The RISC (Intercommunal Civil Security Reserves) were created five years ago in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Every year, hundreds of volunteers survey the massifs and hiking trails of the territory to monitor possible outbreaks of fire, notify emergency services if necessary, and carry out prevention work with the population. This year, the season was launched on July 1, at the town hall of Reynes.
“It’s a good way to occupy your time, I who am retired, and to protect this department in a civic way”, explains Isabelle, a volunteer since last year on the Côte Vermeille. She realizes one to two patrols per week, “which is not too big a commitment”for her.
There are five RISCs in the Pyrénées-Orientales, which cover the territories of Argelès-Albères, Aspres-Réart, Aspres-Tech, Côte Vermeille and Vallespir, with around sixty volunteers for each unit. At their disposal : bicycles, horses and 4x4s equipped with a small water tank, “not to intervene on a fire, but to put out barbecue fires for example”says a volunteer.
“They tell us crucial information” – Éric Belgioino, director of SDIS 66
These volunteers do shadow work, ahead of that of the firefighters or the gendarmes. “In the event of a fire starting, they provide us with crucial information”explains Éric Belgioino, director of SDIS 66, “the location, the size of the fire, the vegetation affected and the access roads”. Data that then allows the emergency services to know what force and what gear to deploy.
Two years ago, Maurice Soles, a volunteer in the Albères, found himself in this situation. “It was a fire on Fourque, we were in the mountains, we were doing surveillance. We saw a smoke and we reported it thanks to our maps. And then they got away with it”remembers the former firefighter.
A positive assessment after five years of existence
And after five years of existence, these surveillance brigades have proven themselves : no significant fire has degenerated in the areas covered. A very encouraging assessment according to Éric Belgioino, “However, we must remain vigilant. The field of forest fires calls for modesty and humility. We are not immune to a human-caused fire outbreak”, he insists. And to remember that indeed, the majority of fires are of human origin.
The first patrols began on July 1 and will last until September. In the future, new RISCs will be created to cover the north of Aspres and Corbières.