“Hello, I’m on holiday in Landiras for two weeks, can I help?” “These fires have traumatized me, I would like to help“… In recent months, the calls and messages of support have multiplied in the social networks of the Gironde firefighters. This sudden frenzy comes after a summer marked by back-to-back fires that have destroyed 72,000 hectares of forest. “Six times more than the average of the last ten yearsThis Friday, October 28, Emmanuel Macron reminded in a televised statement.
“There have been 730 candidates since January“, a figure that more or less represents the usual total for a year, cheers Commander Mathieu Jomin, head of communications and protocol for the Gironde fire department. “It is the first to have so many applications“. A welcome workforce as the firemen of the Sud-Ouest department”are facing an explosion of activity“:”In 2018, 129,846 operations were carried out, compared to 145,370 in 2021.“As the commander informs, he is convinced that the indicators of 2022 will be higher, taking into account the interventions of this summer. The same enthusiasm was also noticed by the young firefighters who were widely mobilized. The 11- to 18-year-olds meet weekly during the school year to learn the trade, particularly firefighting techniques, in the company of professionals.
If this phenomenon was already observed after the attacks, then the interest observed in 2022 remains unprecedented. For example, “In 2019, two major fires were reported in Bordeauxand there has been no significant increase in applications. At the national level, Eric Flores, vice-president of the French National Federation of Firefighters (FNSPF), also sees an increase in questions about volunteerism. “We see this through the number of clicks on our website and calls to the federation“, he informs.
“Meeting the obligations of volunteers”.
However, the correlation between the 2022 seasonal fires and increased applications is not fully understood;It is too early to be certain, we remain cautious. But a part must be sensitive to what happenedMatthieu Jomain assures. Thus, to ensure the potential and motivationsuitable candidates“He recently passed an interview with the firemen in the upper stream. “If we don’t properly explain their missions beforehand, we risk losing them quickly.Matthieu Jomain explains. When people sign up after a significant event like this summer’s wildfires, some may be frustrated when they’re assigned interventions that aren’t right for them.
Therefore, the goal of specialists is now.maintain volunteer commitments“. Measures such as: acompensation each month based on the number of calls made“. Volunteer firefighters can also use “evolution by degreesand wear the same gear as the pros. In addition, in order to activate the process, recruits “can now choose which missions they are assigned to“.
All these new features, accompanied by recruitment campaigns, aim to attract “Mr. and Mrs. All“endowed with”with an altruistic sensibility” and a “personal and professional stability“. If this recruitment technique is more and more effective in cities,we have a terrible shortage of volunteers in rural and suburban areas“Eric Flores cries.
Source: Le Figaro
