Calvados: firefighters charge their interventions – Le Figaro

The measure criticized by the firefighters themselves, to take effect Thursday.

The image of firefighters, these everyday heroes who save people braving the dangers, she will be seriously tarnished? This Thursday, in Calvados, some of their interventions that would affect the very heart of their missions will be charged. In a document of 21 March, on the SDIS (departmental service of fire and emergency) of this department, a price list appears and on which appears especially on a line 241 euros. This is the amount to be claimed for now, it is written, a “house without lift transport”.

This dry formula covers actually disarray situations. Those of isolated older people and having fallen and unable to get up calling for help. Namely firefighters, these firefighters who embody excellence in the public service and dedication. On another line, it says: “raising doubt fire alarm.” Price charged 463 euros. The movement of unjustified aid after the outbreak of a sound signal and will also be charged.

Firefighters are the first to denounce this new pricing. With one voice, the unions are concerned about this decision which undermines they felt the same sense of mission. “People are already paying this service through their taxes and thus made to pay twice,” laments Patrice Beunard, president of the National Union of Professional-FO firefighters. “He can be as disparate practices from one department to another,” responds for his part Sebastien Bouvier, of the CFDT Brigade while Sebastien Delavoux, the head of the CGT for this industry, “worrying limit has been reached.”

for in reality, the pricing of services supported by firefighters already exists and was even encouraged by the Court of Auditors years ago . In a report in 2011, it pointed increased spending SDIS while noting that their management could be improved through better rationalization of the use of their resources. Magistrates notaient especially that it is the aid to people, especially at home, which was in strong growth with 663,000 interventions more in 2010 than in 2002. “This increase is particularly the result of the reduction of medical hotlines nearby in the context of an aging population, particularly in rural areas, “wrote the authors of the report. To offset this activity by generating increased expenditure, magistrates then encouraged the consolidation of a fledgling billing policy for various operations. Among them, the destruction of wasp nests or the release of elevator doors. “Practiced in some departments, this target billing activities that should normally be supported by private providers”, decrypts Sébastien Delavoux, continuing: “But we had never previously been paying our interventions to rescue people. “

” people are already paying this service through their taxes and made thus pay twice “

all this development is a direct result of declining financial resources departments that mostly pay SDIS today. Affected by a reduction in allocations granted by the State, they would seek to compress certain expenses. “The Calvados would have chosen this unfortunate solution,” says Gaétan Lechevalier, firefighter and member of the CGT sector.

Chairman of the Department (IDUs), but also the board of the SDIS, Jean- Léonce Dupont defends his decision. Unreachable by phone, it says on its website that this bill is “perfectly legal” and that it affects only “comfort interventions.” This development can, he designs, trouble, precisely, he said, the way to preserve this public service.