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The fire service in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
is organised into local fire services which mostly cover the
Departments of France
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety-s ...
, with a few exceptions. There are two types of fire service:
*The
Paris Fire Brigade
The Paris Fire Brigade (french: Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris, BSPP) is a French Army unit which serves as the primary fire and rescue service for Paris, the city's inner suburbs and certain sites of national strategic importance.
The ...
(
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
) and
Marseille Naval Fire Battalion
The Marseille Naval Fire Battalion (french: Bataillon de marins-pompiers de Marseille, or ''BMPM''), is the fire and rescue service for the city of Marseille.
The battalion is a branch of the French Navy (french: Marine nationale), and consists o ...
(
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
) are military units providing fire protection to Paris and Marseille.
*The rest of France has civilian fire services organized, supervised and trained by the French
Ministry of the Interior
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
; specifically, they fall under the
Civil Defence
Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mit ...
and Security Directorate (''Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile et de la Gestion de Crise'', DGSCGC).
There are approximately 246,900 fire service personnel in France operating 15,642 emergency vehicles out of 6,894 emergency centres.
In addition to providing fire protection and rescue, the French fire service is also one of the providers of
emergency medical services
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...
.
In French, firefighters are known as sapeurs-pompiers or informally as pompiers. The former originally refers to the military-based Paris Fire Brigade. ''Pompier'' (firefighter) comes from the word for "pump", referring to the manual pumps originally used for firefighting. ''Sapeur'' means "
sapper
A sapper, also called a pioneer (military), pioneer or combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefie ...
" and refers to the first official firefighting unit created by
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
which was part of the military engineering arm. Firefighters in the
Marseille Marine Fire Battalion
The Marseille Naval Fire Battalion (french: Bataillon de marins-pompiers de Marseille, or ''BMPM''), is the fire and rescue service for the city of Marseille.
The battalion is a branch of the French Navy (french: Marine nationale), and consists o ...
are known as marins-pompiers (sailor-firefighters). The usual name of a civilian fire services is a service départemental d'incendie et de secours (SDIS) (Departmental Fire and Rescue Service). Young French citizens can fulfill the
mandatory service ''
Service national universel (SNU)'' in one of the fire brigades.
Organization
The fire service is organized based on the various
Departments. Each department has a ''Service Departmentaux d'Incendie et de Secours'' (SDIS, Departmental Fire and Rescue Service) responsible for operations within its territory, with a few exceptions:
*
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and the three departments of the ''
petite couronne
Vincent Aycocho, or better known as Petite is a Filipino actor, comedian, singer and TV show host. He is known for as a Filipino comedian in '' Comedy Bar'', Punch line and Clowns, together with their other celebrities; Boobay, Iyah, Donita Nose ...
'' (
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine (; ) is a Departments of France, département in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region, Northern France. It covers Paris's western inner Banlieue, suburbs. It is bordered by Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne to the e ...
,
Seine-Saint-Denis
() is a department of France located in the Grand Paris metropolis in the region. In French, it is often referred to colloquially as ' or ' ("ninety-three" or "nine three"), after its official administrative number, 93. Its prefecture is Bobigny ...
and
Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne (, "Vale of the Marne") is a department of France located in the Île-de-France region. Named after the river Marne, it is situated in the Grand Paris metropolis to the southeast of the City of Paris. In 2019, Val-de-Marne had a pop ...
) are covered by the
Paris Fire Brigade
The Paris Fire Brigade (french: Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris, BSPP) is a French Army unit which serves as the primary fire and rescue service for Paris, the city's inner suburbs and certain sites of national strategic importance.
The ...
.
*
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and large ...
is covered by both the
Marseille Naval Fire Battalion
The Marseille Naval Fire Battalion (french: Bataillon de marins-pompiers de Marseille, or ''BMPM''), is the fire and rescue service for the city of Marseille.
The battalion is a branch of the French Navy (french: Marine nationale), and consists o ...
and a civilian Bouches-du-Rhône SDIS.
*
Lyon Metropolis
The Metropolis of Lyon (french: Métropole de Lyon), also known as ("Greater Lyon"), is a French territorial collectivity located in the east-central region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is a directly elected metropolitan authority encompassing t ...
and
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...
are both covered by the Rhône SDIS, reflecting Rhône's boundaries before 2015.
*
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
is divided between two fire services, reflecting the departments that existed from 1975 to 2017.
Fire service based Emergency Medical Services
Local
fire department
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
s also respond to medical calls, and can send an
ambulance
An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport.
Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...
, a multi-purpose response vehicle or even a
fire apparatus
A firefighting apparatus describes any vehicle that has been customized for use during firefighting operations. These vehicles are highly customized depending on their needs and the duty they will be performing. These duties can include firefigh ...
. Here, the cross-trained
firefighter
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
s will provide on scene care and transport for injuries or illness, but are usually backed up by a
SMUR
Emergency medical services in France are provided by a mix of organizations under public health control. The central organizations that provide these services are known as a SAMU, which stands for (Urgent Medical Aid Service). Local SAMU organis ...
unit for more serious or complex cases. Firefighters are trained to provide
basic life support
Basic life support (BLS) is a level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care by advanced life support providers (paramedics, nurses, physicians). It can be pr ...
(BLS) level care.
