Aunt Petra Trains Future Heroes
A young firefighting trainer from Starigrad, at 23 years old, has 15 years of experience, and today in Fažana she leads ten girls and passes on the firefighting tradition of Podravina.
A young firefighting trainer from Starigrad, at 23 years old, has 15 years of experience, and today in Fažana she leads ten girls and passes on the firefighting tradition of Podravina.
Petra Petričević from Starigrad is only 23 years old, but she can already boast of 15 years of firefighting experience. Her mother enrolled her in the local volunteer fire department DVD Starigrad in 2011, when she was just eight years old. Today, this same Petra is a youth firefighting trainer, a kindergarten teacher, a first-class firefighter, an operations member, and an engine operator, as reported by ePodravina.
Although she entered firefighting very early, Petra admits that she wasn't thrilled at first. "Mom wanted us to have as many hobbies as possible and maybe find ourselves in something. So it all started as a hobby, but that hobby grew into a great love," says Petra, adding that as a child it was sometimes boring and tiring, but today she is very glad she is where she is.
Her sister is also a firefighting trainer, and Petra has combined her love for firefighting and working with children in her professional life as well. She works as a kindergarten teacher, and she says that experience helps her a lot in leading youth and vice versa. "I love children and working with them. I love sharing my knowledge and experience, so I'm doing my ideal job," she emphasizes.
Petra has been participating in the firefighting camp in Fažana for the fifth year now, where children from all over Croatia spend a week learning the basics of firefighting. "Throughout the year, there's a lot of work and training, and this camp is a sort of reward for the hard work done all year," Petra explains.
At the camp, children gain new skills, knowledge, and experiences, meet friends from all over Croatia, and the program is tailored to their age. "At the camp, children learn the basics of firefighting, develop teamwork, responsibility, and discipline. They practice firefighting drills, and there are plenty of outdoor activities, from soccer to beach volleyball. Of course, there's also swimming in the sea," adds the trainer.
Trainers are responsible for the children throughout their stay, organizing their day, sports competitions where they also serve as judges, and in the evenings they are on duty and take care of them. Groups from all over Croatia come to the camp, led by trainers ranging from Petra's age to people twice her age.
Petra currently holds the position of engine operator, responsible for ensuring water supply through suction hoses with a pump and pressure hoses, but her favorite position is that of a runner, who is in charge of communication within the team. Her big wish is to complete the course to become a firefighter qualified for helicopter interventions. "I've already completed one training. But to be able to go on helicopter interventions, I need to complete several more trainings. It will take a few more years to finish everything needed to be qualified for that task," she emphasizes.
As a trainer of ten girls, Petra sees her goal in ensuring that the children stay in firefighting and one day become trainers themselves. "I'm currently a trainer for ten girls, and if just two or three stay in firefighting, I've already accomplished my task. That's the goal, for those children to one day continue sharing knowledge and experience and to progress," she says.
Petra notices a big difference between today's generations and the time when she entered firefighting. "Children are no longer as imaginative and don't want to play as much as we did. Children are quite withdrawn and shy. When we're at camp, they'd mostly want to be inside on their phones, but we don't allow that; instead, we encourage them to socialize as much as possible," Petra concludes.
That's exactly why she considers the camp an excellent place to overcome the fear of new acquaintances and to encourage socializing among children who today find it much harder to connect with their peers.
