Become a Sapeur-Pompier

In France, anyone between the ages of 16 and 55 who would like to take a more active approach to serving their local community can sign up to become a “sapeur-pompier volontaire”, or volunteer firefighter. The role of a volunteer is not limited to fighting fires, however – there’s a whole range of activities covered by the “sapeurs-pompiers” that serve society at large.

WORDS: JESSICA KNIPE

Whether you’ve been welcomed with arms flung open wide or your neighbours have let you in with a more discreet, slower approach, you might feel that it would be nice to give something back to say thanks. And what better way than to be available for them when they really need it most?

The idea of paying back his community for their kindness was certainly what appealed to Glyn Dawson, who moved from Scarborough to his home near Nontron (24) over 20 years ago. The light bulb moment came as he was digging out a pool for the local fire station chief, who suggested that he should sign up – he jumped in, head first. “I didn’t ever think I’d ever be doing this,” says Glyn, “but I’m always up for trying new experiences (like moving to France for example!) and I wanted to give something back; we’ve had such a warm welcome here.”

For Katie Thompson, a 19-yearold medical student who moved to Aulnay-de-Saintonge (17) when she was still a child, the motivation came from watching firefighters saving people’s lives in the news. “I thought they were so heroic,” says Katie. “And as I looked into it a little more, I realised that you don’t have to be a professional, full-time firefighter to make a difference. I knew I wanted to be a volunteer immediately.”

Obviously, the first question on any English-speaker’s mind is: “Do I need fluent French?” The good news is that speaking English is probably more of an advantage than a hindrance where the pompiers are concerned. With a growing population of anglophones in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, there are inevitably more accidents and emergencies that require pompier intervention in English. Someone who can remove the extra stress of the language barrier for a person in distress could only be an asset.

“Obviously you need a basic level of French,” admits Glyn. “Mine’s not too bad, but I did worry, as on the field not understanding a directive could mean the difference between life and death! You learn very quickly, though, thanks to the people at the caserne (station). If anything, it’s a great way to expand your vocabulary…”

The next question that might pop up for aspiring volunteers is how physically fit they need to be. After a medical exam and some blood tests, volunteers are of course required to pass a few basic fitness tests, but tasks can be adapted to make room for everyone. “If you have asthma, you obviously won’t be sent in to fight a fire,” explains Glyn, “but that doesn’t mean that you can’t help out on other calls.” The idea is that the more volunteers there are, the less pressure there will be on the professionals and the other volunteers: “The more the merrier! The more sapeurs-pompiers volontaires there are signed up, the better we can share the roster.”

In effect, the roster is divided up between teams of volunteers and professionals, who are then on call nights and weekends for their designated weeks. Once a month the volunteers come in to be on call together at the caserne, and to practice their skills, too. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not: “All that it means is that you can’t travel to far from your caserne that week. But it’s so little, it’s no problem at all, and you can easily tell your team if you’re not available at certain times,” explains Glyn. Volunteers are usually signed up for five years at a time, at which time they can step down from their functions or sign up for another five years.

Read the full article in the February 2023 issue of Living Magazine...