Section 2: Local fire and rescue services

Local fire and rescue services, organised into first response centres primarily responsible for rescue missions, are the responsibility of municipalities or public establishments for inter-municipal cooperation that have a municipal or inter-municipal fire brigade. They include volunteer firefighters who, subject to specific rules laid down in application of law no. They include volunteer firefighters who, subject to specific rules laid down in application of article 23 of law no. 96-370…

A communal or inter-communal advisory committee for volunteer firefighters is set up within the commune or the public establishment for inter-communal cooperation to which the local fire and rescue service belongs, and exercises the powers provided for in article R. 723-75 of the Internal Security Code.

Communes and public establishments for inter-communal cooperation that have a fire brigade serving a first response centre retain responsibility for the expenses relating to the volunteer firefighters belonging to the communal or inter-communal fire brigade. .

The communal or inter-communal fire brigades of the local fire and rescue services are placed under the authority of a corps chief. The first intervention centres are placed under the authority of a centre chief. Volunteer firefighters who are corps chiefs, centre chiefs or officers are appointed by joint order of the prefect and the mayor or president of the public establishment for inter-communal cooperation concerned, following the opinion of…

A communal or inter-communal first response centre may be created by prefectoral decree, if the deliberative body of the commune or public establishment for inter-communal cooperation so requests, after receiving the assent of the fire and rescue service’s board of directors. The need for this creation must be established by the departmental risk analysis and coverage plan.

In the event of serious negligence or operational difficulties observed in a communal or inter-communal fire brigade, the prefect may dissolve the brigade by order issued after consulting the departmental director of fire and rescue services and the deliberative body of the commune or public establishment for inter-communal cooperation. This order specifies the conditions for the reorganisation of the corps and the arrangements required to provide rescue services until this…