ATLANTA FIRE RESCUE DEPT. Challenge Coin. This is a great looking Atlanta Fire Dept challenge coin. Coin is about 1 9/16" in diameter and raised lettering on both sides with a reeded edge. Reverse side is a gold plated St. Florian Patron Saint of Firefighters. Coin is contained in an acrylic air tight holder. The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department provides fire protection and first responder emergency medical services to the city of Atlanta, Georgia. The department is responsible for an area of 132.6 square miles with over 519,000 residents. The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department got its start in February of 1848 when residents were ordered to have fire buckets ready in their homes. It wasn't until three years later, after several major fires, that the Georgia Legislature approved a bill that authorized the formation of Atlanta Fire Company No. 1, which went into service on March 25, 1851.