Kala Launches the ‘One Kala, One Thank You’ Campaign in Appreciation of Volunteer Fire Departments

In Croatia, there are about 140,000 members of fire departments, with as many as 133,000 of them being volunteers who have often been involved in the work of 1,761 volunteer fire departments since childhood. The love for firefighting is passed down from generation to generation, and it is not uncommon for three or more generations of a single family to be found in one volunteer fire department. The selflessness and bravery of these volunteers have been recognized by Kala, a mild non-carbonated natural mineral water, which has launched the ‘ONE KALA, ONE THANK YOU’ campaign aimed at supporting volunteer fire departments and thanking them for their selfless work.

This extremely stressful and dangerous profession is primarily associated with fire protection, but according to records, in 2022, 40 percent of fire interventions were fire-related, while the remaining 60 percent were technical interventions: assistance in traffic, rescues after earthquakes or severe weather, water delivery to specific locations, and interventions involving hazardous materials. Volunteer firefighters respond day and night, and their only payment is the satisfaction and pride of having helped someone save a life or property.

– It is not unusual for Kala, water that reflects the quiet strength within us with the power of gentleness, to stand behind the volunteers who are the quiet strength of our society. Volunteer firefighters do not ask for anything in return for their work, but they deserve at least one big public thank you, and that is why we decided to launch a gratitude campaign that all of us who recognize the importance of volunteering can participate in, even though we often cannot dedicate ourselves to it due to daily obligations and the fast pace of life,’ said Laura Bortas, Senior Brand Manager for Kala.

Despite the challenges this profession brings, the number of volunteer firefighters is growing year by year, and their departments are often the lifeblood of certain local communities in Croatia. The number of female firefighters is also on the rise – women make up as much as 23 percent of the total number of firefighters.

– Volunteer fire departments in Croatia have a long tradition, and we are proud that younger generations are also getting involved in the work of the VFDs. Firefighting in Croatia is based on volunteerism, where its members, without any compensation, guided by altruism and humanity, help preserve lives and property. Unfortunately, in recent years, we have witnessed significant natural disasters, from earthquakes, fires to floods and pandemics, and in such difficult times, our colleagues and volunteer comrades were the first on the scene. Without them, there is no safety for all of us. Thank you to Kala for recognizing their selfless and daily sacrifice for the community and for drawing attention in a truly wonderful way to the importance of our volunteers in everyday life – said Chief Fire Commander Slavko Tucaković.

Kala will support volunteer fire departments with financial donations and supplies of bottled water. Citizens can also participate in the ‘ONE KALA, ONE THANK YOU’ campaign. Each bottle of Kala has a code that citizens can scan to go to the website equal-kala-one-thank-you.hr, where they can leave a message of thanks for the firefighters. The authors of the best messages will receive valuable prizes: a weekend spent with firefighters on Pag or Brač, including paid travel and accommodation, as well as a tent, a smartwatch, and tickets to Plitvice Lakes for the whole family.