A meeting of the Sinj City Civil Protection Staff (Stožer civilne zaštite Grada Sinja) was held in Sinj to review preparations for the 2026/2027 winter period. Attendees included Mayor Miro Bulj, Denis Bobeta, head of the Sinj City Civil Protection Staff, Jure Plazonić, mayor of Vrlika, and Mirjana Jelović, head of the Split Civil Protection Service. They were joined by representatives of relevant city services, municipal companies and emergency services.
Representatives from the Sinj Public Fire Brigade, the Volunteer Fire Society, the Red Cross, Čistoća, Vodovod, Kamička, the Social Care Centre, the police, the Regional Office for Civil Protection, HOPS and the County Road Administration also attended. Representatives from Hrvace, Trilj, Dicmo and Otok did not attend the meeting.
Services presented their available machinery, vehicles and personnel, with particular emphasis placed on rapid mutual notification and joint action in the event of snow, ice, floods, stormy weather or supply disruptions. The meeting was held to assess readiness for the winter period and to align procedures in the case of heavy precipitation, floods, snowdrifts, ice and stormy weather. Discussions covered possible disruptions to transport links and the supply of electricity, water and other basic necessities, with topics including road passability, clearing the aftermath of bad weather, and assistance and temporary accommodation for residents who might find themselves in threatened areas.
Mayor Miro Bulj stressed that in exceptional circumstances, all available services, municipal companies and other capacities that can assist on the ground must be ready. He highlighted the importance of knowing in advance who has personnel and machinery and how to deploy them quickly. “This is not a political issue, but a question for the people living in this area. In such situations, the most important thing is that services can connect quickly and that help reaches those who need it,” Bulj said.
Winter road maintenance in the city area is carried out in cooperation between city services, the County Road Administration and Croatian Roads. The mayor noted that Čistoća handles gritting and maintenance of roads for which the city is responsible. A representative of the County Road Administration stated that two trucks and an excavator are available. From 15 November to 15 March, a total of six trucks with winter equipment will be secured, and the winter service also has access to graders, loaders and two salt silos. The priority is to ensure the timely passability of main roads, followed by lower-priority roads.
The meeting highlighted the need for better coordination of calls and reactions among services. The mayor warned that in snowy conditions, help may be needed quickly in more remote settlements and higher areas. In the event of major disasters, the involvement of a wider circle of capacities is planned, including private companies and owners of heavy machinery. He requested that lists of available machinery and personnel be updated in advance and that a method for calling them be established, with the capacities of the Croatian Army mentioned as a possibility for additional help if circumstances require it.
The Sinj Public Fire Brigade stated that it has 10 vehicles, which are standardly equipped. Fire service representatives spoke about their role in responding to initial reports and on-site interventions, as well as the fact that some services lack certain equipment or vehicles. In the case of major threats, clear activation of units and coordination with the Civil Protection Staff are key. A Red Cross representative stressed that volunteers, vehicles and personnel can be deployed if needed, and that the Red Cross participates in providing assistance to the population. The police highlighted their role in traffic regulation and ensuring safety on the roads.
A HOPS representative presented competencies related to the transmission electricity grid, including lines and facilities at voltage levels of 420 and 110 kilovolts. The discussion specifically raised the issue of the consequences of a prolonged power supply outage, given that many households heat with electricity and have no alternative heating source. Representatives of services and local government warned that a prolonged power cut could particularly affect residents in remote and higher areas. Jure Plazonić, mayor of Vrlika, spoke about the preparations of municipal services in his city.
