CRISES. A former gendarmerie officer is set to take charge of the fire service and, more broadly, to become director of the emergency services in France, with effect from 13 March.
Jacques Witkowski, aged 54, who has been Prefect of the Manche department since January 2016, was appointed on Friday as Director-General for Civil Protection and Crisis Management at the central administration of the Ministry of the Interior.
A graduate of Saint-Cyr (Lieutenant-Colonel Gaucher’s intake, the same as that of Major-General Christian Rodriguez, General Patrick Valentini, Commander of French Guiana, General Simon-Pierre Baradel, Commander of the Military Academies, and General Laurent Tavel, Director of Support and Finance), he served as commander of a group of mobile platoons in Martinique, company commander in the Vendée, and, in 1996, military commander of the Hôtel Matignon with the rank of squadron leader.
Two levels
After joining the prefectural service, he began his career as chief of staff to the Prefect of Côtes-d’Armor, then served as chief of staff to the Prefect of the Réunion region, Prefect of Réunion, Chief of Staff to the Director of Political, Administrative and Financial Affairs at the State Secretariat for Overseas Territories, sub-prefect of Sélestat-Erstein, Secretary-General of French Polynesia, Secretary-General of the Finistère Prefecture, Secretary-General of the Pas-de-Calais Prefecture and Prefect of Mayotte. He was subsequently appointed in 2014 as Chief of Staff to the Minister for Overseas Territories, George Pau-Langevin. He is a Knight of the National Order of Merit, a Knight of the Legion of Honour and a recipient of the National Defence Medal. Civil Protection is divided into two levels:- At national level: the Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Crisis Management (DGSCGC):Decree of 23 August 2011 on the organisation and remit of the Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Crisis Management
- at local level: the fire brigade.