Organized by the Firefighters Association of Slovenia, the flags of the Firefighter Olympics Celje 2022 fluttered at occasional events in all 120 Slovenian fire brigades or in all 212 Slovenian municipalities at exactly 6 pm at all events 100 days before the Firefighter Olympics Celje 2022 . From 17 to 24 July this year, Knežje mesto will host around 3,000 firefighters from 25 countries.
The main event at today’s simultaneous event, with which Slovenian firefighters symbolically connected Slovenia, was in Celje, more precisely on Krekov trg in front of Celjski dom, where Janko Cerkvenik, President of the Slovenian Firefighters Association, Bojan Šrot, Mayor of Celje, and Mag. Matej Tonin, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Slovenia.
In his address, the President of the Firefighters Association of Slovenia, Janko Cerkvenik, said after greeting the distinguished guests: “We have gathered to solemnly raise the flag of the Firefighter Olympics Celje 2022. This will be the first such large firefighting Olympics in Slovenia, hosted by the city of Celje. The International Firefighting Organization CTIF has entrusted Slovenian firefighters with the organization of the largest event due to the outstanding competitive success of our fire brigades in such competitions in the past, but also because we have proven to be good hosts on various occasions. The expressed trust is an exceptional honor for our organization, and at the same time an even greater obligation to invest maximum efforts in the organization of the Firefighting Olympics with many accompanying events. He thanked the world and domestic public once again that no challenge is too great for us. ”He thanked the state, several ministries, the Protection and Rescue Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, the Municipality of Celje with its services and many sponsors and donors. the event could not be held.
On this occasion, Mayor Bojan Šrot thanked the firefighters for their noble and responsible work and continued: “I believe that the firefighters will prove to be excellent organizers and that we will all be proud after the Olympics. We have a suitable competition and accommodation infrastructure in Celje, so competitors and visitors will certainly be satisfied. They will realize that we are kind, hospitable people, that we have a beautifully landscaped city, lots of green space and a rich history. Our city is built on Celtic, Roman and medieval foundations. We have a lot of this history perfectly preserved, beautifully presented and we will be proud to present all this to our guests. Together, we will make the city even more lively during the Olympics. We will prepare various events, decorate the city appropriately, so that the Olympics will be a real spectacle that will be etched in the memory of all of us forever. “
Minister of Defense Mag. Matej Tonin emphasized in the introduction that volunteer firefighters are the foundation of the Slovenian protection and rescue system, which serves local communities and the homeland. He thanked all the firefighters for the interventions, as well as all their relatives who were without them during the fire service. He emphasized that the organization of the Firefighting Olympics was a great recognition for Slovenia and the Fire Brigade Association of Slovenia. He thanked the mayor Bojan Šrot and the city of Celje, which accepted the hospitality of this great event. He also mentioned the important adoption of two laws that will improve the status of firefighters, namely the Fire Brigade Act and the Personal Income Tax Act. He said that the Firefighting Olympics in Celje will certainly be the culmination of all events this year and a great opportunity to attract young firefighters to our ranks, who are our future.
The Celje Wind Orchestra provided a pleasant atmosphere at the event in Celje.