No sooner had he been appointed Minister of the Interior than Christophe Castaner was called to account by the National Union of Professional Firefighters (SNPP-PATS). The union highlighted the constantly rising levels of violence against firefighters and called for a “Grenelle de la sécurité” to be held, drawing a parallel with the Grenelle de l’environnement, which brings together various political and civil society stakeholders to find solutions to environmental issues.
In a press release sent to our editorial team on Tuesday afternoon, the union expressed its outrage at a resurgence of physical and verbal attacks on firefighters, recalling the tragic incident on 4 September, when Geoffrey Henry, a firefighter with the rank of sapeur in the Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP), was stabbed to death by the very person he had come to rescue. He was 27 years old, married and a father.
Stricter penalties
The trade union is calling for "the prompt organisation of a 'Grenelle de la sécurité' to discuss a number of proposals", in particular: the implementation of the Act of 28 February 2017 providing for harsher penalties, improving the practical conditions for carrying out operational duties, ensuring better training tailored to these situations, and strengthening the circular of 13 March, which provides for the anonymisation of complaints and automatic functional protection for firefighters who are victims.
In the same letter, the SNSPP-PATS states that it has requested a meeting with the new occupant of Place Beauvau, Christophe Castaner, whilst expressing its exasperation at "the inaction of the authorities and elected representatives".