Here and There: Fire and Rescue Services

Above, the Fire and Rescue Services headquarters in the small Australian town where I grew up.All the personnel are volunteers and Australia wide the service is made up of one third professionals, two thirds volunteers. In Australia this is the lead emergency service. Their main work is with fire, flood and car accidents, but they can be involved in any disaster involving physical danger to the general public.

Below, the equivalent in Preuilly, known as the sapeurs pompiers. All the personnel are volunteers and France wide the service is made up of 50% professionals, 50% volunteers. The pompiers are popular heroes in France, with collectable action hero figurines available. Young French people can join the 'jeunes pompiers' as volunteers in their teens and get to train in search and rescue (which includes driving the fire engine...). Every November a pompier will knock at our door as part of their fundraising drive. The pompiers role is much the same as their Australian equivalents, but they are not the lead emergency service in France, the SAMU (a specialist emergency medical organisation) are.

To read our post on a pompiers training exercise in our street, click here.
To read our post about the pompiers training on the river click here.