Croatian Firefighting Association Informs President Milanović of Firefighting Readiness for 2021 Wildfire Season
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović held a working meeting with representatives of the Croatian Firefighting Association (HVZ) who informed him of the firefighting system’s readiness for the 2021 wildfire season. At the meeting attended by Fire Chief Slavko Tucaković and county firefighting commanders, the items discussed were the current state in the firefighting units in terms of personnel, the state of the firefighting equipment and the level of readiness for the upcoming wildfire season.
Fire Chief Slavno Tucaković told President Milanović that this year 94 new firefighting vehicles had been procured to upgrade the vehicle fleet, and that accommodation and meals had been organized for firefighters that were regularly dislocated. Currently a procurement procedure is underway for protective equipment and approval has been issued for the additional employment of 1,176 seasonal firefighters.
According to the Croatian Firefighting Association’s plan, 1,120 professional firefighters and 5,000 volunteers will fight fires along the coast this summer, together with up to 5,000 volunteer firefighters from coastal counties as well as 1,000 seasonal firefighters from coastal counties. Some one hundred firefighters from inland will be dislocated to the Adriatic coast and about 200 soldiers will be on standby for emergency interventions. Six Canadair and other firefighting aircraft are also on stand-by.
The HVZ representatives reminded that firefighters are continually engaged in interventions and removing the consequences of the devastating earthquake in Sisak-Moslavina County, and actively participate in the activities of the National Civil Protection Authority.
The firefighters noted that the focus is further implementation of fire prevention activities in open air fires. President Milanović commended the firefighters and told them they are doing very important work in Croatia.
The delegation at the meeting with President Milanović besides Fire Chief Slavko Tucaković included the following: president of the Zagreb Firefighting Association Zlatko Križanić, president of the Zagreb County Firefighting Association Slavko Povrlišek, president of Brod-Posavina County Firefighting Association Milan Šulter, County firefighting commander of Sisak-Moslavina County Firefighting Association Mijo Brlečić, County firefighting commander of Split-Dalmatia County Firefighting Association Ivan Kovačević, County firefighting commander of Dubrovnik-Neretva County Firefighting Association Stjepan Simović, County firefighting commander of Varaždin County Firefighting Association Ivica Labaš, County firefighting commander of Lika-Senj County Firefighting Association Hrvoje Ostović, County firefighting commander of Bjelovar-Bilogora County Firefighting Association Zdenko Brandejs, County firefighting commander of Primorje-Gorski Kotar Firefighting Association Mladen Šćulac, County firefighting commander of Požega-Slavonia County Firefighting Association Josip Ugrin, County firefighting commander of Međimurje County Firefighting Association Mladen Kanižaj, County firefighting commander of Osijek-Baranja County Firefighting Association Zdravko Cvenić, County firefighting commander of Vukovar-Srijem County Firefighting Association Krešimir Jelić, County firefighting commander of Krapina-Zagorje County Firefighting Association Marijan Lovrenčić, Deputy County firefighting commander of Istria County Firefighting Association Klaudio Karlović, Commander of the Đurđevac Professional Firefighting Department Matija Markešić and the Deputy Commander of the Slatina Professional Firefighting Department Tomislav Uher.
Attending the meeting alongside President Milanović were the Adviser for Defense and National Security Dragan Lozančić and the Adviser for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić