In an article published by our colleagues at *Le Parisien*, a man claiming to be a firefighter and a resident of the town of Alès, in the Gard department, gave an account of road safety. An account deemed "utterly disgraceful" by Colonel Jean-Michel Langlais, Director of Fire Services at SDIS 30.
In response to the question, "Do you still ever drink before driving?", the 26-year-old replied: "Yes, it happens often. When I’ve been drinking, I tend to stick to back roads, where the police aren’t... On several occasions, I’ve pulled over and ended up spending the night in the car when I wasn’t feeling well. I’m aware that sometimes I drive dangerously. The Road Safety Campaign adverts? I’ve seen them, but they just go over my head...” he said.
Reaction from the head of the Gard fire service
An honest and sincere account, but when it involves the profession most highly regarded by the French, it simply doesn’t go down well. On social media, several users – whether firefighters or not – have voiced their outrage, hoping that his superiors will take disciplinary action.
This Sunday at 1.40 pm, the Gard Fire Service posted a response on Facebook. "In an article in *Le Parisien* on drink-driving, which was shared on social media, a man claiming to be a firefighter and living in Alès, in the Gard department, made extremely disgraceful comments about his behaviour whilst under the influence of alcohol.
As soon as he became aware of this article on Friday 27 December 2019, the director of the SDIS immediately contacted the newspaper in question, strongly condemning the comments made and clarifying that the individual in question has not been active as a volunteer firefighter with the Gard SDIS for nearly two years. The newspaper published the following correction on Saturday 28 December 2019: “In my capacity as director of the Gard Departmental Fire and Rescue Service, I condemn these remarks, which are particularly shocking and at odds with the values upheld by the Gard’s firefighters, who constantly and regularly communicate – including on social media – about all the rules of conduct aimed at improving road safety.”. These comments were made by the departmental director of SDIS 30.