Paris Fire Brigade

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2011}} [[Image:French fire engine parading DSC00870.jpg|thumb|Fire engine of the ''Brigade des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris'' parading]] The '''Paris Fire Brigade''' (French ''Brigade des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris'', BSPP), is a [[French Army]] unit which serves as the fire service for Paris and certain sites of national strategic importance. The brigade's main area of responsibility is the City of Paris and the surrounding ''[[Département in France|départements]]'' of [[Seine-Saint-Denis]], Val-de-Marne, and [[Hauts-de-Seine]]. It also serves the [[Centre Spatial Guyanais]] in [[Kourou]], the Military Rocket Test Centre in [[Biscarosse]], and the gas plant of [[Lacq]]-[[Artix, Pyrénées-Atlantiques|Artix]]. The other departments of metropolitan Paris have their own [[Sapeur-pompier|fire brigade]]s. The brigade is a unit of the [[French Army]]'s [[combat engineering|Engineering Arm]] (''Génie'') and the firefighters are therefore [[sapper]]s (''sapeurs'', thus ''sapeurs-pompiers''). With 8,550 firemen, it is the largest fire brigade in Europe and the third largest urban fire service in the world, after the Tokyo Fire Department and New York City Fire Department. The Brigade is placed at the disposal of the Paris [[Prefecture of Police]] in an arrangement similar to that of the [[French Gendarmerie]]. Its moto is ''"Save or Perish"'' (French ''"Sauver ou périr"''). Another military force responsible for firefighting in France is the [[Marseilles Marine Fire Brigade]]. The remainder of France has civilian fire and rescue services (''services départementaux d'incendie et de secours''). ==Mission== As any French firefighter, their missions are # Fire Suppression # Emergency ambulance # Utility Safety – Gas Leaks et al. # Personal Assistance – Victims services, [[Search and rescue|SAR]] lost persons # Motor vehicle collision response # Protection of beings # Patrol, Reconnaissance and Research # Animal rescue # Pollution control and [[HAZMAT]] Response # Alarm response They defend Paris and its "little crown" (close suburbs), but also specific sites: * [[Guiana Space Centre]] of [[Kourou]] [[French Guiana|Guyane]] * test field for missiles in [[Biscarosse]] * site for extraction and processing of natural gas in [[Lacq]]-[[Artix, Pyrénées-Atlantiques|Artix]] ==History== [[File:Brigade de sapeurs-pompiers de Paris, État-major, Place Jules-Renard.jpg|thumb|left|The Fire Brigade's headquarters in Paris.]] Founded in 1793 as the ''Corps des gardes-pompes de la ville de Paris'' and following the 23 hour [[Austrian Embassy Fire]] in 1810 became a military organisation by Imperial Decree by the Emperor [[Napoleon I of France|Napoléon Bonaparte]]. On 18 September 1811, it became the ''Bataillon de sapeurs-pompiers de Paris'' and was expanded to the ''Régiment de sapeurs-pompiers de Paris'' in 1867. On 1 March 1967 became the ''Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris''. ==Selection and instruction== The operational personnel (''hommes du rang'' i.e. privates) are usually engaged for five years. They must have French nationality, be between 18 and 25 years old, have a clean [[criminal record]] and have at least a [[vocational training certificate]] (CAP). The selection is three days long, with sports tests, psychomotor tests, medical examination, etc. Training takes place in the Instruction Grouping (''Groupement d'instruction'', GI), at the fort of [[Villeneuve-Saint-Georges]]. The first period lasts two months, with the [[first aid]] and [[first responder]] training, and basic military instruction (including shooting). The sapper then undertakes practical training of four months in an operational Fire Company (''compagnie d'incendie''); he takes part in personal assistance and utility safety operations. The sapper then returns to the Instruction Grouping for two further months for his fire training. He is then permanently attached to a Fire company. ==Resources== [[Image:BSPP flag Bastille Day 2008.jpg|thumb|Firemen of the Paris brigade, Bastille Day 2008 military parade on the Champs-Élysées, Paris.]] The BSPP consists of 8,340 personnel who man 81 stations and facilities who conduct 1200 operations daily. *463 pieces of equipment **130 [[Fire apparatus#Fire engine|Pumpers]] **63 Aerial Devices **66 Ambulances **71 Command and Patrol vehicles **133 Special Engines ***[[Fireboats]] ***[[Helicopters]] ***[[All terrain vehicle]]s ***[[Four wheel drive]]s ==Corporate Organisation== [[Image:General