When he arrived in Les 2 Alpes in 1975, all of seven years old, Pierre already had a dream… like every little boy: he wanted to become a firefighter.
He first set foot in the fire station in 1988 as a volunteer firefighter… and today he’s Les 2 Alpes’ Chief Fire Officer!
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A LITTLE ASIDE - fitness tests (practise your press-ups….) |
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Back to Captain Pierre Campayo: he’s been a firefighter for 27 years and has run the fire station for 15 years! Among other things, his responsibilities include the fire station’s administrative management and human resources. He is also Group Leader, which means he is in charge of large-scale fire and rescue operations.
HOW DOES LES 2 ALPES’ FIRE STATION WORK? Interview with Pierre Campayo:
“There are 32 year-round firefighters, including 8 women. As well as the permanent staff, I recruit 8 seasonal back-up staff (for summer and winter) paid for by the local fire and rescue service (SDIS 38).
What makes a mountain fire station different from normal is the seasonality. In effect, we go from 2,000 to 30,000 inhabitants depending on whether the resort is open or not! The fire service is called out between 450 and 500 times per year.
It’s also worth mentioning how far away we are from any back-up or support: the nearest is 25km away in Bourg d’Oisans and the closest hospital is in Grenoble, a 90 minute drive away.
I’d also like to say a few words about the JUNIOR FIREFIGHTERS GROUP (the only one in Oisans), which comprises 18 children between the ages of 10 and 16: the goal is for them to learn about civic responsibility, citizenship, basic first aid, discipline and rigour… the majority of these youngsters will form tomorrow’s cohort when they become volunteer firefighters.”
Copyright © : Caserne des 2 Alpes : Jordi Bouillard
Editor : Franca GRASSIA
