05/07/2026
The Anchor Logo was drawn intentionally with meaning behind each stoke of my pen.
The focal point of Salty’s Anchor Logo is the Maltese Cross Poppy. The first time I created these was in was “Prevail”, and they were drawn as a memorial piece. In American traditional tattoo art, poppies often represent remembrance, sacrifice, peace after suffering, and carrying memory forward. Poppies are a flower tied closely to honoring the fallen — especially those lost in service, hardship, or war. That meaning spans moments in my career - from my first End of Watch to all the ghosts I still carry.
The anchor itself represents duty.
As dispatchers, we anchor everything.
We anchor the caller when their world is collapsing. We anchor responders by cutting through confusion and giving clear direction. We anchor scenes by staying steady when everyone else is being swept away by panic, adrenaline, fear, grief, or chaos. A good dispatcher cannot drift emotionally with a call.
We must hold fast.
The bottom of the anchor is inscribed with IX-I-I — 9-1-1 in Roman numerals. The three rivets along the tops and bottom of the anchor also represent the three-digit emergency number.
The pointed petals represent primary “pointed” questioning:
* Where is this happening?
* What is happening?
* When did this happen?
* Who is involved?
* Are there weapons or safety concerns?
The second layer of softer petals represents secondary questioning — the deeper information gathering we move to once we hit stabilization within the call.
* Why did this happen?
* What led up to it?
* Where are they at now?
* Do you know where they would be going?
* What is the current status of everyone else?
The third layer represents tertiary information:
* Callback information
* Patient history
* Contact details
* Supporting scene information
* Additional assistance needed
As a CTO, I’ve always noticed how this job naturally falls into layered patterns of threes. Every call builds outward in tiers. First stabilize. Then clarify. Then expand.
The structure of threes repeats over and over until it becomes instinct.
So when you wear your Anchor Logo, know it means something deep.
