L.A. Donates Firetruck to Croatian City

San Pedro and the Croatian city of Split share some common bonds. Both are built on the harbor gateways to their states. Both rely heavily on port-related industries. Several thousand former Split residents now live in San Pedro.

But the differences are just as striking.

In Split, city resources that are taken for granted in San Pedro and other areas of Los Angeles have been drastically depleted by the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

And since one country’s trash can be another’s treasure, Los Angeles officials donated a 1960s-era firetruck to the Croatian city last week.

“This is one of the most important tools that we’ve needed,” Split Mayor Nikola Grabic said after a ceremony in San Pedro. “The war devastated most of the firefighting equipment that we had. . . . We had four of these (firetrucks) in the city, but the Serbs took that all away.”

The vehicle had been sitting idle for several years, part of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s salvage fleet, said Tom Kruesopon, spokesman for Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr. Svorinich represents the harbor area and also has family ties to Split.

“This was a request by the Croatian National Assn. of Los Angeles,” said Kruesopon. “They paid $1 for it. We couldn’t use it anymore.”

Split has taken in thousands of refugees from neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina. Grabic said about 80,000 people flocked there at the height of the war. About 20,000 refugees remain.

“Having additional people to take care of with food and housing is taking a great toll on all the resources in Split,” he said, adding that the wider Dalmatia province desperately needs ambulances, too.

Svorinich, who called the donation a symbol of love, friendship and assistance, said Los Angeles officials are trying to secure an ambulance to give to Zadar, another Croatian city. “We are targeting lifesaving equipment for Dalmatian cities,” he said.

Last week’s donation followed the signing of a sister-city pact between Los Angeles and Split on Dec. 6. Officials from both cities hope the pact will lead to business and student exchanges and help deepen understanding between Croatia and the U.S.

The Croatian American Club of San Pedro, representing about 30,000 members, will ship the firetruck to Split at a cost of about $3,000. The club has shipped millions of dollars’ worth of food, clothing and medical supplies to Croatia in recent years, said club President Felix Duhovic.