Kolekcionar vatrogasnog znakovlja

Dobrovoljno vatrogasno društvo Naantali (VPK) osnovano je 1885. godine na inicijativu nekih stanovnika grada. Točan datum osnutka nije poznat, ali izvadak iz dokumenta pokazuje da je VPK već postojao 1885. godine. U svibnju 1885. godine, stanovnici grada okupili su se u gradskoj vijećnici, gdje je odobreno pravo VPK-a da koristi gradsko vatrogasno crijevo za obuku. Tijekom godina ugnjetavanja, aktivnosti VPK-a bile su prekinute, ali krajem 1920-ih pojavio se interes za oživljavanje aktivnosti VPK-a. U listopadu 1930. održan je osnivački sastanak u Mokkakahvili, a u siječnju 1931. O.W. Sorthan izabran je za prvog načelnika VPK-a. U godini osnutka, na Kristiinankatuu izgrađena je i vatrogasna postaja, gdje su se spasilačke operacije nastavile do 2010-ih. Godine 1948. dogodio se veliki požar u skladištu goriva Tupavuori, što je povećalo interes grada za razvoj VPK-a. Godine 1949. gradsko vijeće odlučilo je zaposliti stalnog vatrogasnog zapovjednika, a Reino Karus iz Porija izabran je za prvog vatrogasnog zapovjednika Naantalija. Karus je razvio vatrogasnu postrojbu prema učinkovitijoj zaštiti od požara. Muška i ženska sekcija VPK-a osnovane su 1951. Muška sekcija odmah je postala vrlo popularna među dječacima Naantalija.

Raspršenost tijekom godina represije

No, dobrovoljno vatrogasno društvo se u represivnim godinama raspršilo. Krajem 1920-ih od nekih stanovnika Naantalija javila se ideja o ponovnom pokretanju dobrovoljnog vatrogasnog društva. Projekt je ušao u fazu provedbe u jesen 1930., 5. listopada. Toga je dana u tadašnjoj kavani Mokka održan osnivački sastanak Dobrovoljnog vatrogasnog društva Naantali. Na sjednici održanoj 11. siječnja 1931. za prvog načelnika VPK izabran je O. W. Sorthan. Kasnije su poglavari bili: 1934. – 1945. Hilmer Larko 1946. – 1948. Hugo Aalto 1949. – 1979. Esko Aarnio 1980. – 1980. Juha Kangasvuori 1981. – 1987. Timo Mannelin 1988. – 1989. Jarkko Eloranta 1990. – 1993. Juhani Huttunen 1994. – 1996. Reima Laine 1997. – 2007. Jukka Hanhiala 2007. – 2009. Semi Suni,2009 - Marko Nissinen

The Volunteer Fire Brigade of Naantali (VPK) was founded in 1885 at the initiative of several town residents. The exact date of its establishment is not known, but an excerpt from a document shows that the VPK already existed in 1885. In May of that year, the townspeople gathered at the town hall, where the VPK was granted the right to use the town’s fire hose for training. During the years of oppression, the activities of the VPK were interrupted, but by the late 1920s, interest in reviving the brigade re-emerged. In October 1930, a founding meeting was held at Mokkakahvila, and in January 1931, O.W. Sorthan was elected as the first chief of the VPK. In the same year, a fire station was built on Kristiinankatu, where rescue operations continued until the 2010s. In 1948, a large fire broke out at the Tupavuori fuel warehouse, which increased the town’s interest in developing the VPK. In 1949, the town council decided to hire a permanent fire chief, and Reino Karus from Pori was appointed as the first fire chief of Naantali. Karus developed the fire brigade towards more effective fire protection. The men’s and women’s sections of the VPK were established in 1951. The men’s section immediately became very popular among the boys of Naantali.

Dispersion during the years of repression

However, the volunteer fire brigade was dispersed during the repressive years. At the end of the 1920s, some residents of Naantali came up with the idea of restarting a volunteer fire department. The project entered the implementation phase in the fall of 1930, on October 5. On that day, the founding meeting of the Naantali Voluntary Fire Brigade was held in the then Mokka cafe. At the session held on January 11, 1931, O. W. Sorthan was elected as the first head of the VPK. Later the heads were: 1934 - 1945 Hilmer Larko 1946 - 1948 Hugo Aalto 1949 - 1979 Esko Aarnio 1980 - 1980 Juha Kangasvuori 1981 - 1987 Timo Mannelin 1988 - 1989 Jarkko Eloranta 1990 - 1993 Juhani Huttunen 1994 – 1996 Reima Laine 1997 – 2007 Jukka Hanhiala 2007 – 2009 Semi Suni, 2009 - Marko Nissinen