Saint Florien, the patron saint of firefighters, was
an officer in the Roman army during the third century. Saint Florien had
converted to Christianity but kept his new faith a secret to avoid persecution.
When ordered to execute a group of Christians during the persecutions of
Diocletian, Saint Florien professed his faith and refused to follow the order.
He then had a stone tied around his neck and he was thrown into a river where he
drowned.
Florien is said to have once stopped an entire town from burning by throwing a
single bucket of water onto the fire. Saint Florien is the patron saint of
firefighters, chimney sweeps, barrel-makers, soap boilers, harvests, Austria,
Poland and others.