SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - A delegation of four professional and volunteer firefighters from the Serbian Volunteer Fire Department concluded a four-day visit to the Springfield area Aug. 21, spending time with professional and volunteer fire departments to observe operations, share best practices and foster international relationships.
The exchange, which began in 2018, is part of the Ohio National Guard’s involvement in the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program. It aims to support Serbian volunteer departments in developing their capabilities and enhancing their training.
The firefighters participated in hands-on training sessions alongside firefighters from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing. This included specialized flashover training, rope climbing, vehicle extractions and simulations using rescue tools not typically available in Serbia. The visit included a tour of the 178th Wing, where they learned how a military fire department operates; the Cincinnati Fire Department, where they learned how a professional fire department in a large city operates; the Wayne Township Volunteer Fire Department, where they learned how a volunteer fire department operates; and concluded with the Hillsboro Fire Department, where they learned how a township fire department operates.
“We’re learning so much, mostly about the differences in the systems - both in the professional and volunteer systems,” said Minja Petrovic, a firefighter with the Serbian Volunteer Fire Department. “We’re just amazed at everything we see. It’s not something we see every day.”
“They’re very inquisitive,” said Senior Master Sgt. Erik Roddy, installation fire chief assigned to the 178th Wing.
Roddy also noted that the fire departments in Serbia and Ohio share many similar challenges.
“They’re very similar to Ohio, where there’s more volunteer departments than professionals,” Roddy said. “Some of their villages are almost two hours away from the closest professional department, so they need these volunteers to be trained and equipped appropriately.”
Chris Wysong, fire chief of the Wayne Township Volunteer Fire Department, shares Roddy’s sentiment, especially regarding the financial constraints of small departments.
“We’re showing them the things we do to make our money work the best for our community,” Wysong said. “If there’s anything they can take back to help their departments, as far as making every dollar count, that’s my focus.”
In addition to developing new skills, the visit helped to foster international relations. Petrovic said the exchange reinforced the idea that firefighters are part of a global community.
“One thing you feel when you become a firefighter or a volunteer firefighter is a great sense of community; it’s like a family,” Petrovic said. “When you visit other fire departments, then your family is not only in your town, but in all of your country and in other countries as well.”
Roddy agreed.
“The fire department is a brotherhood,” Roddy said. “We might have a language barrier, but we understand each other when we start talking fire.”
Both Wysong and Roddy stressed the importance of recruiting and developing a robust volunteer firefighting force to serve local communities in both Ohio and Serbia.
“Helping them raise awareness and create that culture of wanting to be a firefighter is going to go a long way,” Wysong said.