West County Recruit Academy Custom Challenge Coin
01. Background
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In fall 2024, West County Recruit Academy approached OneStop Northwest to create a custom challenge coin for their upcoming Firefighter 1 certification graduation. As part of their graduation, the academy sought to present each recruit with a meaningful keepsake to commemorate their hard work and dedication. They envisioned a challenge coin that would embody the academy’s spirit, honor the rigorous 14-week training program, and serve as a symbol of achievement for every recruit.
02. Project Overview
Understanding the academy’s requirements, we established a custom order page to streamline the ordering process, allowing recruits and academy members to place as many individual orders as desired for the group order. This ensured flexibility for the academy and allowed each recruit to secure their commemorative coins well in advance of graduation day.
We initiated the order on October 28th, with a target ship date of November 15th to ensure timely delivery. However, by optimizing our production process, we completed the coins ahead of schedule and delivered them to the academy on November 13th
03. Design and Production
The challenge coin design was a collaborative effort with West County Recruit Academy to ensure it met their vision and standards:
- Side One: Displayed the academy logo in 3D, highlighting every intricate detail to represent the core identity of the academy.
- Side Two: Featured their mascot logo in an equally striking 3D finish, providing a visually balanced, dual-sided coin.
- 3D Finish: To bring out the depth of each design element, we opted for a 3D coin format, which elevated the look and feel of the coin, making it a memorable token of accomplishment for each recruit.
04. Outcome
By delivering the coins well ahead of schedule, OneStop Northwest exceeded the academy’s expectations, adding excitement and anticipation leading up to their December 12th graduation. The recruits were thrilled with their custom challenge coin, which serves not only as a memento of their achievement but as a lasting symbol of the resilience and commitment required to earn their Firefighter 1 certification.