Kolekcionar vatrogasnog znakovlja

Dobrovoljno vatrogasno društvo Novi Marof osnovano je u nedjelju, 23. rujna 1923. godine. Ne zna se točno gdje je bio osnivački skup , ali budući je prvi zapovjednik DVD-a bio Vilko Paldi koji je bio tada jedan od imućnijih novomarofčana opravdana je pretpostavka da je osnivački skup bio u njegovoj kući u samom centru tadašnjeg Novog Marofa . Međutim prije samog osnivačkog skupa održan je osnivački sastanak na inicijativu nekolicine tadašnjih kotarskih i općinskih službenika. Na tom sastanku koji se održao 06. rujna 1923. prisustvovali su općinski bilježnik Stjepan Hržina, općinski blagajnik Mijo Jerneić, općinski načelnik Fabijan Šantek, kraljevski kotarski predstojnik Levin Eršeg, te još desetak mještana Novog Marofa i okolnih sela, gdje je dogovoreno da se ustroji vatrogasno društvo po uzoru na već ranije ustrojena društva iz okolice Novog Marofa (Varaždin, Varaždinske Toplice, Gornja Rijeka, Bisag, Visoko...). Dokaz o osnivačkoj Skupštini, jesu do danas očuvana prva originalna "Pravila Dobrovoljnog vatrogasnog društva u Novom Marofu" datirano s navedenim datumom, 23.rujna 1923. Ista "Pravila" odobrena su i potvrđena žigom od strane Velikog župana zagrebačke oblasti u Zagrebu, Kraljevskog banskog savjetnika, vršioca dužnosti velikog župana zagrebačke oblasti i to 25. ožujka 1924. godine pod brojem 223./1924. Na toj skupštini izabrano je i rukovodstvo Društva u sastavu ; predstojnik Levin Eršeg, zapovjednik Društva bio je Vilko Paldi, tajnik Stjepan Hržina, Mijo Jerneić blagajnik, a odbornici su bili Franjo Šoštarić, Ivan Purgar, Mato Turković, Franjo Maršić, Franjo Kuzel, Franjo Ferenđa, Među osnivačima bili su još; vlč.Pavao Matica, župnik madžarevski koji je bio duhovnik Društva, vodnici dr Ognjen Oštrić, liječnik, Nikola Papišta, Josip Toma i Merkaš Stjepan, rojnici Koščina Bartol, Vukalović Stjepan, Krbot Stjepan i Dodoš Josip, te članovi Pajan Mato, Marić Mato, Ferenđa Josip, Purgar Luka, Sokol Jakob, Bagadur Gabro, Horvat Mirko i Purgar Tomo. Po blaganičkim zapisima i tadašnjim dnevnicima, na početku je bilo 40 članova utemeljitelja, 40 izvršujućih članova, te 50 podupirajućih članova. Kad je DVD Novi Marof osnovan, osnovan je kao Dobrovoljna vatrogasna četa (roj) Novi Marof koja je s ostalim rojevima pripadao Vatrogasnoj župi Varaždin. Međutim, 1933. osnovana je Vatrogasna župa Novi Marof (preteča Vatrogasnog saveza općine) pa je time i DVD Novi Marof od tada u sklopu te vatrogasne župe. Uz Novi Marof, u vatrogasnu župu Novi Marof spadalo je još 17 društava i to ; Bisag, Breznica, Breznički Hum, Kaštelanec, Ključ, Drenovec, Gornja Rijeka, Jakopovec, Ljubešćica, Lovrentovec, Oštrice, Podevčevo, Podrute, Svibovec, Tuhovec, Varaždinske Toplice i Visoko. U tim prvim godinama postojanja novog vatrogasnog društva, kao i u svakom novoosnovanom Društvu nedostajalo je svega, poglavito vatrogasne opreme. Da bi opremu nabavili tadašnji članovi kojih u početku nije bilo mnogo, vlastitim prilozima, dobrovoljnim prilozima od mještana i poduzeća, članarinom podupirajućih članova, te skromnom potporom ondašnje vlasti, prikupljaju finacijska sredstva i postepeno nabavljaju opremu, tako da već par godina nakon osnivanja uspjevaju kupiti rabljenu zaprežnu ručnu štrcaljku, koju su vukli kirijaški konji, koje se posebno plačalo, određenu količinu vatrogasnih odora te dva minimaks aparata za gašenje. Iz oskudne arhive iz tog vremena koja se sačuvala saznajemo da je već 1933. godine prodavši spomenutu ručnu štrcaljku Društvo kupilo teretno vozilo, manji kamion marke "Steyr" na koji se postavlja kaca, "bedenj" za vodu i pumpa i na taj način Društvo privremeno rješava problem prijevoza ljudi i vode do garišta, a time i povećava svoju efikasnost u gašenju požara. U tim prvim godinama rada svake godine pristupilo je nekoliko novih članova, da bi 1931.godine došlo do velikog učlanjenja novih članova tako da prema matičnoj knjizi iz te godine Društvo broji više od 120 aktivnih članova, i to iz Novog Marofa, Grane, Remetinca, Strmca, Podevčeva, Ključa, Oštrica, Mađareva, Presečna. Upravo takova brojnost aktivnog članstva iz gotovo svih sela oko Novog Marofa, koja se nakon tog vremena nije uspjela ni do dans dostići, bila je poticaj da ti isti članovi DVD-a Novi Marof budu osnivači i vatrogasnih rojeva odnosno društava u svojim selima . Tako se 1930. osniva DVD-a Podevčevo, 1931. DVD Podrute, 1933. DVD Oštrice, 1934. DVD Ključ, 1955. DVD Strmec, 1956. Presečno i 1958. DVD Remetinec. 1937. uz postojeće vozilo, koje se često kvarilo, ali je služilo svrsi Društvo nabavlja novu vatrogasnu štrcaljku i na taj način povećava efikasnost Društva , koje je polako raslo.      1938. bira se novi upravni odbor, Društvo slavi 15 godišnjicu rada, uz misno slavlje, svečanu sjednicu, veliku javnu vježbu, zabavu i tombolu. Isto tako iz postojeće arhive, saznaje se da je izaslanik DVD-a Novi Marof dozapovjednik Vukalović Stjepan bio na pogrebu učitelju hrvatskog vatrogastva Mirku Kolariću, 02.10.1938.

