Egidijus Krivickas, 41, from northern Lithuanian town of Pakruojis, has served as a professional firefighter and rescuer for 19 years. Speaking on the LRT Radio programme Už Vilniaus, he describes the day-to-day realities of his work, the biggest challenges he faces, and his lifelong passion for sport.
“When you do a job you love, it doesn’t feel like work. I don’t really work – I just live, enjoy it, and wait for the call-outs,” he says. “Of course, they say when firefighters work, people cry. I wouldn’t wish anyone to see a firefighter at work.”
According to Egidijus, firefighting requires not only physical strength but also the ability to improvise and work as a team, as every situation is unique.
“There’s a lot of improvisation in this job. It’s impossible to prepare for everything, get ready and know exactly what to do before you arrive. It’s a team effort, with huge responsibility on the shift leader. We arrive as a team and try to act as quickly and efficiently as possible, minimising the losses for people. Everything starts from scratch because every call-out is different,” he explains.
While people are now more aware and fewer fires start in hay barns or stables, firefighters face new challenges. Egidijus says they also assist with public education campaigns and sometimes support the police.
“There are far fewer agricultural buildings than before. Occasionally there are still big industrial fires, but small fires in barns are rare – nobody keeps animals or stores hay anymore. Now fires tend to be smaller – engulfing saunas, flats. Often we help the police, carrying out tasks like removing objects, breaking down doors. Big fires are less common, but there’s still plenty to do,” he says.
Egidijus admits the hardest part of the job is staying mentally strong when confronted with tragic scenes after accidents or other incidents.
“That was one of the most horrific cases, when a young couple lost their lives. A car had smashed into the corner of a house. The man died, and the girl I had to rescue had her face terribly mangled. The smell of blood stays with you for life,” he recalls, the image still burned into his memory.
Still, he tries not to dwell on traumatic incidents, treating each call-out as simply part of the job.
“I focus on each call-out as a separate task – you arrive, do your job, and that’s it. If you learn to forget, you do very well in the service. If you’re sensitive, you often don’t complete your career. Of course, being cold-hearted isn’t ideal either – my wife says I’m cold – but it’s necessary. If you react emotionally to every incident, you’ll break,” he explains.
Many firefighters supplement their income with other jobs. Egidijus has served in the National Defence Volunteer Forces (KASP) for 24 years, supplementing his income and taking part in several international missions.
“Firefighters teach, repair roofs, dig trenches. Thankfully, the service allows us to do these extra jobs legally. On the other hand, it can affect concentration and the quality of our work. Ideally, you’d focus on just one job, but circumstances don’t always allow it,” he says.
Egidijus recently returned from the United States with 16 colleagues after participating in the World’s Strongest Firefighter Championship. He won two golds and one silver medal, while the Lithuanian team came third overall.
Sport has been a part of his life since childhood, influenced by his father.
“He taught me discipline. It didn’t matter how fast you ran – the important thing was discipline: get up, do your work, and keep moving. I used to resent it because I didn’t understand, but in the military I learned what he meant, and that discipline became invaluable. Without it, you won’t achieve your goals,” he says.
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