains the numbers 1868, 1870, 1895 and 1903 on the obverse (See image below of the medal). These numbers are years that where important dates in the history of the Copenhagen Fire Brigade when the medals was instituted:
1868: Law of the Copenhagen Fire Brigade was created, stating that the Fire Brigade should be established in 1870.
1870: The municipal fire brigade of Copenhagen was created
1895: The “Service Regulations” created – I have no idea what this is..??
1903: The medal was instituted.
Originally the medal was only awarded to firefighters and NCO’s, but in 1923 King Christian 10th approved the awarding to officers.
Decree 9376 was cancelled on 18. maj 2018 and the medal is therefore no longer awarded.
Further information on the Frederiksberg medal
Decree 9194 of 26. april 2012 was cancelled on 18. maj 2018 and the medal is therefore no longer awarded.
Notable recipients:
Firechief Boris Aarnio, Finland. Awarded on July 25th 2000. Boris was the second ever foreigner to recieve the award. Awarded to him due to his prolonged work for the international coorporation between the Nordic Associations of Firechiefs.
