Valentina Zadrić Matičević was left alone with the venomous snake in her Metković home after firefighters refused to intervene. The public fire brigade says they are neither equipped nor trained for such cases.
An unprecedented drama unfolded on Tuesday in a family home in Metković. Valentina Zadrić Matičević found a nose-horned viper, one of Croatia's most dangerous venomous snakes, in her kitchen while her children, a six-year-old and a seven-month-old baby, were in the room.
In a panic, she called the emergency number 112 and was connected to the Metković Public Fire Brigade. However, help did not arrive. "They refused a mother with two small children, saying, and I quote: 'We don't deal with snakes.' They left us alone with that same viper," Zadrić Matičević told Index.hr.
"The viper was crawling across our kitchen floor," the mother described the terrifying scene. After the firefighters refused to intervene, she also contacted the Croatian Firefighting Association but received no response.
"Maybe their procedures aren't outlined in regulations or law, but they are obliged to respond when someone is in immediate danger. And we were," she emphasized. In the meantime, she posted a photo of the viper on social media, and the snake was ultimately killed in the kitchen by her friend.
The Metković Public Fire Brigade explained why they did not respond to the call. "The Metković Public Fire Brigade is neither equipped nor are our firefighters trained for such tasks, which also do not fall under the jurisdiction of firefighters," their response stated.
They explain that the Firefighting Act and related regulations do not provide for interventions involving animals, including the removal of hornets, wasps, and other insects. "However, that doesn't mean firefighters should take on this job, for which they are neither trained nor equipped, and ultimately, it's not within their jurisdiction either," they concluded.
They directed the woman to the municipal inspection service of the City of Metković. The brigade added that they do not respond to such calls and receive several each year, but they do not keep statistics on them. They are also aware that there is no appropriate institution, for example from the veterinary profession, that would professionally deal with this issue.
"First of all, we must emphasize that we are truly sorry for the situation the lady found herself in. The employee who spoke with her could have explained in more detail the reasons why we did not respond," said the Metković Fire Brigade.
