All-Russian Volunteer Firefighting Society

The All-Russian Volunteer Firefighting Society (VDPO) is a nationwide socially oriented non-commercial public organization operating across Russia. Its main purpose is to unite and involve citizens in preventing and extinguishing fires. It traces its lineage to the Russian Fire Society, created in 1892, which became the United Russian Fire Society in 1893 and the Imperial Russian Fire Society in 1898. After the 1917 revolution the imperial society was dissolved in 1919, but local volunteer fire brigades continued to operate. In 1960 the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR ordered the creation of the All-Russian Volunteer Firefighting Society, and a founding conference in Sverdlovsk adopted its charter and elected its Central Council. The VDPO's tasks include fire prevention, participation in firefighting and rescue operations, and helping to shape state policy and legislation on fire safety and emergency protection. Membership is open to individuals aged 18 and over who accept the charter, as well as to legal entities and public associations that support its goals. The society is governed by a congress convened at least once every five years and a permanently functioning Central Council. Its current charter was approved by the 16th Congress on 23 March 2021. Structurally, the VDPO maintains 81 regional branches across the subjects of the Russian Federation, local branches, a research institute for fire safety with 32 branches, and the Tolyatti Firefighting Equipment Plant. It runs extensive youth programs, including the All-Russian Children's and Youth Public Movement "Young Firefighter," founded in 2008, which has created more than 15,000 young firefighter brigades uniting about 200,000 children and teenagers. Other projects include an annual children's creative contest on fire safety (since 2003), the "Young Firefighter" gathering at the Orlyonok All-Russian Children's Center (since 2009), a field camp (since 2010), and school olympiads on life safety (since 2009).

The idea of creating an all-Russian center for volunteer firefighting emerged during the All-Russian Fire Exhibition organized by the Russian Technical Society in 1892 in Saint Petersburg, where the first congress of Russian firefighting figures was held. On 15 June 1892 the congress recognized the vital importance of creating a Fire Society and approved its draft charter. In 1893 the United Russian Fire Society was created, and its Council began practical work under the chairmanship of Count A. D. Sheremetev. The second chairman, from 1894 to 1916, was Prince A. D. Lvov. In 1898 the Russian Fire Society received the status of Imperial, with Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich as honorary chairman, and after his death in 1909, his widow Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. The main sources of funding for the Council and volunteer fire organizations were donations from honorary members, insurance companies, lottery proceeds, sales of fire equipment, and membership dues from merchants, homeowners, and officials seeking to join the society under the patronage of the Romanov house. The Imperial Russian Fire Society existed for 27 years. In 1919, due to the disloyalty of its leadership to the Soviet government, the society was liquidated, but its former structural units—volunteer fire formations and teams—survived and continued to operate in almost all provinces and volosts of the RSFSR as local volunteer fire societies. On 14 July 1960, the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR issued a decree to organize the All-Russian Volunteer Firefighting Society to enhance the public's role in fire prevention and firefighting and to improve the work of local volunteer fire societies. In November of that year, an All-Russian conference of representatives of volunteer fire societies of autonomous republics, krais, oblasts of the RSFSR, and the cities of Moscow and Leningrad was held in Sverdlovsk, where the charter was approved and the Central Council of the VDPO was elected. The current charter was approved by the 16th Congress of the All-Russian Volunteer Firefighting Society on 23 March 2021. According to the charter, the VDPO is the legal successor of the republican (ASSR), krai, oblast, city, and district volunteer fire societies that united in 1960 into the single public organization "All-Russian Volunteer Firefighting Society," and continues the traditions of Russian volunteer firefighters laid down by the Russian Fire Society created in 1892, renamed the United Russian Fire Society in 1893, and the Imperial Russian Fire Society in 1898.

• 2021

  16th Congress approves the current charter on 23 March.

• 2010

  All-Russian field camp "Young Firefighter" is launched.

• 2009

  Specialized session "Young Firefighter Gathering" begins at Orlyonok center; All-Russian school olympiad on life safety begins.

• 2008

  All-Russian Children's and Youth Public Movement "Young Firefighter" is founded.

• 2003

  Annual All-Russian children's creative contest on fire safety begins.

• 1960

  Council of Ministers of the RSFSR orders creation of the All-Russian Volunteer Firefighting Society; founding conference in Sverdlovsk adopts charter and elects Central Council.

• 1919

  Imperial Russian Fire Society is liquidated; local volunteer fire brigades continue.

• 1898

  Russian Fire Society receives the status of Imperial.

• 1893

  United Russian Fire Society is created.

• 1892

  First congress of Russian firefighting figures approves the creation of a Fire Society.

A nationwide non-commercial public organization uniting volunteers for fire prevention and firefighting, with a heritage dating back to the Imperial Russian Fire Society.

• Fire prevention and firefighting services

• Fire safety training and education

• Firefighting equipment (via Tolyatti plant)

• Fire safety research and consulting

1. 1All-Russian volonteer firefighting societywikidata.org
2. 2Всероссийское добровольное пожарное обществоru.wikipedia.org