While nearly 20,000 foreign volunteers have left for Ukraine to repel the Russian army, French firefighters are organizing to go there and rescue war victims.
They will be nearly 400 volunteer firefighters to leave their loved ones and their work to go east this weekend.
For this dangerous mission, they were able to count on donations, but above all on their own means.
It all starts with a call for help from the Ukrainian embassy in France, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion.
"We learned that nearly 50% of Ukrainian firefighters had to abandon fire hoses to take up arms and defend their country," says Lieutenant David Courdent, a volunteer firefighter for 16 years.
This information means that on the spot, civilians are dying for lack of assistance.
The lieutenant and other of his colleagues from the Ille-et-Vilaine departmental fire and rescue service (Sdis) are sure of it: they must go and help the remaining 50% of firefighters to save lives.
In the trade, word of mouth works well, especially since the Ukrainian embassy in France has contacted as many firefighter associations as it could.
Result: on Friday March 4, nearly 400 volunteer firefighters organized themselves to leave.
“Captains, commanders, men of rank, men, women… Only elite firefighters selected according to their experience”, assures David Courdent.
No money, but motorhomes
Gathering sappers is one thing, leaving is another.
Because being a volunteer firefighter often means also having a job in civilian life.
Some have therefore taken leave, others have made arrangements with their employers.
And in this mission, it is not a question of money, since it is only about autonomous departures, completely independent and detached from the SDdis.
"On site, we will have our uniforms, but not our badges", explains Lieutenant Courdent.
The departure was set for Friday.
“We will go through Italy, Austria, then Poland, where we have an appointment with a contact who must take us into Ukraine and pass all the checkpoints to the city of Lviv where the 'we will be under the control of the Ukrainian firefighters,' explains point by point Captain Jean-François Fiorina, a retired professional firefighter and currently a volunteer.
A member of the Action solidaire firefighters association of Théoule in Brittany, he left with a team of 15 people for twenty days.
However, it is impossible to take service vehicles.
Suddenly, the firefighters organized themselves.
“We are leaving with two 4X4s and two reformed ambulances, that is to say which are no longer in service, but which still work very well”, assures the 64-year-old sapper.
It is also expected that one of the ambulances will remain on site.
"Some go there with their personal vehicles, especially motorhomes to have a certain autonomy on the spot in case", adds Lieutenant Courdent.
10 cubic meters of meds
The volunteer firefighters will not arrive empty-handed either, as the needs in Ukraine are many.
“We were asked for a lot of materials and medicines: painkillers, what to do with tourniquets, infusions, etc.
In all, we gathered about ten cubic meters”, assures Captain Fiorina who even postponed the start to be sure to be sufficiently equipped.
His team even leaves with a dog capable of finding survivors in a landslide.
Some companies have also answered the call and will provide the bulletproof vests.
For the head, on the other hand, firefighters will have to rely on their firewall helmet, although these are unfortunately not bulletproof.
David Courdent says it and repeats it: “French firefighters do not go to fight alongside Ukrainians, only to save lives, Ukrainians and Russians, without distinction.
Nevertheless, the men of the fire go on a dangerous mission in a war zone.
“We know we take risks.
We are prepared, even if we were told that on the spot, it was beyond what we could imagine, ”says the 46-year-old firefighter.
"I have experience at the operational level which is not negligible, but I am apprehensive all the same", adds Captain Fiorina, for whom, as for all those on the start, the priority remains to bring everyone back to the House.
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Vladimir Poutine
War in Ukraine
Firefighters
Society
Russia
Kyiv (Kyiv)
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