Kolekcionar vatrogasnog znakovlja
DAMIR MARENIĆ
U temeljima organizirane zaštite od požara u Hrvatskoj leži stoljetna tradicija borbe protiv požara i drugih elementarnih nepogoda. Hrvatsko dobrovoljno vatrogastvo, kao ključna sastavnica protupožarne zaštite, s ponosom bilježi 150 godina neprekidnog rada Prvoga hrvatskog dobrovoljnog vatrogasnog zbora u Varaždinu te 140 godina djelovanja Hrvatske vatrogasne zajednice – stožerne organizacije hrvatskog vatrogastva. Kroz dugu i bogatu povijest vatrogastva dodjeljivana su brojna priznanja, medalje i spomenice, a izrađivane su i značke te zastave vatrogasnih društava i zajednica. Prateći društvene promjene – od monarhije, preko socijalističkog uređenja, sve do samostalnosti Republike Hrvatske – mijenjao se i izgled, ali i simbolična vrijednost tih priznanja. Početkom 1990-ih gotovo prestaje izrada vatrogasnih značaka, a u uporabu sve više dolaze našivci, odnosno amblemi (eng. patch), kao novi oblici identiteta i simbolike.
Posebno mjesto u očuvanju ove vrijedne baštine imaju vatrogasni kolekcionari – istinski čuvari povijesti i tradicije. Njihova posvećenost prikupljanju, katalogiziranju i predstavljanju vatrogasne memorabilije neprocjenjiva je za očuvanje kulturnog i povijesnog identiteta vatrogastva.
U Hrvatskoj su nadaleko poznati i cijenjeni kolekcionari poput Damira Trinajstića, Renea Raymonda Gulina, Željka Balata, Marijana Bobete, Željka Šiptara, Josipa Pečeka, Srečka Sačića, Ivice Filipa, Nedeljka Baruškina, te pokojnog Vlade Šoštarića – jedne od istinskih veličina u ovom području. Susjedne zemlje također imaju svoje znamenite kolekcionare: u Sloveniji su to Janez Liponik, Janez Puželj, Tone Kralj, Lovro Metikoš, Uroš Gačnik, Mirko Fekonja i Nino Žokš, a u Srbiji Zlatko i Marko Detar. S ponosom mogu reći da i sam pripadam tom društvu predanih zaljubljenika u vatrogasnu baštinu i memorabiliju. Biti dio ove zajednice znači ne samo prikupljati predmete, već čuvati uspomene, identitet i povijest generacija vatrogasaca koji su svojim radom i žrtvom obilježili sigurnost naše domovine.
U Hrvatskoj je neposredno pred početak domovinskog rata postojalo 39 profesionalnih vatrogasnih jedinica s 1.645 profesionalnih vatrogasaca u gradskim naseljima, te 81 profesionalna vatrogasna jedinica u tvornicama s 2.428 profesionalnih vatrogasaca. Postojalo je i 1.974 dobrovoljnih vatrogasnih društava s 84.301 aktivnim članom u naseljima i 431 dobrovoljno vatrogasno društvo s 19.915 aktivnih članova u tvornicama. Ukupno je postojalo 2.525 raznih vatrogasnih jedinica, a njihovih članova je bilo čak 289.209, računajući ovdje i pripadnike vatrogasne mladeži i pomažuće članove. Sve te jedinice bile su organizirane u 105 općinskih vatrogasnih saveza i devet vatrogasnih saveza na nivou regija. Neposredno prije rata u svim jedinicama izvršene su provjere vatrogasne opreme, ljudstva i pokretljivosti vatrogasnih jedinica, vatrogasni savezi općina uspostavili su najužu suradnju s nadležnim organima općina (štabovima Civilne zaštite, Crvenoga križa itd.), uspostavljena je neposredna radio-veza s tim čimbenicima, te veza između pojedinih vatrogasnih jedinica, organizirano je čuvanje vatrogasnih objekata i opreme, izvlačenje opreme iz objekata u slučaju njihove ugroženosti.
