The tradition of bagpipes played at fire department and police department funerals in the United States goes back over one hundred fifty years. When the Irish and Scottish immigrated to this country, they brought many of their traditions with them. One of these was the bagpipe, often played at Celtic weddings, funerals and ceilis (dances).

 

Those who have been to funerals when bagpipes play, know how haunting and mournful the sound of the pipes can be. Before too long, families and friends of non-Irish firefighters began asking for the piper to play for these fallen heroes. The pipes add a special air and dignity to the solemn occasion.

Associated with cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, pipe bands representing both fire and police often have more than 60 uniformed playing members. They are also traditionally known as Emerald Societies after Ireland - the Emerald Isle. Many bands wear traditional Scottish dress while others wear the simpler Irish uniform. All members wear the kilt and tunic, whether it is a Scottish clan tartan or Irish single color kilt.

Today, the tradition is universal and not just for the Irish or Scottish. The pipes have come to be a distinguishing feature of a fallen hero’s funeral.

 

The Wake & District Public Safety Pipes & Drums are patterned after the well-known “Black Watch” regiment, the 42nd Highland Light Infantry. Although it has evolved to a modern-day military unit, the Black Watch was Scotland’s first duly-constituted public safety organization. As part of our tradition, we aim to preserve that connection that extends over 2,000 miles and nearly 300 years.

 

Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) was the first kilted regiment in the British Army, and the first to introduce the bagpipe. It's the oldest Highland regiment and can trace a line back to 1624 when the government of the day started raising Independent Companies to keep a check on the wild clansmen. In the wake of 1715 Jacobite rebellion in Scotland, companies of trustworthy Highlanders were raised from local clans, Campbells, Grants, Frasers and Munros. Six companies were formed from 1725 and stationed in small detachments across the Highlands to prevent fighting between clans, deter raiding and assist in enforcing the laws against the carrying of weapons. Their name is traced to two sources: the dark pattern of the tartan worn (also known as the Government Tartan), and to their early charge – the prevention of “blackmail,” the extraction of money under threat of death.

 

It wasn't until the great potato famine and massive Irish immigration to the East Coast of the United States that the tradition of the pipes really took hold in fire and police departments on this side of the Atlantic.. Factories and shops had signs reading "NINA"-No Irish Need Apply. The only jobs they could get were the ones no one else wanted -jobs that were dirty, dangerous or both - fire-fighting and law enforcement. It was not an uncommon event to have several firefighters killed at a working fire, and police officers were often killed in the line of duty. Irish firefighter and police officer funerals were typical of all Irish funerals-the pipes were played. It was somehow okay for a hardened firefighter or police officer to cry at the sound of pipes when his dignity would not let him weep for a fallen comrade.

 

Those who have been to funerals when the pipers play know how haunting and mournful the sound of the pipes can be. Before too long, families and friends of non-Irish firefighters and police officers began asking for the piper to play for these fallen heroes. The pipes add a special air and dignity to the solemn occasion. Today, the tradition is universal and not just for the Irish or Scottish. The pipes have come to be a distinguishing feature of a fallen hero's funeral.

 

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Our continuing mission includes participation in the National Law Enforcement Memorial, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial  and any honors funeral ceremony for Carolina’s fallen heroes.