At the electoral assembly of the Fire Protection Community of Međimurje County, held last night in the hall of the Strahoninec Municipal Social Home, the old and new leadership of the community was elected for the next five years. Mario Medved remains the president of the Fire Protection Community of Međimurje County.
Slavko Štefan from the Fire Protection Community of the City of Prelog and Tanja Smolković from the Fire Protection Community of the City of Mursko Središće were elected as vice-presidents. A new Statute for the Fire Protection Community of Međimurje County was also adopted, under which the community presidency will consist of all presidents of the fire protection communities of cities and municipalities, presidents of independent voluntary fire brigades, and one member appointed by the county.
The host of the assembly was the Strahoninec Voluntary Fire Brigade, and at the beginning, the president of the Strahoninec Voluntary Fire Brigade, Vanja Tomašić, addressed the attendees, wishing them a warm welcome. Among those present were Vladimir Lepen, president of the Strahoninec Municipal Council; Matija Posavec, the Međimurje County Magistrate; Stjepan Skuliber, president of the Fire Protection Community of Krapina-Zagorje County; Mario Paluh, assistant to the Chief Fire Commander for the mainland in the Croatian Fire Protection Community; Ivan Sokač, head of the Međimurje Police Directorate; and Ladislav Seke, head of the Čakovec Regional Office of Civil Protection.
County Fire Commander Robert Meglić presented the report on the work of the Fire Protection Community of Međimurje County for 2025. In the area of Međimurje County during 2025, 1,006 interventions were recorded, which is 88 interventions fewer than the previous year. Of that number, 294 were fires, 214 technical interventions and 499 other interventions.
Based on the order of the Chief Fire Commander, the regular deployment in 2025 was to the Split-Dalmatia County, to the town of Bol on the island of Brač. Four firefighters were deployed in each of five shifts, and in the fifth shift, there was a female deployment of one member from the Podturen Voluntary Fire Brigade to Supetar on Brač.
The community gathers and directs the work of fire protection communities in which 84 local voluntary fire brigades, 2 fire brigades in the economy, and the Čakovec Public Fire Unit operate. At the end of 2025, the community had 6,116 members. The Women's A Team of the Palinovec Voluntary Fire Brigade won first place at the international CTIF competition.
Stjepan Skuliber, president of the Fire Protection Community of Krapina-Zagorje County, stated that the reputation of the Međimurje firefighters is heard far and wide. County Magistrate Matija Posavec thanked the firefighters for their work and emphasised that support would be given to every purchase of equipment and vehicles, and that it is important to support firefighters, procure equipment, procure vehicles and build prevention. The Međimurje County budget for this year has allocated €203,500 for the Fire Protection Community of Međimurje County.
Awards were received by the Prelog, Mursko Središće, Donji Kraljevec, Mala Subotica, Nedelišće and Čakovec Voluntary Fire Brigades, as well as the Čateks Voluntary Fire Brigade. The Mihovljan Voluntary Fire Brigade received an award for hosting the Assembly of the Fire Protection Community of Međimurje County in 2025, and the Mačkovec Voluntary Fire Brigade for hosting the Assembly of the Firefighter Veterans Club of the Fire Protection Community of Međimurje County. The president and commander presented commemorative gifts to the members of the Women's A Team of the Palinovec Voluntary Fire Brigade, mentor Ivan Petar Srpak, and president of the Palinovec Voluntary Fire Brigade Franjo Jančec.