Poznat je samoprijegor i požrtvovnost vatrogasaca u Vukovaru koji su pod neprekidnom kišom granata bili na terenu. I prije okupacije grada izgubili su sva svoja vozila, a nestalo je i vode. Jedan od najvećih požara na području Osijeka bio je 13. rujna 1991. kad su pogođeni naftni spremnici, a prosječno je u gradu dnevno bilo 3-4 požara, no bilo je dana kad ih je zbog napada bilo i više od 20. I u Vinkovcima su požari gašeni za vrijeme ratnih aktivnosti i pod neprekidnom paljbom, a nije bila rijetkost da u isto vrijeme gori nekoliko važnih objekata. U dva mjeseca vatrogasci su imali oko 200 požara. Župna crkva iz 18. stoljeća spašena je iako je toranj bio pogođen sa šest projektila jer su vatrogasci još prije rata na tornju postavili razdjelnicu, cijevi i mlaznice, pa je samo trebalo priključiti dovod vode. Na području Slavonskog Broda, Županje i ostalih mjesta u Posavini, najžešći napadi dogodili su se 1992. godine, pa i kasnijih godina.
U Sisku je najteže bilo kad je u dva navrata, 7. i 18. listopada, granatirana rafinerija, pa je uslijed toga izbio veliki požar. 7. listopada pogođen je cjevovod na izlasku iz benzinskih spremnika, što je dovelo do nekontroliranog istjecanja benzina koji se zapalio. Vatrogasci Siska, susjednih dobrovoljnih društava i Vatrogasne brigade iz Zagreba satima su se borili s vatrenom stihijom. 18. listopada gorjelo je na šest mjesta u rafineriji, a vatrogasci su se cijelu noć borili s požarom znajući da ako ne uspiju da će izgorjeti i veliki dio grada. Teško je bilo i u Petrinji, gdje su u više navrata tenkovi i oklopna vozila tzv. JNA spriječili gašenje požara. U Gospiću je malobrojna vatrogasna jedinica pojačana s pripadnicima Civilne zaštite bila pod neprekidnim napadima, no uspjela je ugasiti 46 požara. U Otočcu je djelovalo dobrovoljno vatrogasno društvo i to u sklopu Civilne zaštite. 25. kolovoza 1991. grad se nalazio pod neprekidnom paljbom, pa kad je dojavljeno da gori crkveni toranj, vatrogasci su u terenskom vozilu pristigli do mjesta požara gdje su požar gasili sami svećenik i dvije časne sestre. Vrijedno je spomenuti i sprečavanje katastrofe u tvornici kemijskih proizvoda Cosmochemia 4. rujna. Uz ogromne napore vatrogasaca i djelatnika tvornice požar je stavljen pod kontrolu. Karlovac je doživio golema razaranja - u nekim danima bilo je odjednom i po devet požara. Vatrogasci Karlovca, Duge Rese i Ozlja međusobno su jedni drugima priskakali u pomoć kad god je zatrebalo. Slično je bilo u Novskoj, Novoj Gradišci, Bjelovaru, Varaždinu... U Zadru su pripadnici Vatrogasne brigade gasili petnaestak požara dnevno, ne računajući šumske požare. Razaranje Zadra počelo je 22. rujna 1991. godine minobacačkim i topničkim napadom iz vojarni tzv. JNA. Razaranje je trajalo dva tjedna, a sve je kulminiralo 5. i 6. listopada kad je agresor uporabio sva sredstva za uništavanje i to iz zraka, s mora i s kopna. Teško je oštećena industrijska zona. U ta dva dana vatrogascu su gasili 53 industrijska, društvena i privatna objekta, te 14 šumskih požara. U Šibeniku je napad počeo već 17. rujna 1991. i to sa svih strana. U razdoblju od 17. do 23. rujna bilo je 69 požara u gradu i okolici, a gorjelo je i oko 3000 hektara šumskih površina. Vatrogasci su imali 33 intervencije, a prilikom šest vatrogasnih intervencija otvorena je neposredna paljba na vatrogasce. Slično je bilo i u svim ostalim gradovima i mjestima u Dalmaciji koja su se našla na meti JNA. Posebno je stradao Dubrovnik gdje je oštećeno oko 30% građevina u povijesnoj jezgri, a oko 10% potpuno je uništeno požarima prouzročenim zapaljivim projektilima. Razrušen je i vatrogasni dom, uništena i oštećena vozila i oprema, a poginula su tri vatrogasca i pet ih je ranjeno. U domovinskom ratu 21 vatrogasac dao je svoj život, a više od 100 ih je ranjeno, bilo u svojim matičnim vatrogasnim postrojbama ili na drugim oblicima obrane zemlje. Uništeno je ili oštećeno 266 vatrogasnih domova ili spremišta, 353 vatrogasna vozila, 217 motornih štrcaljki, 78.846 m vatrogasnih cijevi i velike količine druge vatrogasne opreme. Izvor: "Vatrogasci Hrvatske u Domovinskom ratu (1991.-1992.)", Vatrogasni savez Hrvatske, Zagreb, 1992.
