As the country has been plagued by wildfires of rare violence for several weeks, tensions are rising among firefighters. Although the arrival of their European counterparts has eased their fatigue, it is not the only result of the massive fires since the beginning of the summer. It also stems from structural issues that limit their effectiveness in a fire and in day-to-day operations.
Successive cries of caution stem from the same observation: labor shortages. “We are currently 47,000 professional firefighters, but we need to be 60,000 or even 65,000 to respond promptly every day.“Lieutenant Colonel Allen Larata, General Secretary of the Firefighters’ Union, explains.”Future-Relief“. A significant level, according to him, to compensate for the sharp increase in the number of interventions over the last ten years.
However, the budget allocated to this service tends to decrease. Because SDIS funding is distributed among three actors: the state, the department and the municipalities, under the management of the department chair. But according to Allen Larata, “the department tends to allocate less money to security than to Social Security or old age… And for several years, budget increases have been limited;“. The results:SDIS no longer has the funds to renew the workforce or maintain the equipment… Every year we move backwards“.
And the crisis of emergency situations caused by the shortage of personnel does not help.In Bordeaux, there are cases when ambulance firefighters can wait in line for 5 hours in front of the emergency service… That’s 5 hours less on the ground.“, Lt. Col. Allen Larata, general secretary of the firemen’s union, regrets.Future-Relief“.
empty chairs
The result is a daily shortage that is partially mitigated by the use of volunteer firefighters. Motivated, efficient and less expensive, but also less available workforce. In several departments, such as Oise or Loser, the barracks are being emptied and the firefighters are no longer anything but voluntary. But this system has its limits.volunteer firefighters work, they have a personal life that they have the right to override this activity… If they want to go on vacation, they can go on vacation– continues Alain Larata.
From about 7,000 barracks ten years ago, France now has 6,100. But how can we do otherwise when the French turn away from the profession of professional firefighter? “Ambitious policies have been in place for years to attract people to our profession“, – regrets the spokesman of the French fire brigade, commander Eric Brocardi. He, who sees more and more chairs and empty rooms during recruiting competitions, fears the disappearance of small barracks.it is nevertheless a core in the daily life of citizens, but it is no longer attractive; absolutely need to get people back into this business.“.
The workforce problem is not the only concern. Added to this is the prospect of aging vehicles. A priori, when purchasing a public order fire engine or an ambulance, the depreciation period, that is, the period during which the vehicle is assumed to be usable, ranges from 15 to 20 years. However, these dates have been delayed by various SDIS due to lack of resources. “In most cases, it is extended for 5 years. Only these 5 years are the most difficult, we accumulate malfunctions, maintenance is more expensive“, Details Allen Laratta. In short, the equipment is less reliable and the efficiency of firefighters is impaired.
15 to 40 minutes
Result: Firefighter response times are lengthening, while fire risks are exploding. “There is an intervention every 7 seconds, that’s more than 4 million per year. explains Commander Eric Brocardi. Today, it is estimated that it takes about 15 minutes from your call to the arrival of the fire department. It’s already huge, but if the barracks disappear, the trucks don’t work anymore, we could get to 30 or even 40 minute waits.“. Important moments, whether it’s starting a fire or any other action.
Faced with this prospect, made even more alarming by global warming and recurring droughts, Eric Brocardy, like Alain Laratta, is calling for major national reforms. It will include a massive and professional recruiting plan, increased budgets, but also a more educational component. As in emergency situations,the citizen should be aware of appropriate behavior, saving gestures, situations for which we should really be asked.“, concludes Alain Larata.
Source: Le Figaro
