Maltese Cross

Meaning of The Maltese Cross
The Maltese Cross is our symbol of protection. It means that the Fire Fighter who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man so many years ago.
www.ticefire.com/docs/maltese_cross.php

Maltese cross - wikipedia.org
The Maltese cross is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta. It was originally the symbol of Amalfi, a small Italian republic of the 11th century. The cross is eight-pointed and has the form of four "V"-shaped arms joined together at their bases, so that each arm has two points.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltese_Cross

Sovereign Military Order of Malta - The Maltese Cross - Fotw
The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem gave Malta the heritage of the Maltese Cross. The eight-pointed cross is a symbol used by the knights to denote the eight obligations or aspirations of the knights.
www.fotw.net/flags/smom).html