Firefighters from Pribislavec Water 130 Saplings
Members of the Pribislavec Volunteer Fire Department, in their free time and without compensation, save young trees from drought and demonstrate what community care means.
Members of the Pribislavec Volunteer Fire Department, in their free time and without compensation, save young trees from drought and demonstrate what community care means.
Due to prolonged heat and lack of rain, members of the Pribislavec Volunteer Fire Department (DVD) are daily tending to over 130 young saplings in the Pribislavec Municipality area. They dedicate up to four hours a day to watering, entirely on a volunteer basis and without any financial compensation, as reported by Međimurje Press on August 18, 2026.
The Pribislavec Municipality has two municipal workers and one municipal warden at its disposal. Alongside their regular duties, they cannot alone care for such a large number of planted trees on a daily basis, so firefighters stepped in at the request of the municipality head.
After work and family or personal commitments, DVD members gather at the association's premises, board the fire truck, and go from sapling to sapling. The goal is to preserve what has already been planted to make Pribislavec more beautiful and greener.
Public funds, as well as effort and the desire to improve the appearance of the place, have been invested in the saplings. The DVD warns that it would be a real shame to let a few weeks of extreme temperatures destroy all that work.
Ana Novak, secretary of the Pribislavec DVD, emphasized in a statement that the firefighting calling goes beyond just extinguishing fires:
"Firefighting is not just about putting out fires. It's about being there for your community whenever needed-during fires, storms, and other emergencies, but also when there are no sirens or flashing lights."
She added that sometimes help simply means taking a water tanker and dedicating a few hours of free time to the place you call home.
Today, members are caring for over 130 small saplings. In a few years, these very trees could provide shade for children and future generations. Although no one may know who watered them during this scorching summer, the DVD says that doesn't matter-it will be enough that they survived.
"We're not reaching out for publicity or seeking special recognition. We're reaching out because we believe our members deserve to have their volunteer work seen and to receive a big-THANK YOU."
