At the intersection of Manou Katraki Street and Marathonos Avenue, at the height of Neo Voutza, the observant passer-by will not have difficulty distinguishing the large red fire station, massive but at the same time “friendly”, a harmonious whole with the green of the forest. Fire trucks are lined up around him, in front of and behind the building. Within this, 13 men and womenfanatical volunteers, regular “soldiers” of the forest, full of intensity and purpose, gather quickly after the first telephone appointment with “To Vima”.
Arriving at the station of the New Voutzas – Provalinthos Volunteer Fire Brigade (PYSETH) the first question seems self-evident: The need to protect the forest is perhaps in the thoughts of all of us, but what makes someone leave their home and run to the battle with the flames, to the “field” with snow or disasters?
“Organization is the A and Z” says Stamatis Damianoglou, one of the leaders of the group.
With the signs from the Eye
The answers are many. Although deep down they are all based on humanity and empathy, the volunteers (out of 40 active and 65 registered) with whom we talk each give their own version. Many have been marked by the disaster in Mati – they lost a friend or their home or were there in the fire – and these memories are not easily erased. “I wanted to offer things that the absent state didn’t offer us” says o Peter You were bound.
“It was shocking to feel that a few minutes ago where you arrived was a place of torture” describes the Dimitris Anthousiswho was one of the first to arrive, five years earlier, at Kyanis Aktis Street to ascertain the magnitude of the tragedy. “We were all in the field, my father, my brother and I, but no one left, although we knew that our house was burning” remembers one of the leaders of the group Stamatis Damianoglou. For some, this year’s devastating fire in August found them on vacation. THE Michalis Kurtis he immediately returned to Athens as soon as he learned about the fire, and so did Gerasimos Asimakopoulos. They don’t say it to look good. They probably wouldn’t mention it at all, as it’s obvious they think it’s perfectly normal, but it comes out of the conversation.
“It’s not exactly friendship that unites us. It is a bond that has been forged under pressure and difficult situations” says Michalis Kourtis.
In our company, everyone keeps a low profile. “We don’t want to promote ourselves, we have earned recognition with our work” explains Stamatis. We talk about his father John who together with him Kostas Papadakis founded PYSETH in 2007 and its big brother Kyriako who succeeded him when their father died during a firefight. Kyriakos also “left” a year ago. “We miss them a lot” say the volunteers.
With sponsorships or at their own expense
Before we even start the tour and the conversation, he comes to the base Joseph48 years volunteer firefighter in Germany. Joseph, O Rainarh Evelyn and the Roger they are volunteer firefighters from Germany and Switzerland. They come every year at their own expense, help with equipment and participate in their actions. In memory of a volunteer from Germany who is no longer alive they have built a “square”: Platia Georg-Berrishnext to the Operational Management Center (KEPIH). From here, with wireless and monitors, the group is coordinated. Next door, the doctor’s office and the gym.
And their first fire engine parked outside. In total, they have 7 modern vehicles (small and large), 3 rescue vehicles, while they also have a team of 3 “pigs” for immediate intervention. All volunteers are combative and certified by the Fire Service, they belong to the jurisdiction of Civil Protection and work daily shifts. However, everything we see in the station, the vehicles, all their equipment (suits, personal protective equipment, tools, etc.), even the stacked water bottles, were acquired through sponsorships. They pay road tax, insurance and vehicle servicing out of their own pockets.
“I like that our children know what we do and are proud of us,” emphasizes foreign language teacher Christina Sotiriadou.
Their only subsidy is the fuel costs, water and electricity of the station which is taken over by the Municipality of Marathon. They don’t even have a Civil Protection ID – “it would be a moral recognition.” Nor any facilitations in their work. A volunteer private worker, in other words, has no excuse for being late to work the next morning – even if he spent the night fighting fires.
“As much as we can, we get results”
But all this does not cause them second thoughts. They are there, and always where they are needed. “Volunteering fills me up, and I see that as long as we can do it, we get results” says Petros, who deals in interior renovations. “I do it for a ‘thank you’ that we will receive from someone we help and for the wish that a grandmother gave me when I handed over her two grandchildren who were trapped in the snow. For my two girls to grow up in a clean environment. To help someone who can’t, because I still can” confides one of the team’s drivers, Mr Andreas Argyropoulos – he studied mechanical engineering and is a private employee.
Everything we see in the station, the vehicles, all their equipment (suits, personal protective equipment, tools, etc.), even the stacked water bottles, were acquired through sponsorships.
As the others narrate, Andreas, coming out of the hospital after a serious hospitalization for COVID, went with his family first through the station and then returned home. Because they feel like a company, a family. Or more correctly, as Michalis Kurtis says, “It’s not exactly friendship that unites us. It’s a bond forged under pressure and difficult situations.” He (IT Freelancer) is here because “I realized that from the sofa you don’t help, I wanted to do something more than watching TV. I discovered that giving without reward fills you with positive energy, makes you a more active citizen, gives you the opportunity to do instead of talk.”.
Gerasimos is a plumber and describes her “satisfaction when you save a house and heartbreak for what you lose.” Navy Retired (also Mobile Disaster Response Team trained) Nikos Kamakaris is absolute: “I will do it as long as I can walk, because it is an offering to fellow human being.”
Also the team leader and professional driver Stelios Antonopoulos seeing the big fire in Parnitha decided that we should all help in these cases. The opportunity came when he lost his job during the financial crisis. “Volunteering helped me overcome the despair of unemployment” he says.
A living example for their children
Many volunteered with their children in mind. OR Katerina Bougiouriwho works as a security guard at the Rowing Rink, has an 11-year-old child: “I want to give him an example that you should help your fellow human beings. Something that, unfortunately, the previous generation did not do. The second reason is that I love nature and my place.” Dimitris is a farmer and wants to leave “in future generations my place, as I lived it as a child”. The foreign language teacher Christina Sotiriadou she is a volunteer with the group, as is her husband Basiland they have two young children. As he says, “I love that our kids know what we do and are proud of us.”
OR Eleni Spanou and the 15-year-old Marios Koufopoulos are the two responsible for KEPIX. Eleni works at a gas station, just finished being a nurse’s assistant and is a volunteer in several groups: “For my friend Panagiotis who was lost in Mati and my aunt who “passed” from cancer” he says and huffs.
“You are doing something for the place,” says Nikiforos Koufopoulos about his participation in the team.
Marios started coming with his father Victoriousa police officer and volunteer of the group, and he wanted to help too. He is educated at the Academy of PYSETH. Stamatis talks about their team and at the same time has his ear stretched out on the radio. In every call he stops the conversation and listens if there is a need somewhere. “Why organization is the alpha and the omega” he says and smiles…
#Volunteer #firefighters #simple
