Medical emergency? Call the pompiers

THE pompiers (fire service) do a lot more than just fighting fires: they are the first port of call in medical emergencies.

You might expect that calling out the Samu (an ambulance service with medically trained personnel) would be most suitable for serious accidents and illnesses.

However, the pompiers (full title: sapeurs-pompiers, literally sapper-pumpers) in fact have far more ambulances available. They are also best-equipped to deal with heart attacks.

Commandant Jean-Emmanuel Bourgeais of the Loire-Atlantique pompiers said they have about 220 ambulances compared to the Samu, which has three.

He added: "To keep things simple, it is best to always call the pompiers on 18 or, from mobiles 112, and in the operations room we sort out the best response.

"If it’s a job for us, we send an ambulance immediately; if it needs medical attention, we automatically alert the Samu, who judge if they should send someone or not to complement the pompiers.

"We can carry out first-aid, including using a defibrillator, which all of our ambulances are equipped with. If necessary, we phone or radio to the Samu to report and they can give permission to take the person to the nearest hospital."

Mr Bourgeais said the pompiers have specialist teams such as divers, rescuers for dangerous situations such as accidents in mines or construction sites and in the mountains, and dog handlers for finding missing people.

Every day an English teacher visits to give lessons to staff in their call centre, he said. They also have a link with an association which supplies interpreters who can talk on the telephone between an injured person and the pompiers.

Key emergency numbers: 112 (general emergency line, with operators who decide which service you need);18 (pompiers); 15 (Samu); 17 (police or gendarmerie).