TRADITIONAL EVENTS

In relation with cultural and educative aspect of Department's activities, it's necessary to lay stress upon various national or local manifestations in which Sveti Djurdj VFD takes active part during its centurial development.
Beside a fire service happenings like "May - Month of Fire Protection", worshipping of St. Florian -patron saint of firefighters, public tactical drills and other similar events, Department takes part in the Day of Sveti Djurdj Municipality yearly celebration, Corpus Christi feast, and many other public notable events.

Informations about such happenings and Department's role in this events during its history, especially during this year are given below...

MAY - MONTH OF FIRE PROTECTION

Worshipping of Saint Florian, patron saint of firefighters, is among the oldest traditions in Croatian fire service. It's important to emphasise in relation with this tradition that firefighters proudly point out their famous greeting "May God Help You! (cro. "Pomoz Bog"). This greetings used to be forbidden during a comunist regime in our ex-country, as well as worshipping of St. Florian.

Creation of independent Croatian country gave a chance to firefighters of volunteer fire departments associated in the Sveti Djurdj Municipality Fire Services Association to renew a tradition of annual meeting on St. Florian's Day and Day of Fire Service (4th of May) in Hrzenica. This place is well-known after a disasterous fire which destroyed almost whole village at the end of 19th century (that's why a part of this village has a local name "Deserts" even today).

St. Florian's Day 2006

According to an intention of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality Fire Departments' Association, a celebration of St. Florian's Day is enriched each year with a promotion of accomplishements of our firefighters or delivery of a new equipment.

This years' event, organized on 7th May, beside a traditional march through the streets of Hrzenica, reminiscence on the legend of St. Florian - patron saint of firefighters, and a holy mass held for all firefighters (dead and alive), had a promotion of a new firefighting competition referees as an integral part of programme. Status of a referee in the next 4 years was given to an "old" referee Stjepan Kovacek (DVD Sveti Djurdj), and 2 members who have this licence for the first time: Krunoslav Turkovic (DVD Karlovec Ludbreski) and Ivan Zlatar (DVD Sesvete Ludbreske).
Its worth mentioning that mayor of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality, prof. Marijan Lazar, has officialy delivered a brand new suction hoses to members of the DVD Sesvete Ludbreške, while bronze medals were given to Drazen Novak, Ivan Zlatar, Danijel Kovacek, Krunoslav Pozgaj and Stjepan Kovacek. Those medals were given as a symbol of respect and gratitude for a work done inside a technical committees of the CTIF 2005 VARAZDIN project.
photos...

St. Florian's Day 2006 - Department's new van sanctified

St. Florian's Day, a traditional fire department's manifestation organized on 8th May in Hrzenica, had an important supplement this year. A van of the Sveti Djurdj VFD (manufactured in 1998), bought last year, wasn't sanctified back then because of the early death of our parson Vladimir Stolnik, so this act has been performed this year by our new parson Vlado Borak.
Around 100 firefighters from all departments of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality Fire Department's Association took part in a programme of manifestation which is well known for many many years.
photos...


St. Florian's Day 2004
More than 100 firefighters from 6 volunteer fire departments gathered traditionally in Hrzenica on Sunday, 2nd of April, to celebrate their festive day. A traditional programme of this happening was made up of:
- fire equipment exhibition,
- festive march through streets of Hrzenica (supported by brass orchestra)
- holy mass for all firefighters
- firefighters' formal meeting in a firehouse of the Hrzenica VFD

Details from St. Florian's Day celebration in Hrzenica (2003)

St. Florian's Day celebration had a solemn parade to a newly built chapel of St. Florian as a traditional part of a programme. Statue of St. Florian, located originally at this site from the beggining of 20th century, was restored in 2003 and put inside a new chapel. This small but important investment, made with joint efforts of domestic Hrzenica citizens, Sveti Djurdj Municipality and Hrzenica VFD, gave nice look to small square in this western part of village.
It's interesting to mention that this small chapel is located in a part of village which was destroyed by a terrifying fire at the end of 19th century, demolishing 15 poor village homes and farms.

