Valentina Zadrić Matičević from Metković experienced a nightmare with Europe's most venomous snake in her own kitchen, only to receive a cold response and public criticism on Facebook instead of help from emergency services.
A peaceful afternoon in a family home in Metković turned into a nightmare for Valentina Zadrić Matičević when, while alone with her six-year-old child and a seven-month-old baby, she spotted a nose-horned viper, Europe's most venomous snake, on the kitchen floor.
"It was around 2:15 PM. It was heading towards the area under the fridge. Panic set in-I was alone with two small children! I immediately called 112 at 2:21 PM. The operator listened and connected me to the Metković Public Fire Brigade, and then came the shock," Valentina told Dnevnik.hr.
Expecting quick help, she received an unexpected reply. "After I explained the situation, the Metković Fire Brigade responded quite arrogantly and mercilessly: 'We don't deal with snakes.' I asked them what I was supposed to do alone with two small children, and they just said they didn't know and told me to call the municipal services. I called them too, but they said they weren't qualified and didn't have the equipment for it," she recalled.
Desperate because the snake was already moving from the kitchen towards the hallway, she finally sought help from a family friend. "A friend came over, covered the viper with a blanket, and had to hit it with a piece of iron 12 times before it died. There was literally no other way; he had to kill it because we had no other option or help," she said.
After the traumatic event, Valentina thanked her friend on social media and shared her experience with the firefighters. The response from the Metković Public Fire Brigade came quickly and publicly on their official Facebook page.
In the post, they stated that "no legal or sub-legal act stipulates that firefighters should catch snakes in homes" and that they do not wish to take such risks. They also added an ironic remark: "Therefore, we ask that in the future, before you publicly 'praise' us, you inform yourself about what falls within the scope of work of a particular public service, so that tomorrow you don't call the sanitation workers for a power outage and provoke them because they didn't help you."
This response sparked public outrage. Valentina, a healthcare worker whose husband is in the military, cannot believe the service behaved this way. "You are obligated to help! Whatever the situation and wherever you are, you are called to provide assistance. I want to believe this was just an outburst by an individual who answered the phone and wrote those comments, not the stance of the entire fire brigade, whose work I otherwise deeply respect. This is a calling, not just a job," she concluded.
Valentina also informed the Croatian Firefighting Association about the entire incident, but she is still waiting for a response. Additionally, she later met police officers in town who confirmed that they too would have called the firefighters in such a situation. This incident has raised a crucial question: who can citizens turn to when a dangerous snake enters their home if emergency services refuse to intervene?
