The Birth of a Provincial Fire Museum
The museum was opened in the early summer of 2008. The project is also in conjunction with the historic transition phase of establishing regional rescue departments. That is why we departed from a provincial approach basis in the very beginning in our museum operations.
In an era of regional rescue departments, the purpose is to support the continuity of heritage preservation which takes place, often in a most local and decentralized fashion, within fire brigades which used to operate as separate organizations. We also have as an objective to offer provincial fire brigades counsel on preserving heritage and arrays of the old artefacts.
Concretely, the museum project was started up based on a decision by rescue chief Pekka Tähtinen to hire a professional of the museum field to lead the project. The work began by drawing up a thorough plan and by making enquiries in search of information on old material saved in fire brigades, as well as by setting out to keep a catalogue of arrays of artefacts.
While assembling the museum, several different small groups were established to design its content; its collections and those things related to rescue services and to their evolution introducing which in the museum was considered important. Work was led by museum curator Johanna Jakomaa, and there were rescue department staff, VFB folks, and fire brigade veterans as members in the groups. In implementing the project, assistance was provided as well as counsel by the Satakunta Museum, and for to build the vitrines, carpenters who had previously been making museum structures were hired. On a voluntary basis, some Pori Fire Brigade veterans also participated in the building phase.
Radiation Protection Guide from 1962 from collections by The Säkylä VFB [Volunteer Fire Brigade].
("SÄTEILYSUOJELU MAATILALLA" means 'Radiation Protection on a Farm')
Contact Information:
Waluvaara is open for groups by agreement. The Satakunta Rescue Department also offers enlightening safety education for groups, if you wish.
Satakunta Fire Museum Waluvaara
Satakunnan pelastuslaitos / Satakunta Rescue Department
Satakunnankatu 3, 281100 Pori
http://www.satapelastus.fi/waluvaara
Booking a Tour Guide and Other Contacts:
phone (calls from within Finland): (02)621 1533, international calls: +358 2 621 1533
e-mail: waluvaara(at)satapelastus.fi
translated from Finnish to English by Péter Volford
