According to a report published by our colleagues at the Progress, on Friday morning, the board of the Ain Fire Service was considering a revision to the departmental risk analysis and coverage plan (SDACR), which would remove the response time requirement. "A forceful move" The CFDT trade union expressed its regret to our colleagues, adding, "We found out about it a fortnight ago. The decision was taken without consulting us. However, specifying a response time means the SDIS is obliged to provide a response. It’s like breaking a rule," he laments. “We’re also told that this allows them to shift the blame when there are complaints against the fire service.”.
As in every department in France, the SDACR is mandatory. It draws up an inventory of risks of all kinds, with a view to ensuring the safety of people and property. It sets out the coverage targets for these risks. These targets constitute performance targets for the SDIS. As regards response times, there is no obligation for the public service to specify them in its operational regulations. However, where they are stipulated, they place an obligation on the fire service, and in the event of a delay, they may face legal proceedings.
Protecting yourself against litigious individuals
The departmental director of SDIS 01, Colonel Hugues Deregnaucourt, confirms this. "Nowadays, as soon as we handle a claim exceeding 250,000 euros, we receive a letter or a claim from the insurer, even though we haven’t been found liable for at least three years. Most schemes elsewhere in France are implemented without delay to protect the SDIS from this.", he explains, speaking once again to our colleagues at *Le Progrès*.
According to the 2018 edition of the SDIS statistics, based on data from 2017, firefighters in the Ain department arrive at the scene of an incident in an average of 11 minutes and 19 seconds. This is faster than the national average for Category B fire and rescue services.