The Novi Marof volunteer fire brigade was founded on Sunday, September 23, 1923. It is not known exactly where the founding meeting took place, but the future first commander of the DVD was Vilko Paldi, who was one of the wealthiest residents of Novi Marof at the time, so it is reasonable to assume that the founding meeting was held in his house in the very center of Novi Marof at that time. However, before the founding meeting itself, a founding meeting was held at the initiative of several district and municipal officials at the time. At that meeting, which took place on September 6, 1923, the municipal notary Stjepan Hržina, the municipal treasurer Mijo Jerneić, the municipal mayor Fabijan Šantek, the royal district head Levin Eršeg, and a dozen other residents of Novi Marof and the surrounding villages were present, where it was agreed to organize firefighting company modeled after already established companies from the vicinity of Novi Marof (Varaždin, Varaždinske Toplice, Gornja Rijeka, Bisag, Visoko...). The first original "Rules of the Voluntary Fire Department in Novi Marof" dated with the mentioned date, September 23, 1923, have been preserved to this day as proof of the founding Assembly. The same "Rules" were approved and confirmed with a stamp by the Grand Prefect of the Zagreb Region in Zagreb, the Royal Bansko adviser, acting grand prefect of the Zagreb region on March 25, 1924 under number 223/1924. At that assembly, the management of the Company was elected, consisting of; the president Levin Eršeg, the commander of the Society was Vilko Paldi, the secretary Stjepan Hržina, the treasurer Mijo Jerneić, and the board members were Franjo Šoštarić, Ivan Purgar, Mato Turković, Franjo Maršić, Franjo Kuzel, Franjo Ferenđa. Among the founders were others; Reverend Pavao Matica, a Hungarian parish priest who was the spiritual leader of the Society, sergeants Dr. Ognjen Oštrić, doctor, Nikola Papišta, Josip Toma and Merkaš Stjepan, priests Koščina Bartol, Vukalović Stjepan, Krbot Stjepan and Dodoš Josip, and members Pajan Mato, Marić Mato, Ferendja Josip, Purgar Luka, Sokol Jakob, Bagadur Gabro, Horvat Mirko and Purgar Tomo. According to the treasurer's records and diaries of the time, at the beginning there were 40 founding members, 40 executive members, and 50 supporting members. When DVD Novi Marof was founded, it was founded as a Voluntary fire brigade (swarm) of Novi Marof which, together with other swarms, belonged to the Varaždin Fire District. However, in 1933, the Novi Marof Fire District was founded (the forerunner of the municipality's Fire Association), so DVD Novi Marof has been part of that fire district ever since. In addition to Novi Marof, the Novi Marof fire parish included 17 other companies, namely; Bisag, Breznica, Breznički Hum, Kaštelanec, Ključ, Drenovec, Gornja Rijeka, Jakopovec, Ljubešćica, Lovrentovec, Oštrice, Podevčevo, Podrute, Svibovec, Tuhovec, Varaždinske Toplice and Visoko. In those first years of the new firefighting company's existence, as in every newly founded company, everything was lacking, especially firefighting equipment. In order to acquire the equipment, the members at the time, who were not many at the beginning, collected financial resources and gradually acquired the equipment with their own contributions, voluntary contributions from local residents and businesses, membership fees of supporting members, and the modest support of the government at the time, so that already a few years after the foundation, they managed to buy a used manual hand-drawn sprayer, which was pulled by Kyriach horses, which was paid for separately, a certain amount of firemen's uniforms and two minimax fire extinguishers. From the scarce archive from that time that has been preserved, we learn that already in 1933, after selling the mentioned manual syringe, the Company bought a cargo vehicle, a smaller truck of the brand "Steyr" on which a bucket, a "basket" for water and a pump are installed, and in this way the Company temporarily it solves the problem of transporting people and water to the fire station, thereby increasing its efficiency in extinguishing fires. In those first years of work, several new members joined each year, and in 1931 there was a large enrollment of new members, so that according to the registry book from that year, the Society has more than 120 active members, namely from Novi Marof, Grana, Remetinac, Strmca, Podevčeva, Ključa, Oštrica, Magjareva, Presečna. Exactly such a large number of active members from almost all the villages around Novi Marof, which after that time did not manage to be reached even today, was the impetus for those same members of DVD Novi Marof to be the founders of fire brigades or societies in their villages. Thus, DVD Podevčevo was founded in 1930, DVD Podrute in 1933, Oštrice DVD in 1934, Ključ DVD in 1955, Strmec DVD in 1956, Presečno in 1958, and Remitenec DVD in 1958. In 1937, in addition to the existing vehicle, which often broke down, but served its purpose, the Company acquired a new fire extinguisher and thus increased the efficiency of the Company, which was slowly growing. In 1938, a new board of directors was elected, the Society celebrated its 15th anniversary, with a mass celebration, a formal session, a large public exercise, entertainment and a raffle. Likewise, from the existing archive, it is known that the envoy of the DVD Novi Marof, Deputy Commander Stjepan Vukalović, attended the funeral of the Croatian fire department teacher Mirko Kolarić on 02.10.1938.