At the foundation of organized fire protection in Croatia lies a centuries-old tradition of combating fires and other natural disasters. Croatian volunteer firefighting, as a key component of fire protection, proudly marks 150 years of continuous operation of the First Croatian Volunteer Fire Brigade in Varaždin and 140 years of activity of the Croatian Firefighting Association – the central organization of Croatian firefighting. Throughout the long and rich history of firefighting, numerous awards, medals, and commemorative badges have been presented, while emblems and flags of fire brigades and associations have been crafted as symbols of pride and service. Following social transformations – from the monarchy, through the socialist period, and into the independence of the Republic of Croatia – the appearance and symbolic value of these honors have evolved. In the early 1990s, the production of firefighter badges nearly ceased, giving way to patches (Croatian: našivci), which became new forms of identity and symbolism.
A special place in preserving this valuable heritage belongs to firefighting collectors – true guardians of history and tradition. Their dedication to collecting, cataloging, and presenting firefighting memorabilia is invaluable for safeguarding the cultural and historical identity of firefighting. In Croatia, there are many well-known and highly respected collectors such as Damir Trinajstić, Rene Raymond Gulin, Željko Balat, Marijan Bobeta, Željko Šiptar, Josip Peček, Srećko Sačić, Ivica Filip, Nedeljko Baruškin, and the late Vlado Šoštarić – one of the true greats in this field. Neighboring countries also have their renowned collectors: in Slovenia, these include Janez Liponik, Janez Puželj, Tone Kralj, Lovro Metikoš, Uroš Gačnik, Mirko Fekonja, and Nino Žokš, while in Serbia, Zlatko and Marko Detar are among the most notable. I can proudly say that I, too, belong to this community of dedicated enthusiasts of firefighting heritage and memorabilia. Being part of this group means not only collecting items but also preserving the memories, identity, and history of generations of firefighters whose work and sacrifice have contributed to the safety of our homeland.
Just before the outbreak of the Homeland War, Croatia had 39 professional fire brigades with 1,645 professional firefighters in urban areas, and 81 professional fire brigades in factories employing 2,428 professional firefighters. There were also 1,974 volunteer fire brigades with 84,301 active members in towns and villages, and 431 volunteer fire brigades in factories with 19,915 active members. In total, there were 2,525 firefighting units of various types, with as many as 289,209 members altogether, including youth firefighters and auxiliary members. All these units were organized into 105 municipal fire associations and nine regional fire associations. On the eve of the war, comprehensive checks of firefighting equipment, personnel, and mobility were carried out. The municipal fire associations established close cooperation with relevant local authorities (such as Civil Protection headquarters, the Red Cross, etc.), direct radio communication was established with these institutions and between individual fire units, and measures were implemented for the protection of firefighting facilities and equipment, including evacuation of equipment from endangered buildings.