Although they also transport casualties and are, in any practical sense, ambulances, their vehicles are instead called a VSAV ( – rescue and casualty assistance vehicle). Volunteer-staffed ambulances may be called a VPS ( – first aid vehicle). The VSAV and VPS are considered to be means of bringing rescue workers and equipment onsite, with the evacuation of patients being only the logical result of the response, but not the primary duty of these response resources.
Personnel and rank insignia
As of December 2015, there were 246,900 firefighters in France:
* 78% voluntary/call firefighters
* 22% career firefighters, including:
**17% civilian
**5% military firefighters (the
Paris Fire Brigade
The Paris Fire Brigade (french: Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris, BSPP) is a French Army unit which serves as the primary fire and rescue service for Paris, the city's inner suburbs and certain sites of national strategic importance.
The ...
and
Marseille Naval Fire Battalion
The Marseille Naval Fire Battalion (french: Bataillon de marins-pompiers de Marseille, or ''BMPM''), is the fire and rescue service for the city of Marseille.
The battalion is a branch of the French Navy (french: Marine nationale), and consists o ...
)
In addition, they employed 11,910 medical responders, and 10,900 administrative and support personnel. The ''jeunes sapeurs-pompiers'' (Junior fighters) and cadets numbered 27,800.
Civilian professional fire fighters are local government civil servants of class A, B, and C. Civil servants class A and B, and their volunteer counterparts, are trained at the National Fire College, ''École nationale supérieure des officiers de sapeurs-pompiers.'' Given their military origin, rank insignia follow those of the French Army.
Class C
Professional fire fighters class C are recruited from volunteer fire fighters or youth fire fighters, age 18 or above, with three years service as Sapper without a civil service exam. Corporals can be recruited with a civil service exam open to direct entry candidates who passed middle school, and through a civil service exam open to volunteer fire fighters or youth fire fighters, with three years service. In 2017, Sapeur de 1re classe was abolished and Sapeur de 2e classe was replaced by the rank of Sapeur, except for volunteers whose grades remained unchanged.
Promotion to Corporal can occur after three years as Sapper; to Chief Corporal after five years as Corporal. Sergents are selected through a civil service exam open to team leaders.
Promotion to Adjudant and Chief Adjudant can occur after four years as Sergeant/Chief Sergeant.
Since 2013, Chief Adjutant is the highest NCO rank of most departments as the rank of Major has been abolished.
Class B
Professional fire fighters class B are recruited through civil service exams open to direct entry candidates with a
foundation degree
A foundation degree is a combined academic and vocational qualification in higher education in the United Kingdom, equivalent to two-thirds of an honours bachelor's degree, introduced by the Department for Education and Employment in 2000. Founda ...
in engineering, and to fire fighters class C with four years service, leading to employment as Lieutenant 1st class; and through a civil service exam open to fire fighters class C qualified as senior crew commanders, leading to employment as Lieutenant 2nd class. 75% of the promotions from Lieutenant 2nd class to Lieutenant 1st class are through a civil service exam open to Lieutenants 2nd class with three years in the grade; 25 % through selection from Lieutenants 2nd class with five years in the grade. 75 % of the promotions from Lieutenant 1st class to Lieutenant above class are through a civil service exam open to Lieutenants 1st class with three years in the grade; 25 % through selection from Lieutenants 1st class with five years in the grade.
Direct entry lieutenants 1st class are undergoing a 32 weeks course at the French Fire College (). Lieutenants 2nd class are undergoing a 12-week course at the Fire College, while Lieutenants 1st class promoted from 2nd class, are in addition undergoing a course of 6 weeks.
Class A
Professional fire fighters class A are recruited through civil service exams open to direct entry candidates with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in engineering, and to fire fighters class B qualified as sector commanders.
Commandants are selected through a civil service exam from captains with three years in the grade; lieutenant-colonels from commandants with five years in the grade.
Direct entry captains are undergoing a 42-week course, and internal entry captains a 10-week course, at the National Fire College.
Class A+
Professional fire fighters class A+ hold senior management positions, such as brigade manager, deputy brigade manager, or senior expert for the government.
Colonels are recruited through civil service exams open to fire fighters class A qualified as area managers. The laureates are undergoing a 32-week course at the National Fire College.
Colonels hors-classe are selected from colonels with four years in the grade; contrôleurs généraux from colonels hors-classe with at least 8 years of experience as brigade manager, senior manager for the government, or similar positions that are listed by a decree.
The contrôleur général insignia has 2 pyres. However, some officers who handle special responsibilities within the government can have a 3 pyres insignia.
Responses
In 2015, the French fire services responded to 4,453,300 incidents, most of which were medical:
*Fires 300,700
*Traffic collisions 279,400
*Medical emergencies 3,413,300
*Technologic emergencies 53,200
*Other 406,700
Paris and Marseille comprise 10% of the national total.
See also
*
Emergency medical services in France
Emergency medical services in France are provided by a mix of organizations under Health care in France, public health control. The central organizations that provide these services are known as a SAMU, which stands for (Urgent Medical Aid Servic ...
References
External links
*
Official website (French Ministry of the Interior)*
National federation of French firefighters
{{Europe topic, Fire services in
Society of France
Emergency management in France
Emergency medical services in France