Bernard Périco BSPP p1040756.jpg|thumb|upright|Gen. Bernard Périco, {{as of|2006|lc=on}} commanding officer of the Paris Fire Brigade]] The brigade is commanded by a [[Brigade General]] as part of the French Army's engineering arm. The brigade commander directly controls the Information and Public Relations Bureau, and who is assisted a Colonel-Adjutant, a General Council called a Cabinet and a [[Chief of staff (military)|Chief of Staff]] who controls the following Bureaus: *General Studies Bureau *Financial Programs and Budget Bureau and three Assistant Chiefs of Staff: *Assistant Chief for Employment **Operations Bureau **Formation and Instruction Bureau **Prevention Bureau *Assistant Chief for Logistics **Techniques Service **Infrastructure Service **Administrative Service **Telecommunications and Information Service *Assistant Chief for Human Resources **Human resources Bureau **Personnel Welfare Bureau *Chief Doctor **[[Emergency medical service]]/[[SAMU]] **Chief of the Health Service ==Field Organisation== * First fire group – Northeast Paris and [[Seine-Saint-Denis]] * Second fire group – Southeast Paris and [[Val-de-Marne]] * Third fire group – west Paris and [[Hauts-de-Seine]] each contains eight Fire companies and an Emergency medical service * Instructions group * Services group ===First fire group (''Premier groupement d'incendie'')=== The '''First fire group''' of the Paris Fire Brigade covers Northeast Paris and [[Seine-Saint-Denis]] and is Headquartered at: * 12 rue Carpeaux 75018 Paris tel: 01.42.26.83.18 and consist of the following units: * Fire Group Staff * [[Emergency medical services|EMS]]/[[SAMU]] * Facilities (Maintenance) Group and 8 Fire Companies (CEI) * 7th at [[Blanche]] * 9th at [[Montmartre]] * 10th at Landon * 12th at [[Ménilmontant]] * 13th at [[Aulnay-sous-Bois]] * 14th at [[Clichy-sous-Bois]] * 24th at [[Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis|Montreuil]] * 26th at [[Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis|Saint-Denis]] ===Second fire group (''Deuxième groupement d'incendie'')=== The '''Second Fire Group''' of the Paris Fire Brigade covers Southeast Paris and [[Val-de-Marne]] and is Headquartered at: * 16 avenue Boutroux 75013 Paris Tel: 01.45.82.58.18 and consist of the following: * Fire Group Staff * [[Emergency medical services|EMS]]/[[SAMU]] * Facilities (Maintenance) Group and 8 Fire Companies (CEI) * 1st at [[Chaligny]] * 2nd at [[Massena]] * 8th at [[Rousseau]] * 11th at [[Sévigné]] * 15th at [[Champigny-sur-Marne|Champigny]] * 17th at [[Créteil]] * 22nd at [[Rungis]] * 23rd at [[Saint-Maur-des-Fossés|Saint-Maur]] ===Third fire group (''Troisième groupement d'incendie'')=== The '''Third Fire Group''' of the Paris Fire Brigade covers Western Paris and [[Hauts-de-Seine]] and is Headquartered at: * 14 rue Henry Regnault 92400 [[Courbevoie]]. Telephone: 01.49.04.74.18 and consists of the following units: * Fire Group Staff * [[Emergency medical services|EMS]]/[[SAMU]] * Atelier Group and 8 Fire Companies: * 3rd at [[Port Royal]] * 4th at [[Colombier]] * 5th at [[Champerret]] * 6th at [[Grenelle]] * 16th at [[Boulogne-Billancourt|Boulogne]] * 21st at [[Plessis Clamart]] * 27th at [[Gennevilliers]] * 28th at [[Puteaux]] ===Instructions Group (''Groupement d'instruction'')=== The '''Instructions Group''' of the Paris Fire Brigade provides education and training to all Paris [[firefighters]]. It consists of the following: * Group Staff * [[Emergency medical services|EMS]]/[[SAMU]] * Center for Formation and Cadres * Center for the Instruction of Recruits ** Basic Training Company ** Auto School, driving and repairs * Support Company ==Special Services== Controlled by Headquarters *Divers/[[Scuba set|SCUBA]] *[[Search and Rescue]] *Canine Service *Music *Gymnastic Team *Air Service *Boat Service ==Operations== The BSPP has about 1 200 interventions per day. In 2001: * 1st fire group: 163 081 interventions amongst which 9 606 fires; * 2nd fire group: 136 078 interventions amongst which 5 583 fires; * 3rd fire group: 150 376 interventions amongst which 5 234 incendies. There are 6,16 million inhabitants in the BSPP zone (1999). This represents: * per day: 19 interventions per 100 000 inhabitants; * per year: 7 300 interventions per 100 000 inhab., amongst which 331 fires per 100 000 inhab. ==External links== {{commons|Brigade de sapeurs-pompiers de Paris|Paris Fire Brigade}} *[http://www.pompiersparis.fr/ Official Website – French Only] {{Fire services by country}} {{Fire fighting}} {{Unreferenced|date=January 2008}} {{coord missing|France}}