Pompiers condemn nuisance calls

FIREFIGHTERS have complained about a growing number of unnecessary calls to emergency number 18, which they say could put lives at risk.

Authorities estimate that up to a third of calls are from people who are not in any immediate danger. Often they are minor medical problems that are not life-threatening and people turn to the pompiers because they cannot find an out-of-hours doctor.

In some towns were the brigade is most stretched, mayors have passed bye-laws imposing tougher sanctions on nuisance callers.

The sapeurs-pompiers in Paris say they have reached the maximum number of call-outs they can physically achieve in a day - breaking the 2,000 mark for the first time a fortnight ago when the city was hit by exceptionally hot weather.

Pascal Le Testu, the head of Paris fire brigade, told Le Parisien that his staff were working at the "critical limit".

"One day we will have a problem reaching a serious accident because our team will be dealing with a trivial incident instead," he said.

"People need to remember that we are emergency workers - we intervene in serious situations where there is a real danger."

The other emergency numbers in France are 15 for the Samu (medical), 17 for police or gendarmerie and 112, which is a general emergency line if you are calling from a mobile.

The majority of pompiers are volunteers. Throughout France, they will be putting on balls this evening or tomorrow to celebrate the French national holiday.

The traditional bal des pompiers usually involves a small entrance fee, or they are free but collections are made to raise funds for the station.