a new lieutenant at the head of the Bourron-Marlotte center

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A journey of commitment and training, serving the community. On October 14, lieutenant Michel Thilloux officially took office as head of the Bourron-Marlotte Fire and Rescue Center (CIS) (Seine-et-Marne). A native of the region, he joined the volunteer firefighters at just 16 years old, in Château-Landon.

Versatile course

“I unfortunately remember my first significant intervention, for a deceased person,” he recalls with emotion. The next day I had to go back to class.” From 1998 to 2001, he discovered the profession, before taking the professional competition in 2001. He then joined Nemours, then Melun, where he specialized in chemical risks and became an animal rescuer.

His varied experiences allow him to access positions of responsibility. In 2022, after 20 years of career, he took the officer exam and joined the alert processing center (CTA-CODIS), a strategic center where he will supervise the coordination of departmental operations for almost three years.

« This is where I was able to really have a global vision of our profession, which allows me to explain certain decisions to the teams on the ground,” explains the man who heads the Bourron-Marlotte CIS team, with a staff of 35 people, a large part of whom are volunteers.

“My priority will be to maintain staff numbers, because we only have five professionals. It is crucial to maintain this voluntary dynamic while guaranteeing their continued training,” he insists.

For Lieutenant Michel Thilloux, the atmosphere at the barracks is also a priority: “ I want to keep this team spirit. We are lucky to have very involved volunteers, who juggle their jobs, their family life, and their commitment to the barracks. »

The new head of the CIS also sees potential for improvement in the cooperation between the different emergency services, outside of interventions. “I have contact with police officers, an SMUR driver from Fontainebleau, nurses,” he lists. It would be good to organize exchanges on our practices, discuss what works well and what could be improved. We know our own procedures, but we often ignore those of others, and that could really make the difference during our interventions. »

“Received ideas”

Michel Thilloux also wants to demystify certain preconceived ideas about the profession of firefighter. “ I would like to make people understand that the reports on TV do not really reflect reality. Firefighters are not supermen: a minimum of physical conditions are certainly required, which can be worked on, but the profession is accessible to everyone. Whether you are tall, short, thin, muscular, male or female, everyone has their place in our profession. »

Aware of the need to bring firefighters closer to the general public, the new center head wants to focus on communication to raise awareness, particularly on social networks and to make children who visit the fire station “ambassadors who will know how to act after having learned the good reflexes. »

Michel Thilloux also hopes to encourage agreements with local businesses to facilitate the engagement of volunteers. “This can save lives in both professional and private settings,” he recalls. Lieutenant Thilloux was able to demonstrate the importance of his barracks during the last big storms in August. “Spontaneously, several firefighters made themselves available to do reconnaissance and advise residents,” he recalls. We intervene on a daily basis for local missions, but we are also mobilized at the departmental level, as recently in Coulommiers during the floods. »

Information: to become a volunteer, contact the Bourron-Marlotte Fire and Rescue Center on 01 64 78 56 40.

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