Kolekcionar vatrogasnog znakovlja

Počeci organiziranog protupožarnog djelovanja u tadašnjem gradu Zadvarju sežu još početkom 20. stoljeća – u godine kada je izgrađena i HE Kraljevac (1912.) koja je imala potrebu nabavka protupožarne opreme za koju su se obučavali i određeni ljudi iz pogona. Nakon turbulentnih ratnih i poratnih godina, 1951. godine osnovano je i Dobrovoljno vatrogasno društvo Zadvarje, zajedno s društvima u drugim većim središtima poput Omiša i Imotskog. Jedan od utemeljitelja društva bio je ugledni mjesni liječnik Vjekoslav Điđi Franceschi koji je sa upraviteljem lokalne gospodarske zadruge Milanom Pervanom donio ideju o osnivanju vatrogasnog društva u Zadvarju. Ideja pada na plodno tlo pa Ivan Grubišić – Đanko u starom obiteljskom hotelu Cetina, koji je svojedobno gostio i Tina Ujevića, ustupa prostorije neophodne za rad Društva. Priključuju im se Stanko Čizmić, kao strojar i vozač u Društvu, Nediljko Bajić, kao meštar, Vice Šodan –  Brico, Aleksandar Pejković, Jure Krnić, Andrija Čizmić, Ivan Santrić, Ivan Krželj i mnogi drugi, a za prvog zapovjednika biraju najspremnijeg čovjeka netom pridošlog iz vojske – Vicu Šodana, pok.Filipa Prva zabilježena ozbiljna intervencija bila je ispumpavanje prostora elektrane nakon poplave 1954. godine, uz pomoć DVD-a Omiš, Imotski i Makarska. Naravno, Društvo tada ne bi moglo djelovati da upravo HE Kraljevac nije darovala vozilo marke Dodge, vatrogasnu pumpu i još podosta opreme. Prve vježbe izvodile su se na Oboru, današnjem Trgu Stjepana Radića, a kao jednu od prvih intervencija van mjesta, usmena predaja navodi odlazak u Makarsku na ispomoć s pumpom pri gašenju stare ambulante.

The beginnings of organized fire protection in the then town of Zadvarje date back to the early 20th century – to the years when the Kraljevac Hydropower Plant (1912) was built. The plant required the procurement of fire-fighting equipment, for which several of its workers were trained. After the turbulent war and post-war years, the Zadvarje Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1951, together with the establishment of fire brigades in other major centers such as Omiš and Imotski. One of the founders of the society was the respected local doctor Vjekoslav “Điđi” Franceschi, who, together with Milan Pervan, the manager of the local agricultural cooperative, initiated the idea of creating a fire brigade in Zadvarje. The idea was readily embraced, and Ivan Grubišić – Đanko, in the old family-run Hotel Cetina, which had once hosted the poet Tin Ujević, offered the premises necessary for the functioning of the brigade. They were soon joined by Stanko Čizmić, as the brigade’s mechanic and driver, Nediljko Bajić, as craftsman, Vice Šodan – Brico, Aleksandar Pejković, Jure Krnić, Andrija Čizmić, Ivan Santrić, Ivan Krželj, and many others. The first fire chief elected was the most capable man who had just returned from military service – Vice Šodan, son of the late Filip. The first recorded major intervention occurred in 1954, when they assisted in pumping out the flooded hydropower plant building, with the help of the volunteer fire brigades of Omiš, Imotski, and Makarska. Naturally, the brigade would not have been able to operate at the time had it not been for the Kraljevac Hydropower Plant, which donated a Dodge fire-fighting vehicle, a fire pump, and a considerable amount of additional equipment. The first drills were held at Obor, today’s Stjepan Radić Square, and according to oral tradition, one of the first out-of-town interventions was a trip to Makarska to assist with a fire pump in extinguishing the old medical clinic.