Croatian Firefighting Association celebrates its 150th anniversary

The Croatian Firefighting Association is the Central State Office responsible for firefighting in Croatia. It is headed by Croatia’s Fire Chief and plays a key role in organizing and fighting wildfires during the peak firefighting season over the summer months, especially along Croatia’s coastal areas.

The Croatian Firefighting Association celebrated its 150th anniversary at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb on Sunday. Along with the formal ceremony in the concert hall, the celebration also included a program for citizens in front of the venue, with fire trucks and various firefighting equipment on display.

Croatian Fire Chief Slavko Tucaković was especially proud of his rank and file: "Celebrating this anniversary, these 150 years of organized firefighting in the Republic of Croatia, is a source of pride. It is the pride of knowing that there are so many people supporting you, doing their job - from the heart, many of them without any financial compensation. All we can do is to bow and pay tribute to them."

In his address Deputy Prime Minister and Veterans' Affairs Minister Tomo Medved noted that Croatia’s firefighters are the on the front lines during all peacetime threats citizen’s face: "When the fire rages, when the floods, earthquakes and severe storms hit, you are the first line of defense. You are patriots, who are ready to protect the homes of you neighbors and your fellow citizens."

Among the visitors to the display in front of the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall was Hrvoje from Split, who emphasized how important firefighters are in Croatia’s coastal regions: "As someone who comes from Split I can truly say that firefighters are especially appreciated in Dalmatia because they save us from disasters and large fires throughout the summer season. I think everyone there is grateful for everything they do."

Source: HRT