DVD Sveti Djurdj at the Varazdin County Fire Departments' Equipment Exhibition
Sveti Djurdj VFD is among few volunteer fire departments whose fire engines took part at the Varazdin County Fire Departments' Equipment Exhibition in Varazdin on 31st of May 200. Department's members Sinisa Kovacic and Nikola Kivac presented a Dennis fire engine as well as a Department itself.
Whole happening took place in a Vladimir Nazor Street and parking places in front of St. Florian's church. This was organized as a final part of a traditional manifestation "May - Month of Fire Protection". Department's fire engine received nice words from respected guests headed by dr. Zvonimir Sabati, mayor of the Varazdin County.

 

FIRE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES

Fire protection system consists of fire prevention and fire suppression activities. Fire service organizations are backbone of this whole integral system, and many smaller volunteer fire departments find fire prevention activities as their basic goal and perform various informative and promotional activities.

DVD Sveti Djurdj performs a group of such activities traditionally, with a few of them described below:
- distribution of wall calendars to all homes in Sveti Djurdj, Priles, Obrankovec and Luka Ludbreska (citizens and informed about all aspects of Department's work during this activity)
- distribution of leaflets with fire prevention tips to all homes, and especially during the "May - Month of Fire Protection" annual traditional manifestation
- regular annual fire hydrant check in all villages (last check was made in May 2004, presenting that both fire hydrants which are made above the surface are working properly, but 4 out of 36 underground ones have some kind of failure - that's current situation in a village of Sveti Djurdj itself)
- visits to Sveti Djurdj Primary School performed in order to educate the youngest population with fire protection basic knowledge
- use of public media resources for public relations (Radio Ludbreg, "Varazdinske vijesti" - local weekly newspaper, "Vecernji list" - national daily newspaper, Varazdin television) etc.

 

PUBLIC TACTICAL DRILLS

Maintainance of satisfactory skillness level and intervention readiness of Department's firefighting squads is impossible without constant training. That's why joint public training drills are organized regularly beside official training courses for voluntary fire service ranks.

Detail from a public tactical drill in Hrzenica (1998)


Joint tactical public drill of all 6 VFDs associated in the Sveti Djurdj Municipality FSA for a year 2002 was performed on 10th of November 2002 at a "Radasic" sawmill and wood industry complex in Luka Ludbreska.
All fire service vehicles were involved in this great drill (1 first-strike Dennis fire engine, 5 transport vans and 1 tractor cistern) with 45 firefighters on various tasks.
Drill performance received a positive marks from Stjepan Sinko, Varazdin County fire commander, as well as from prof. Marijan Lazar, mayor of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality. They were among a lot of citizens who watched a drill with a great interest.

"Struga 2003"
Based on the Fire Protection Plan (addopted by the Sveti Djurdj Municipality in 2003), Commanders' Board of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality Fire Services Association prepaired a public tactical firefighting drill called "Struga 2003", having a readiness check of all 6 Departments' and equipment check as the main goals of this event.
This drill took a private farm (Andrija Margic) in Struga as a place of "fire" with an electrical system failure as a cause of ignition.

Start of a drill called "Struga 2003"

Exactly 40 firefighters with all 8 vehicles belonging to DVDs of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality FSA took part in this drill organized on 9th November, having an alarm at 1 pm. DVD Sesvete Ludbreske had the first opportunity to present their new second-hand van in public.
Like a year earlier, a drill was watched by many citizens and it received good marks from a mayor of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality, prof. Marijan Lazar, as well as from a regional fire service commander, Stjepan Sinko.
Photographs taken during a drill are in our Photo Gallery.

"Sveti Djurdj 2004"
Sveti Djurdj Municipality Fire Services Association organized joined public tactical drill with firefighting units from all 6 volunteer fire departments involved on 21st of November 2004.


