Volunteer firefighters 1943–1944
Firefighting organization
I remember being six or seven years old. At that time, the fire department was highly regarded. Their work was diverse, because the village houses had thatched roofs, and sparks quickly flew from the wood-fired stoves and easily set the thatched roof on fire. At that time, the firefighters still put out fires by hand. They drew water from the well, poured it into cans, and then carried it hand by hand to the fire. If the roof caught fire, the firefighters went up to the roof and attic and stood on a ladder to hand up the cans, saving everything that could be saved. At that time, people kept a lot of things in the attic. The advantage of the thatched attic was that it had cool, dry air. So they stored smoked sausage, ham, bacon, and lard here. The food stored here did not spoil, it just dried out, and the darkness of the attic even protected them from flies and bugs.
My father was also a firefighter, the eldest was Gyula Beke. He was the firefighter's trumpeter. Every Sunday morning at 7 o'clock he would ride his horse through the streets, blowing the call to action for the firefighters. He would call them to practice in front of the fire station or in the Levente courtyard, next to the monastery. If there was a fire in the village, he would also blow the alarm, to which the villagers would run with cans so that they could put out the fire as soon as possible. In many places there were fires in the houses or the stacks next to the houses caught fire, and outbuildings burned down.
During the summer harvest season, the firefighters had a serious task. They were on regular day and night duty – young people during the day, men at night – so that they could respond as quickly and efficiently as possible in the event of a fire.
When the good weather arrived, a major cleaning had to be done at the houses in the spring. The firefighters were still on duty then. Their task was to go from house to house and check. Two of them carried out the inspection. One of them checked the attic, the other the yard, to see if there was any flammable material that could cause a fire. They also examined the condition of the chimneys. If they found a fault, they called on the owner to fix the fault.
The firefighters were not idle in the winter either. They met regularly in the Leventeothon, which later became the cinema, and rehearsed plays, which they presented to the villagers. The performance “Sári bíró” is memorable to me. In August, on the day of farewell, a firefighter's ball was regularly held, and in May, a May Day party was held, where the youth were entertained by eating pies, jumping in sacks, etc.
The firefighters' hard work became easier when they were given an engine and hoses. In the event of a fire, the engine was lowered into the well, which sucked water into the hoses, and thus water was sprayed onto the fire. If there was a canal nearby, they extinguished it from there. The engine was operated by the elderly blacksmith-mechanic Lajos Vida. The fire chief was Uncle Béla Keserű, who received numerous decorations for his work in firefighting.
After Uncle Béla, the young blacksmith Lajos Vida became the commander, but this happened in later years. By this time, the number of volunteer firefighters had increased, and many of them joined the board. The firefighters received a fire truck, which made their work significantly easier. Fire Chief Lajos Vida took care of the younger firefighters, and the school-age children learned the theoretical part of firefighting at school. The practical part was taught by the older firefighters in the courtyard of the castle – a school at the time. The youth teams – separate girls’ and boys’ teams – participated in the district firefighting competition every year, in which they always achieved good results. The girls brought home first prize more than once, and even won a national competition.
Young Lajos Vida received a high state award for his hard work and activities in the volunteer firefighting corps. He always considered firefighting a serious task, which he carried out with great love, especially among the young people, with whom he made this work come to life.
Unfortunately, these leaders are no longer with us today. The fire station became uninhabited, and over the years the building deteriorated. This process lasted until 2015. Teacher Vida Aranka considered it a matter of great importance to take care of the legacy of her father, the late fire chief Lajos Vida, and therefore she began to renovate the fire station. The building was renovated inside and out. There is a promise that they will receive a new fire truck. Vida Aranka is also pushing for the establishment of a new fire brigade.
It would be important for the youth of the village to find their place in this voluntary fire brigade organization and do their work there with great love.
Come on! We wish the young team much success!
Written by: Vida Sándorné Eszter Beke (1937)
July 2016
Source: Amália Nagy
My father was also a firefighter, the eldest was Gyula Beke. He was the firefighter's trumpeter. Every Sunday morning at 7 o'clock he would ride his horse through the streets, blowing the call to action for the firefighters. He would call them to practice in front of the fire station or in the Levente courtyard, next to the monastery. If there was a fire in the village, he would also blow the alarm, to which the villagers would run with cans so that they could put out the fire as soon as possible. In many places there were fires in the houses or the stacks next to the houses caught fire, and outbuildings burned down.
During the summer harvest season, the firefighters had a serious task. They were on regular day and night duty – young people during the day, men at night – so that they could respond as quickly and efficiently as possible in the event of a fire.
When the good weather arrived, a major cleaning had to be done at the houses in the spring. The firefighters were still on duty then. Their task was to go from house to house and check. Two of them carried out the inspection. One of them checked the attic, the other the yard, to see if there was any flammable material that could cause a fire. They also examined the condition of the chimneys. If they found a fault, they called on the owner to fix the fault.
The firefighters were not idle in the winter either. They met regularly in the Leventeothon, which later became the cinema, and rehearsed plays, which they presented to the villagers. The performance “Sári bíró” is memorable to me. In August, on the day of farewell, a firefighter's ball was regularly held, and in May, a May Day party was held, where the youth were entertained by eating pies, jumping in sacks, etc.
The firefighters' hard work became easier when they were given an engine and hoses. In the event of a fire, the engine was lowered into the well, which sucked water into the hoses, and thus water was sprayed onto the fire. If there was a canal nearby, they extinguished it from there. The engine was operated by the elderly blacksmith-mechanic Lajos Vida. The fire chief was Uncle Béla Keserű, who received numerous decorations for his work in firefighting.
After Uncle Béla, the young blacksmith Lajos Vida became the commander, but this happened in later years. By this time, the number of volunteer firefighters had increased, and many of them joined the board. The firefighters received a fire truck, which made their work significantly easier. Fire Chief Lajos Vida took care of the younger firefighters, and the school-age children learned the theoretical part of firefighting at school. The practical part was taught by the older firefighters in the courtyard of the castle – a school at the time. The youth teams – separate girls’ and boys’ teams – participated in the district firefighting competition every year, in which they always achieved good results. The girls brought home first prize more than once, and even won a national competition.
Young Lajos Vida received a high state award for his hard work and activities in the volunteer firefighting corps. He always considered firefighting a serious task, which he carried out with great love, especially among the young people, with whom he made this work come to life.
Unfortunately, these leaders are no longer with us today. The fire station became uninhabited, and over the years the building deteriorated. This process lasted until 2015. Teacher Vida Aranka considered it a matter of great importance to take care of the legacy of her father, the late fire chief Lajos Vida, and therefore she began to renovate the fire station. The building was renovated inside and out. There is a promise that they will receive a new fire truck. Vida Aranka is also pushing for the establishment of a new fire brigade.
It would be important for the youth of the village to find their place in this voluntary fire brigade organization and do their work there with great love.
Come on! We wish the young team much success!
Written by: Vida Sándorné Eszter Beke (1937)
July 2016
Source: Amália Nagy