Billing interventions firefighters: the controversy swells – The Point

In Calvados, the decision to charge users, from 1 April, some interventions firefighters is causing a controversy between majority and departmental opposition, amid persistent grumbling firefighters . On March 21, the board of the county fire and rescue services (SDIS), chaired by the President (UDI) of the department, Jean-Léonce Dupont, has decided to make a lump sum contribution of some interventions SDIS.

Now it thus will cost 463 euros for a lift or release a ‘thrown doubt fire alarm, “410 euros for a” wrongful call with commitment, “241 euros for one person intoxicated or a ‘lift home without transport “following a malaise for example, or to transport a patient at home.

savings on back of the population?

the left-elect of the Caen urban area, all tendencies are on the frontlines on Saturday at a press conference to denounce as they deem harmful to the population. “This is a real achievement in public service,” said Agence France-Presse PS MP and former mayor of Caen Philippe Duron. According to him, the majority of county right “wants to organize the scarcity of demand to accompany a decrease in supply”, having already “deleted dozens of firefighters positions in 3 or 4 months.”

the left accuse elected Jean-Léonce Dupont of wanting “to save money on the backs of health and population ‘, especially denouncing two measures affecting home lift and fire alarms. “I understand that such a development disorder, but I refuse political exploitation, if not partisan,” retorted on his blog Saturday the president of the county council.

Deleting 30
positions in 2015

he said that “this bill is perfectly legal” and is not “a calvadosienne exception” because “many SDIS implement it throughout France.” Jean-Léonce Dupont justifies its decision by his desire not to reduce the departmental contribution to the SDIS in a context of declining allocations to local authorities and states that “this bill is the way to preserve the emergency public service.”

He said it does not concern the tasks entrusted to SDIS by law, which they continue to be carried out without payment. Billing will be “so-called comfort or interventions that can be performed by private partners,” he said. That prospect boosted the Caen firefighters, whose relations with their parent are already strained. At the beginning of the year, they observed a strike for several days, considering himself “sursollicités” after the loss of 30 positions in 2015 and the closing night of a barracks of Caen.