The local volunteer fire brigade in Čaglin has, from Tuesday, been in possession of a new multi-purpose fire engine — the first completely new operational and rescue vehicle to arrive at the station since the 1980s.
The local fire brigade has long relied on used and outdated vehicles donated, including from the Austrian region of Tyrol, with the only recent addition being a van purchased via the Ministry of Agriculture. "We are not overly demanding; we have used the older vehicles to the best of our ability because the municipality did not have enough of its own revenue to buy a new one, but this is now a completely different story. The new one is, after all, new," said the commander of the DVD Čaglin, Ivan Kukić, to Požega.eu.
The new vehicle, commonly known as the 'forester', was allocated as part of a broader equipment provision for fire brigades. Although designed as a forest vehicle, it has the dimensions of a rescue vehicle and will serve both purposes, effectively replacing two vehicles. It carries 2,000 litres of water, which is significant for the municipality, which spans 180 square kilometres of predominantly forested terrain, with the most valuable forest stock in the Požega-Slavonia county.
The problem remains the remote settlements without water supply and hydrant networks, due to which the association is already considering the purchase of a 5,000 to 7,000-litre tanker. The municipality, they warn, cannot finance this on its own, so other sources will be sought.
Major investments are also underway in fire infrastructure: the local community halls in Rušev and Ljeskova are being renovated, and tenders for the construction of a new fire station in the centre of Čaglin will be opened in mid-July. The project, estimated at €1.23 million, includes garages for four vehicles, dormitories, a laundry, technical rooms, and a training tower, announced the municipal mayor, Dalibor Bardač. The handover of the vehicle was also attended by the county fire chief, Marko Ašenbrenner.
