IN PICTURES – Mario, 80s, cinema… discover the very original calendars of the Drôme and Ardèche firefighters

It is a tradition that continues every year, between the end of October and the beginning of January. The firefighters of Drôme and Ardèche have started in recent weeks the distribution of calendars. And some barracks are very inspired. We offer you an anthology of some very original calendars.

Mario and Luigi help the firefighters

The Association of Firefighters of the Valentinoise Urban Area had already drawn up a calendar “superhero” a few years ago. This time the theme is the universe of the video game character Marioaccompanied by Luigi. In September, the two famous plumbers helped the Drôme firefighters put out a fire. In November, they managed to unblock a broken elevator.

The president of the Association, Marina Cardon explains: “These are firefighters disguised as mascots who took to the stage. We wanted to represent the different interventions: fire, rescue, animal capture. Even if it means having a calendar, it might as well be nice!” The aim is obviously also to please childreneven if the president chose Mario because he is “intergenerational”.

Special “80s” and a tribute to the New York firefighters

In Pierrelatte, the firefighters are offering a “80s” calendar for the year 2025. On the cover, a firefighter's helmet is placed on a dance floor next to it of a disco ball.

Another particularity, firefighters who went to New York offered this calendar to an American fire station to pay tribute to the firefighters who came to the aid of the victims of September 11 and many of whom lost their lives. Below is a photo of the calendar placed on the World Trade Center memorial. “We gave it to the firefighters of the Ladder 10 station as a tribute to all these courageous people”writes the Friendly on its Facebook page.

Firefighters make movies

The chosen theme revolves around cinema in Loriol and Livron. The two neighbors did not consult each other but had the same idea. The Loriol firefighters have parodied movie posters.

In Livron, it is a revisited Oscar ceremony. The firefighters are awarded an Oscar and have also hijacked cult scenes from certain films. We see them next to the famous DeLorean from Back to the Future or in the scene of Harry Potter's Sorting Hat which becomes “Firefighter Harry”. “It’s to try to renew ourselves and break a little from the codes of the classic calendar which can sometimes seem obsolete for the youngest”confides the president of the Amicale de Livron, Joël Debayle. However, the calendar always keeps reminders of good behavior or even the call for volunteersalways highly sought after.

A French championship for the best calendar

For several years, there has even been a French championship which elects the best firefighter calendar. The Amicale de La Voulte-sur-Rhône used to participate. Last year, the Ardéchois even obtained 3rd place of the competition with a calendar inspired by the La Casa de Papel series.

This year, the barracks decided not to participate in the competition again because it is a lot of investment, a whole year of work explains the president of the Association. But they offer a best-of of the last three editions: Playmobil, superheroes and La Casa de Papel. Their mascot, Poppy, provides information at the bottom right. This year the calendar is also translated into the Ardèche dialect thanks to the help of one of the barracks volunteers, Marie Testud.