Some boys want to become firefighters from an early age. They are fascinated by dangerous work, big and "noisy" cars and helping others. This is not the case for Ľuboš Burik. As a little boy, he never dreamed of becoming a firefighter. He began his career in the structural section of the company, after finishing his vocational school in Šaca. "When I returned to work after completing my military service, a friend suggested that I join the fire department. And I said to myself, why not. I was young, I was in good physical shape.... So, I gave it a try. And I stayed. I've been a firefighter for 38 years."

At a ceremony organized by the Association of Metallurgy, Mining Industry and Geology of the Slovak Republic last Friday in Banská Štiavnica, Ľuboš Burik received the honorary badge of the Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic "Exemplary Rescuer".

"A firefighter must know the technological processes of the operations, the environment in which he intervenes, the machines and equipment he uses at work, and believe me, there is not enough of it. Ľuboš Burik masters all this with great skills. However, he does not keep it to himself and willingly passes on the acquired knowledge and experience to younger colleagues. "Ľuboš is a person you can always rely on," says Benjamín Brandis, commander of the Plant Fire Department.

What were the most difficult moments he experienced? "There were many. One of the injuries we intervened in had such serious consequences that when the young doctor saw the extent of the injuries, she fainted. I will never forget the very first trip to an injured person. I was happy that we managed to load him into the ambulance alive. But then 20 minutes later they called from the hospital that he had died. It was very difficult. It's hard to take, especially when it happens for the first time."

What is the strength of the firefighter brigade?

Ľuboš Burik, who works as a firefighter - mechanic and is a fire truck driver, never considered quitting his job. According to him, the work of a firefighter requires not only physical fitness, but also mental strength, and the most important thing is the strength of the team. Firefighters must work as a team; they have to be able to rely on each other at any time.  “When someone gets frightened and makes a wrong move, they know that there is a colleague next to them who would guide them. That is the strength of our team.”

Hard training...

They say that hard training makes for easy combat.  Definitely. But a training ground cannot fully prepare you for the diverse situations that occur in real life.  Ľuboš helps with the training of new colleagues: “That goes without saying, each of us does it. When a young colleague is hired, they cannot learn everything in two months, know all the operations, places, ducts...”

That's why firefighters do so-called orientation tours on the company's premises. One day during such a tour, they noticed that there was a steel spill near the steel mill. "We were on the scene almost instantly. The person who called our dispatch center hung up the phone, looked out the window and saw that we were already there. He couldn't understand how we managed to make it so quickly. . Our dispatcher didn’t even have time to finish talking on the radio and we were already jumping out of the fire truck. We ended this intervention very quickly. Speed is very important in our work, the sooner the firefighters are on the scene, the better. Once a fire really starts, it can be hell to put it out.”

Even in his sixties, he climbs roofs and ladders

Together with firefighters from our Plant Fire Department, he helped put out various fires in the city or in the surrounding area.  He regrets that they cannot retire after 25 years of service, like state firefighters. "I will be 62 and I still must climb ladders and roofs."

As we learned from the description that was part of the proposal for the award of the badge of honor - even during the last major fire, despite his age, he worked side by side with younger colleagues.

He finds peace and quiet on fishing trips

Ľuboš Burik mainly seeks peace and quiet in his free time. That is what fishing offers him. In the past, he liked to catch trout, but according to him, there are fewer and fewer of them. So he mainly catches carps, pikeperches, catfish, crucian carps...   He has his favorite places in the vicinity of Košice, river oxbows, he also goes fishing to Ružín Dam... He gives freedom to two-thirds of the fish and releases them back into the water. Fish is a must on his table, especially at Christmas, and he also supplies his family and friends with his catches.

Was he pleased with the award he received? We asked him at the end: "I'm not really into awards. A simple thank you can make me happy. And the best thing about my job is when we manage to save someone, minimizing the damage with quick and professional intervention." But of course, being awarded the honorary badge of Exemplary Rescuer, and especially the fact that I was assessed in this way and nominated for it by my superiors, made me very happy."

Photo: Ján Kisucký