Participants of the "Sveti Djurdj 2004" drill lined up

Firefighting drill "Sveti Djurdj 2004" was performed on facilities of the Sveti Djurdj Primary School by 47 firefighters from VFDs:Sveti Djurdj, Hrzenica, Karlovec Ludbreski, Komarnica Ludbreska, Sesvete Ludbreske and Struga. This location was choosen because of a long term collaboration between fire service organisations of this municipality with school officials, and especially in a field of education of youngest pupils about basic fire prevention tips.
Drill led by commander of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality FSA Stjepan Kovacek, was watched by numerous citizens and traditional guests: mayor of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality prof. Marijan Lazar and Varazdin County Fire Service Commander Stjepan Sinko.

"Sesvete 2005"

Sveti Djurdj Municipality Fire Departments' Association organized a joint public tactical firefighting drill for all of its 6 volunteer fire depaments on sunday, 20th November 2005.
Firefighting drill «Sesvete 2005» was performed on a location of the village home in Sesvete Ludbreske by 46 firefighters of tthe following volunteer fire departments: Sveti Djurdj, Hrzenica, Karlovec Ludbreski, Komarnica Ludbreska, Sesvete Ludbreske and Struga. A few tactical elements have been an integral part of a drill, including a car fire extinguishing by firefighting foam, internal attack by use of high pressure streams and evacuation of persons with ladders.
A drill coordinated by Stjepan Kovacek, commander of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality FDA, was monitored and positively graded by a mayor of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality prof. Marijan Lazar, president of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality Council Zlatko Sinkovic and member of the Commanders' Board of the Varazdin County Fire Departments' Association, Vilim Kisic.
photos from a drill

OTHER HAPPENINGS

FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI
Firefighters from a territory of St. George's Parish take a traditional part of the Corpus Christi christian celebration in late May/early June, giving a special contribution and nice look to a procession throughout streets of Sveti Djurdj with their festive uniforms. This has been a tradition for almost 130 years. Therefore a delegation of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality FSA took part at this event on 10th of June 2004, having an active part in a holy mass and procession led by reverend Vladimir Stolnik.

The Corpus Christi celebration in 1993

 

Feast of Corpus Christi - 2005

One of the traditional religious, and now national public holidays, Feast of Corpus Christi, gathers a few hundreds of believers in Sveti Djurdj church every year. So the same happened this year on 22nd of June, including around 30 firefighters from all Departments in our municipality.
Very good collaboration between fire departments and Sveti Djurdj parish, and especially with parson reverend Vlado Borak, have been confirmed once again, as firefighters were carying a "sky" above our parson and a monstrance which is originally stored in a central church in Sveti Djurdj.
photos...

 

110 YEARS OF SERVICE CELEBRATION OF THE DVD SESVETE LUDBRESKE
More than 40 active members of the Sesvete Ludbreske Volunteer Fire Department (member of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality FSA) celebrated officialy 110 years of service of their Department on 21st of June 2003. Main part of this happening was a delivery of a transport van and other personal firefighting equipment. Keys were given to Department's president Franjo Funtek by Darko Lovric, vice commander of Croatian Fire Services, being an donator's official representative (Ministry of Interior). He emphasised a successfull collaboration between professional and voluntary firefighters in Croatia during his festive speech at this occassion.
More than 100 firefighters from 12 VFDs were addressed by other important guests as well. Mr Miroslav Kirincic, editor of national fire service magazine and representative of the Croatian Fire Services Association delivered a special Mirko Kolaric medal to this Department. Other high guests taking speeches were: Antun Kos, vice president of the Varazdin County FSA, Stjepan Kovacek, commander of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality FSA etc.
DVD Sveti Djurdj took part at this happening with a Dennis fire engine and 7 firefighters.


Part of the DVD Sesvete Ludbreske members during a celebration




HUMANITARIAN INDOOR SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Indoor soccer team of the Sveti Djurdj Municipality FSA was invited by Sveti Djurdj Municipality to compete at the humanitarian tournament organized on 1st of February 2003 in Sveti Djurdj Primary School Sport Hall. Colours of FSA were presented very good by team made up of: Stjepan Kovacek (captain), Zoran Bahat, Dejan Orlovic, Dean Kovacic, Nenad Magdalenic and Nenad Valenko.