Motor pumps, pipes, generator, vacuum cleaners, barnum, fuel, life jackets, and even an old fire boat bought at auction… It's an understatement to say that the Sud-Gironde Citizen Reserve is equipped. This Ali Baba's cave is located in a barn in Saint-Magne, at the home of the president of the association Grégory Pierron. A craftsman, he uses this equipment for his profession, but also makes it available to the association, just like his vehicles. He is ready to load everything to make the journey to Valencia, hit at the end of October by terrible floods. But he lacks money.
“We need around 1,000 euros,” explains Grégory Pierron, who is launching a call for donations, and published the association's RIB on the Facebook page. “It could be individual donations, 10, 50 euros…”
Create after the fires of 2022the Sud-Gironde Citizen Reserve now has around forty volunteers. She intervened, free of charge, during the floods in Pas-de-Calais, in November 2023Or more recently in the Rhône after the floods of mid-October. “There, in Givors, we spent 800 euros on food, fuel costs…”, counts the president. The cash flow has melted and only 1,400 euros remain in the association's accounts. For hard times, but also for “insurance to pay, equipment to maintain…”
Two teams of three or four ready to go
If the funds arrive, these volunteers ensure it: in a few hours, the equipment is put away, and two teams of three or four people are ready to leave for Spain, to “cleaning the mud; pumping, that kind of thing… Holding a hose, passing a squeegee, moving packs of water… We have volunteers who tell us: I only have two hands. It's no problem, you can help”, explains this former soldier. “Help, I was always taught this kind of thing”, he continues.
It's a state of mind, but also a welcome return, two and a half years after the fires in South-Gironde, when Polish, Austrian or Greek firefighters came to fight the flames. Lionel Gautriaud wants to return the favor. “The firefighters were happy to find us,” said this ex-artisan. “Leaving people like that is complicated. Three years ago, we thought less about it. But now that we're in, we see the solidarity, the smiles of people when we arrive..”
Ready to go “anywhere”for his part he calls on the highway companies to give “a little helping hand, to be able to pass 2-3 vehicles for free”. He also sent 25 letters to large companies to obtain donations of equipment, calls on those who have small means to pay the subscription to join the association, discusses with municipalities… The Reserve, which also sometimes holds meetings stands at events, always looking for long-term funding.
