Established in 1957, the Civil Protection Helicopter Group (GHSC) comprises around 315 staff, including more than 200 flight crew (pilots and flight engineers).
The Civil Protection Service’s 35 EC145 helicopters are spread across 23 operational bases – including three overseas – seven seasonal detachment sites, and the maintenance and training centres in Nîmes. They are deployed to tackle forest fires, but their primary role remains the rescue of people, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, particularly in hazardous environments.
© Ministry of the Interior.
2016 Operational Review
In 2016, Civil Protection helicopters rescued 15,559 people during nearly 16,000 flight hours – that is, one person roughly every thirty minutes.