This Wednesday, May 4, France Bleu supports firefighters with a special day dedicated to volunteer firefighters. A branch that currently represents 80% of total firefighters. Only with an intervention every seven seconds in France and ever-increasing demands, the numbers are beginning to run out. Firefighters are therefore looking for volunteers everywhere in France, from 16 to 60 years old, everyone can get involved.
A daily commitment
Today, 197,100 citizens have chosen to exercise the profession of volunteer firefighter alongside their job or their studies. Integrated into the various fire and rescue centers in France, their missions are similar to those of professional firefighters, but in their free time. Missions ranging from personal rescue to firefighting and environmental protection.
Six interventions per month on average
Each volunteer firefighter participates in an average of six interventions per month, with on-call periods planned in advance. When there is an emergency like a forest fire, the volunteer firefighter can be called to his place of work. He will therefore be released by his company via an agreement negotiated upstream, and will therefore no longer be paid. However, he perceives compensation ranging from 8 and 12 euros per hour depending on his grade. Finally, volunteer firefighter means responding to a five-year commitment, renewable or not.
What steps to become a volunteer firefighter?
If you are interested in the position of firefighter-volunteer, the first thing you will do is send a CV and cover letter at your nearest fire station. Once the documents have been received, you will be assessed via a physical fitness test then a motivational speech. If the tests are positive, you will be invited to take the official training to be a volunteer firefighter. It lasts an average of 30 days and allows you to learn, thanks to different modules, first aid gestures or fire management.
We must stop believing that it is a man’s job.
For the moment, volunteer firefighter remains a predominantly male profession since only one in five volunteer firefighters is a woman. For Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for the National Federation of Firefighters, everything is however done to tend towards diversity. “We must stop believing that it is a man’s job. Today the construction of barracks take into account women and men, with private areas for each and everyone. Women carry out exactly the same missions and are essential in our profession today.