Under the authority of the departmental director of fire and rescue services, the chief medical officer manages the health sub-directorate and advises the fire and rescue service authorities. By way of derogation from article R. 1424-19 of the present code, a doctor recruited on contract may occupy the post of chief medical officer provided that he or she has first attended the professional training course for chief medical officers. The chief medical officer may be assisted by a deputy chief medical officer.
The subdirectorate comprises a chief pharmacist and, where appropriate, a chief veterinary officer and a chief nurse. The chief medical officer and, when these posts are created, the chief pharmacist and the chief nurse are professional firefighters whose minimum grade is defined in the relevant statutory provisions.