Summary
Role of the firefighter
A rescue professional:
The firefighter rescues people. He intervenes and administers first aid in the event of a traffic or domestic accident:
He is also the one who bringshelping peoplein the event of natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.
A fire professional:
The fireman is best known for his fire fighting gear. He is authorized to extinguish fires:
- of forest;
- building;
- Of house ;
- car…
Its essential mission is to evacuate, and save, the victims of the fire.
A prevention professional:
Despite the improvement in construction standards and safety regulations, the firefighter retains a real role of prevention. Before the opening of public buildings, such as schools or hospitals, the firefighter checks the security systems.
Firefighter working conditions
Working conditions for civilian firefighters:
In France, the men of the fire depend on the local authorities and come under the Ministry of the Interior. Professionals are territorial officials but firefighters can also be volunteers. The latter represent a large majority.
An exception to these statutes: in the Paris region and in Marseille, firefighters are soldiers. They depend on the National Navy in Marseille, and the Army in Paris.
The way of life of professional firefighters is also very similar to that of the military: they respect astrict hierarchy and live in community.
On-call service:
Firefighters must be able to intervene at any time. They therefore commit to childcare services, during which they remain at the barracks. These on-call periods last from 24 to 48 hours, then are followed by a day off.
Given their extreme job, firefighters are constantly exposed to hazard. To remedy this, the risks are always calculated, and the firefighters are subject to personal protective equipment (PPE). They wear specific outfits, particularly resistant and insulating.
Firefighters also use special vehicles, with ladder, fire engine…
How much does a firefighter earn
A young firefighter receives €1,330 net per month, excluding allowances.
An officer can earn more than €3,000.
Training to become a professional firefighter
Competitions :
To become a non-officer professional firefighter, you must pass one of the 2 competitions, organized at departmental level by the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS).
To register, certain conditions must be met, in particular:
- the candidate’s age, which must be between 18 and 25;
- have French nationality or be a national of the European Union;
- have a CAP (certificate of professional aptitude), a BEP (professional studies certificate) or the college certificate.
You can find additional information on the website of the Ministry of the Interior, Overseas Territories, and Local Authorities and Immigration.
Exceptions in Paris and Marseille:
To join the Paris Fire Brigade, you must have a school diplomasatisfy psychotechnical examinations and a motivational interview.
Marseille firefighters must at least hold a BEP.
Qualifications needed to become a firefighter
To be passionate :
Being a firefighter requires adapting your lifestyle to your profession. In addition to the living conditions, at the barracks, the firefighters spend a lot of time in physical training. It is necessary to be sporty, resistant, available, and motivated 24 hours a day.
Courageous and efficient:
The firefighter must stop at nothing, even if he regularly happens to be confronted with tricky situationsdifficult and even dangerous.
To be fast :
A firefighter is always called in an emergency. He must be able to take initiatives and choose the best process as quickly as possible.
To know :
Firefighters are subject to several ranks. For become a lieutenant, it is advisable to follow a year of training at the National School of Fire Officers, accessible by competitive examination. To attend, you must hold a bac + 3, and be under 29 years old.
Content updated on 06/06/2012