In the midst of the crisis, France’s fire service held its national congress from Wednesday to this Saturday in Vannes, in the Morbihan department of Brittany. Against a particularly tense backdrop, the event proved a success for both the organisers and participants.
At his first conference as president of the National Federation of French Firefighters (FNSPF), Colonel Grégory Allione took the floor on several occasions to defend the interests of France’s 250,000 firefighters. His words were strong, at times bold, but realistic.
Emmanuel Macron was nowhere to be seen
"The French fire service is respectful. But just as much as we enjoy welcoming you, Minister of the Interior, we would also appreciate seeing our President of the Republic." Grégory Allione stated publicly at the FNSPF’s general meeting. He went on to add, "France’s firefighters are willing to take politicians at their word: but they need to see action, Minister!".
“The second half of this five-year term must include a second phase in the modernisation of civil protection!” pic.twitter.com/tl5qFDW4gR
— Grégory Allione - FNSPF & ODP (@AllioneFNSPF) 21 September 2019
For several months now, the federation has been calling for change, reforms and greater awareness. To no avail. Whilst operational activity has soared by 30 per cent in twenty years, the last law to modernise the Civil Protection service dates back to 2004, and the regulation of emergency calls remains a subject of debate... Nothing is moving forward. Yet the system, which relies 79 per cent on volunteers, is on its last legs.
Dealing with assaults: CCTV, stab-proof vests...
On average, five firefighters are attacked every day. During a face-to-face interview with Grégory Allione, organised by our colleagues at *Le Parisien*, Christophe Castaner stated, "Firefighters come to treat, rescue and support people, yet they find themselves being insulted, or even injured, often by the very people who called them. This is an unacceptable situation. As concrete measures, for example, we are going to trial the use of body-worn cameras for firefighters. We are also testing cut-resistant vests. We will also be relaunching an awareness campaign to reach all members of the public. You cannot insult someone you have called for help. When you attack a firefighter, you are attacking yourself.".
For Grégory Allione, this situation reflects a society in crisis. "We are not the only ones. Police officers, gendarmes, teachers, doctors – all those who represent authority in the noblest sense of the word – are at risk. The real change is that attacks are taking place everywhere. It is no longer just stone-throwing in troubled neighbourhoods. We’re at risk today even when we’re responding to calls from ordinary people.”, he added.
The end of volunteering?
When asked about the status of volunteer firefighters – again by our colleagues at *Le Parisien* – Grégory Allione is categorical. "It is absolutely essential to preserve this French model. Without volunteering, there would be no civil protection, either in everyday life or in emergencies. The Swedes stopped relying on volunteers about ten years ago. As a result, in 2018, when they were faced with massive forest fires, they had no resources left and it was we, the French, who came to their rescue.". For his part, Christophe Castaner stated, "I will not back down on this issue. Treating the time spent volunteering as working time is a misunderstanding of the very nature of our volunteer firefighters’ commitment. Not all firefighters can be professionals. The system would lose its effectiveness and its community-based nature.”.
A situation to watch. The next national firefighters’ congress will take place in 2020, in Marseille. It is a region that Grégory Allione knows particularly well, as he has been director of the Bouches-du-Rhône SDIS since October 2014.
Photo: Ministry of the Interior/Twitter.