The Hanches-Épernon barracks are participating, for the second year, in the French firefighter calendar championship. The voting period begins Tuesday, November 26, at 9 p.m., for a period of twenty-four hours, on Instagram.
Decisive day, Wednesday November 27, 2024, for the Hanches-Épernon firefighters. For the second year in a row – and its second participation -, the station was selected for the final phase of the competition for the most beautiful firefighter calendar in France.
Competing in the eighth and final group, she is preparing to enter the competition. “Votes will be open from Tuesday evening, at 9 p.m. (November 26, Editor’s note), until Wednesday evening at 9 p.m.”, specifies chief warrant officer Julien Sevestre. Votes which “are done in stories on Instagram”. The barracks are the only one in the department still in competition to this day.
Revenge
Since learning of her selection, the small team has put itself in battle order. And intends to take her revenge: in 2023, she lost in the quarter-finals, with only a hundred votes difference.
“We were very, very frustrated in this quarter-final, rewinds chief warrant officer Julien Sevestre. We were at Hyper U, we were making people vote and we saw, at one point, the shift take place. We think that we could have won.”
“We were faced with large barracks of around a hundred people, with professionals and volunteers”
Julien Sevestre (Chief Warrant Officer at the Hanches-Epernon barracks)
Like Little Thumb of the French Football Cup, Hanches-Épernon was the last 100% volunteer barracks in the race. “We were faced with large barracks of around a hundred people, with professionals and volunteers,” continues Julien Sevestre. “Some had called on influencers. We don’t have those means.”
French Firefighters Calendar Championship: only a few hours left to support the Hanches barracks
This year, the Hanchois calendar focuses on the theme of TV series from the 80s and 90s. Like this reproduction of a scene from the cult series Sheriff scare me by the officers, renamed Chiefdom scare me. A second part, more classic, illustrates the rescue center and its vehicles, before “a little nod to good deeds” Pink October and Movember.
The thirty-seven firefighters from the station played the game. “Everyone is present at least once in the calendar, underlines the chief warrant officer, even our former retired firefighters.”
Town halls in support
Nothing to gain from this competition, except cohesion and support from the population. Even the municipalities are getting into the game. “Hanches will publish on Panneau pocket and each registered resident will receive a notification on their phone with the direct link, rejoices Julien Sevestre. And Épernon will publish on its social networks and on the illuminated panels of the city.”
If the barracks qualifies, the next stage will consist of a face-to-face with another barracks, in the 32nd final. The tournament is expected to end in mid-January 2025.
Myriam Arnaud
Practical. Votes will take place from Tuesday, November 26, at 9 p.m., to Wednesday, November 27, at 9 p.m., in story, on the Instagram account of the National Federation of Firefighters of France: @sapeurs-pompiers-de-france. On Wednesday morning, the Hanches-Épernon barracks will publish, as a story on its Instagram account, a link to its voting page. Barracks social networks: @amicale–sp–hanches–epernon (Instagram and Facebook).
Calendars. The distribution of 2,800 calendars began in mid-October in the municipalities of Épernon, Hanches and Droue-sur-Drouette, door to door. In the absence of residents, the firefighters leave a flyer in the mailbox. Orders are made by mail or online and are delivered to mailboxes within twenty-four hours. At the beginning of December, the firefighters will also offer their calendar at the entrance to Hyper U, on weekends. “It also allows us to interact with people, to create a little animation,” underlines chief warrant officer Julien Sevestre.
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