Lithuania’s top rescue official calls for greater national pride among public and civil servants

Lithuania’s Fire Protection and Rescue Department chief Renatas Požėla has urged both the public and civil servants to take greater pride in their country, reflecting on his decades of service in a conversation with LRT Radio’s Pažinimai programme.

Požėla, who has worn three different state uniforms over his career, said his path began in 1992 after graduating from school and entering public service. “Now, looking in the mirror, the third uniform still fits,” he remarked. His first was the green uniform of Lithuania’s police academy, adorned with state symbols—a moment he described as indescribable. He suggested incorporating national symbols into school uniforms to foster patriotism among youth.

Recalling his early years, Požėla admitted he never imagined rising to leadership roles. “Back then, we saw ourselves as criminal police officers at best—thinking about command positions seemed too bold,” he said. The allure of police work and its perceived romance drew him in, though he acknowledged underestimating the dangers.

His first encounter with crime left a lasting impression, but an early experience fighting a fire in Šiauliai—where he and a colleague attempted to rescue a person trapped in a burning wooden house—taught him a critical lesson. “Adrenaline is good, but a cool head must come first,” he said, reflecting on the failure that cost a life.

Požėla described the 1990s as a formative period, where chaos and Lithuania’s fight for independence shaped his generation. Despite poor equipment—Soviet-era gear, faulty radios, and rubber batons that froze in winter—he believed the challenges forged resilience. “We didn’t count hours or ask for overtime pay. The sense of duty was different then,” he noted, though he stressed he does not dismiss today’s youth.

His motivation stemmed from Lithuania’s struggle for freedom. “Even as a child before independence, I knew what happened in 1940,” he said, crediting his father’s stories for instilling a deep connection to the nation’s history.

Now leading the country’s rescue services, Požėla emphasised that courage—whether in daily life, driving, or work—requires both discipline and personal motivation. “Courage isn’t losing your head; it’s the resolve to act,” he said.