President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini on Friday at the Presidential Palace received the laureates of the Golden Rescue Cross of 2024. He congratulated all the awarded and thanked them for their willingness to deploy his own lives for saving others. “You confirm with your personal example that the society has not yet disappeared selflessness, dedication and willingness to help,” The head of state declared in a speech. She also called on the public to respect and trust the work of the emergency services.
- President Peter Pellegrini awarded the laureates of the Golden Rescue Cross.
- He stressed the importance of professionalism and the readiness of the rescue services.
- He congratulated them for their dedication to save lives.
- Rescue deeds are inspiring for social solidarity.
- The award project highlights the exceptional actions of rescuers.
“Congratulations and I thank the real heroes for whom saving human life and health has become the highest value. The value for which you do not hesitate to risk your own lives or injuries, do not hesitate to sacrifice your free time and even your own comfort with maximum deployment and at the right time where the situation requires,” stated the president. He stressed that rescue is a life mission requiring not only professional qualities and professionalism, but also constant preparedness, conservation, the ability to make decisions in fractions of seconds and keep your head cool in tense situations.
The emergency services are also an inspiration and a positive example. “You offer this positive example at a time when Slovakia needs it acutely. You save not only the health and lives of citizens or material values, but you save our actions from our society from apathy, indifference and negativism, give us all hope for the future,” Pellegrini stated.
At the same time, the Head of State appeals to the public to show enough to the rescue services that he values their work and trusts them. “Of course, it is important that the state also give you such feedback in the form of appropriate material and financial conditions and sufficient technical and personnel equipment,” added the president.
The guarantor of the Gianna Conti project said that rescue is a state of mind, but also the heart. “If I could pull out one feature that I see in the same years the same thing is that these rescued heroes do not hesitate. (…) At the moment they do not hesitate for a second, they do not look at their security risk, which is often really on the edge, many times they are about life, but they do not hesitate and save, ”she said.
The Golden Rescue Cross is an international competition for the best rescue act of the year. Its mission is to appreciate the extraordinary interventions of health professionals, firefighters, police, soldiers and other units of the Integrated Rescue System and seek the dedicated actions of first aid of lay people, children and adults.