The selflessness and courage of firefighters in Vukovar are well known – they remained in the field under constant shelling. Even before the city’s occupation, they had lost all their vehicles, and the water supply had been cut off. One of the largest fires in the Osijek area occurred on September 13, 1991, when oil tanks were hit; the city faced an average of three to four fires per day, and during heavy attacks, the number sometimes exceeded twenty. In Vinkovci, fires were extinguished even during intense combat and under continuous gunfire; it was not uncommon for several important buildings to burn simultaneously. Over two months, firefighters responded to about 200 fires. The parish church from the 18th century was saved, even though its tower was hit by six shells, thanks to firefighters who had previously installed a water distribution system with pipes and nozzles on the tower before the war – so only the water supply needed to be connected. In the areas of Slavonski Brod, Županja, and other parts of Posavina, the heaviest attacks occurred in 1992 and continued in the following years.
In Sisak, the most difficult moments came when the oil refinery was shelled twice, on October 7 and 18, causing massive fires. On October 7, a pipeline leading out of the fuel tanks was hit, resulting in an uncontrolled spill of gasoline that ignited. Firefighters from Sisak, neighboring volunteer brigades, and the Fire Brigade from Zagreb fought the inferno for hours. On October 18, six separate fires broke out within the refinery, and firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night, fully aware that failure would mean the destruction of a large part of the city. The situation was also dire in Petrinja, where tanks and armored vehicles of the so-called Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) repeatedly blocked efforts to extinguish fires. In Gospić, the small firefighting unit, reinforced with members of Civil Protection, operated under continuous attacks yet managed to extinguish 46 fires. In Otočac, the volunteer fire brigade functioned within the Civil Protection structure. On August 25, 1991, the city was under constant bombardment, and when a report came in that the church tower was on fire, firefighters arrived in an off-road vehicle to find the parish priest and two nuns already fighting the flames. A major disaster was also averted at the chemical plant Cosmochemia on September 4, when, thanks to the tremendous efforts of firefighters and factory workers, the fire was brought under control. Karlovac suffered extensive destruction—on some days there were as many as nine fires burning simultaneously. Firefighters from Karlovac, Duga Resa, and Ozalj continuously helped one another whenever needed. Similar scenes unfolded in Novska, Nova Gradiška, Bjelovar, Varaždin, and other towns.
In Zadar, members of the Fire Brigade were extinguishing around fifteen fires daily, not counting forest fires. The destruction of Zadar began on September 22, 1991, with mortar and artillery attacks launched from JNA barracks. The bombardment lasted for two weeks, culminating on October 5 and 6 when the aggressor used every available means of destruction—air, sea, and land. The industrial zone suffered severe damage. Over those two days, firefighters extinguished 53 industrial, public, and private buildings, as well as 14 forest fires. Šibenik came under attack as early as September 17, 1991, from all directions. Between September 17 and 23, there were 69 fires in the city and surrounding areas, and approximately 3,000 hectares of forest burned. Firefighters carried out 33 interventions, and during six of them, they came under direct gunfire. Similar conditions were experienced in other Dalmatian cities and towns targeted by the JNA. Dubrovnik was particularly devastated—around 30% of the buildings in the historic old town were damaged, and about 10% were completely destroyed by fires caused by incendiary projectiles. The fire station was destroyed, vehicles and equipment were damaged or lost, three firefighters were killed, and five were wounded. During the Homeland War, 21 firefighters lost their lives, and over 100 were injured—either while serving in their home units or participating in other forms of national defense. A total of 266 fire stations or depots were destroyed or damaged, along with 353 fire engines, 217 motor pumps, 78,846 meters of fire hoses, and large quantities of other firefighting equipment.
Source: “Firefighters of Croatia in the Homeland War (1991–1992),” Croatian Firefighting Association, Zagreb, 1992.