Interventions by La Manche firefighters down in 2024

The patroness of firefighters in France, also called “the saint of fire”, was celebrated Friday January 17, 2025 at the Saint-Lô headquarters, in the premises of the Manche departmental fire and rescue service (Sdis).

After the speech of the prefect of Manche, Xavier Brunetière, reading the message from the Minister of the Interior evoking more than 4.7 million interventions by firefighters in France last year and deploring the loss of nine firefighters in the exercise of their duty, the time had come to decorations et promotions.

In total, 10 promotions and 17 medalistsincluding Jean Rampon, sub-prefect of Cherbourg, who received the bronze level, “forest fire” staple, for his mobilization during the fires which raged in 2022 in Gard, while he was sub-prefect in Alès.

Less bad weather

The past year has seen a significant drop in interventions in the Channelgoing from 42,293 to nearly 35,500 (or 97 interventions per day). If the Cherbourg firefighters see a larger part of them managed by private companies, the Sdis, for its part, looks towards bad weather, “much less numerous than in 2023, in particular with the Ciarán storm in November “.

In 2024, the operational activity of firefighters in France was marked by the Olympic Games. In the department, the Olympic torch relay relief system mobilized 198 firefighters, with emphasis given to the security of Mont Saint-Michel on May 31.

Mobilization during the 80th anniversary of the Landing

Another major event where the crowd was also there, the demonstrations of the 80^e anniversary of the Landing. From June 1 to 9, 340 firefighters responded to around twenty security devices, notably during airdrops and the presidential visit to Saint-Lô and Cherbourg.

Manche firefighters also participated in the national effort, notably by going twice to Mayotte. Once at the start of the year, the archipelago facing a major drought, then at the very end of the year, after the passage of Chido, a cyclone which ravaged the island on December 14.

Furthermore, this year was marked by various projects, combining training of the population and elected officials. A rescue, support and research unit (Usar), constituting a first level of recognition of building risks, has also been created. 28 Manche firefighters have already completed this training.

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