In their free time, some go fishing, others go hunting or surfing. Patrick, he’s passionate.”firefighters“. The 50-year-old, who is based at the Sherry Rescue Center in Saint-Florence, joined the volunteer firefighter corps in the 1980s and has never left it since. “It was our first home thensmiles Patrick.After leaving work, we first went through the barracks and then went home.– he remembers.
Today, the large family of volunteer firefighters in France includes 197,000 people, which more or less corresponds to 80% of the total number of firefighters. But faced with an emergency crisis and the effects of climate change, the institution is looking to increase its workforce. “Avoid putting too much pressure on the same people all the time“, he explains Figaro Gregory Allion, President of the French National Federation of Firefighters.
Therefore, a goal was set. reach 250,000 volunteer firefighters by 2027. “Young people, less young people, men, women… Not only athletes. Volunteer firefighters today are all Mr. and Mrs“.
An experience which matured »
There is nothing very complicated about becoming a volunteer firefighter. you must be at least 16 years old, reside in France, be in a regular situation with regard to national service obligations, have a clean record and meet medical and physical fitness requirements. customized assignments. After fulfilling all these conditions, the student is trained for about thirty days. But others start earlier, with “young volunteer firefighters” who today offer training to 25,000 young people in France, aged 12 to 18.
This is the case of Chloé, originally from Luxeuil-les-Bains (Haute-Saône), who started this training at the age of 13;I practiced theory, maneuvers and sports for two years. At the end of the course we took an exam to confirm what we had learned and then I started at 16 with the volunteer firefighters.“.
At the age of 22, Chloe feels that she has matured thanks to this volunteer work that spans almost ten years. In particular, the young woman remembers that she felt a little incongruity with her classmates in high school. “This experience makes us grow a little faster than usual, especially when you start at 16. We directly face social misery, reality. We see things differently and realize how lucky we are.”
Today, Chloe works at a medical educational institute, a facility that takes in children and teenagers with mental problems. During the day, he works with children. And on some nights of the week, he will stand guard in his center, where he carries the rank of corporal on his shoulders.
fromfirefighter“to”soldier of life»
When the firemen call, whether they are on duty at home or at the barracks, time stands still. “Nothing next matters. The fire mode is on, we forget what we did and go to the barrackssays Patrick. And the missions follow one another. If earlier they were mainly related to traffic accidents and fires, today they mainly represent personal assistance (84%). This includes everything from pre-hospital anxiety to a traffic accident, simple discomfort to cardiac arrest.
If missions have changed, it is also because society’s demands have evolved over time. Patrick remembers the beginning of his career. “Then we called the fire brigade thanks to the button in the small villages, which sounded the alarm. But at the last opportunity, we called the fire department, when we thought that it was the last chance to save the old man of the village. By now we call the fire department, yes or no“, he laments.
An on-the-ground observation validating the president of the Federation of Volunteer Firefighters.Indeed, the bulk of the work is undertaken to unnecessarily call firefighters to actions that could be performed by others, such as fellow citizens, or other health actors such as pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, etc.” Grigory Alione regrets. Especially since, according to him, firefighters are the first to suffer from an emergency crisis.First because the request is tied up, then because when the emergency department is closed, the firefighter has to go the extra mile.». Therefore, the mobilized cannot intervene in another operation. Todaysoldiers of fire became soldiers of life– says the president.
Toward a Climate Soldier Role
And the missions keep evolving. From now on, the “soldier of life” tends to wear the hat of “climate soldier”. For Gregory Alione “climate change is not 2030, it is also today“. “Today we talk about wildfires, in June the media talked about the terrible hail that knocked tennis balls onto roofs, we can talk about Hurricane Alex, and I will already arrange for you to talk about different episodes in the Mediterranean. and the severe storms that will occur after summer– he warns.
More than ever soldiers (fire, life and climate) therefore looking for new recruits. A commitment that first and foremost involves the kindness of giving time to others. “And making time for others means making time at home, which means we can give up professional development or certain family arrangements.“, the president of the federation clarifies.
Baptiste, 26, who joined the volunteer fire brigade during Covid, wondered how he was going to reconcile his commitment and his job as a chef. The important thing for him is to find a balance between the two.My supervisor understood that I was also a volunteer firefighter and SDIS also understood that I had professional obligations. Eventually“It mixed pretty well“, he notes. And how long does he intend to remain a volunteer firefighter? “As long as my body will let meBaptist answers.
Humble, brave, accessible, generous, altruistic… This is how the interviewed firefighters described themselves. “To become a firefighter, you must really love what you do, be interested in others, love to give yourself. And you need to find the right person, the one who will accept it. It’s a separate lifestyle, but also a lot of happinessconcludes Chloe.
Source: Le Figaro
