The coordinator of the British charity organisation "Operation Sabre", Steve Worrall, former commander of the Shropshire Fire Department, received on Monday, on Romania's National Day, the official distinction of Mures County, the Suseni Fibula.
This day will forever remain one of the brightest in my life (...). The Suseni Fibula holds a profound and personal significance for me. In 2019, His Holiness Pope Francis was also honoured with this distinction by the former prefect of Mures County, Mr Mircea Dusa. To find myself, in however small a measure, following in the footsteps of such a laureate as the Holy Father is truly overwhelming, Steve Worrall said during the ceremony held at the Palace of Culture in Targu Mures.
Steve Worrall noted that the presence of "Operation Sabre" in Romania would not have been possible without the trust placed in them by the leadership of ISU Mures, initially by Brigadier General Dorin Oltean and later by General Calin Handrea, as well as by numerous "good, modest, generous and deeply humane people".
Thank you for believing in our purpose, for standing with us in our mission and, most importantly, for your continued and lasting friendship. These remarkable volunteers, past and present, have offered their time, energy and compassion to support the most vulnerable in Transylvania, the coordinator of Operation Sabre emphasised.
The head of the Mures County Emergency Situations Inspectorate Horea, Brigadier General Calin Handrea, who delivered the laudatio for Steve Worrall, recalled meeting him in 2012, during Operation Sabre's first visit to Mures County.
"Under the coordination of Steve Worrall, Operation Sabre has carried out more than thirty humanitarian missions in Transylvania and has become one of the most important international organisations donating modern firefighting vehicles, rescue equipment and uniforms to Romanian firefighters, giving them the means to intervene more effectively in emergency situations. However, the value of these contributions is measured not only by the quantity or quality of the equipment. It is felt above all through the fact that these resources are now being used by dedicated volunteer firefighters from small and isolated communities, people who, supported and trained by ISU Mures specialists, intervene swiftly to protect the lives of their neighbours. This form of cooperation between an international organisation, professional firefighters and volunteer teams represents a true example of dedication and solidarity in service of the common good," Brigadier General Calin Handrea said.
Operation Sabre has not limited its support to emergency services alone but has also helped numerous institutions that care for vulnerable people.
Pursuant to Order no. 366/25.11.2025 issued by the Prefect of Mures County, Barabasi Antal-Szabolcs, the Suseni Fibula and Certificates of Excellence were also awarded to Roman Catholic priest Baricz Lajos and engineer Mihail Ioan Tomsa, alongside Steve Worrall, at the National Day ceremony.
Baricz Lajos is a parish priest, poet and Counsellor to the Holy See, author of more than 100 books, poems and prose, and the founder of numerous cultural, religious and humanitarian organisations.
With a career dedicated to agricultural research and the development of modern fruit growing, engineer Dr Mihail Ioan Tomsa is the author of more than 120 specialised works, having played a key role in the transformation and modernisation of this field in Mures County.
At the ceremony at the Palace of Culture in Targu Mures, speeches were also delivered by the Prefect of Mures County, Barabasi Antal-Szabolcs, the Vice-President of the Mures County Council, Csibi Attila-Zoltan, and the Mayor of Targu Mures, Soos Zoltan.
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