Sécurité Civile: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Civil defense agency of the French Government}}

[[File:Sécurité Civile - Logo.svg|thumb|200px|The emblem of Sécurité Civile which includes the international civil defense [[:File:CivilDefence.svg|symbol]].]]

The '''{{lang|fr|Direction générale de la sécurité civile et de la gestion des crises}}''' (General directorate for civil defense and crisis management) is a [[civil defense]] agency of the [[Government of France|French Government]]. It operates for the [[Minister of the Interior (France)|Ministry of the Interior]] and employs some 2,500 civilian and military personnel over 60 sites.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Le-ministere/Securite-civile |title=Sécurité civile |language=fr |trans-title=Civil Security}}</ref> Known as the '''{{lang|fr|Protection Civile}}''' until 1976,<ref name='HDhist2'>{{Cite web |url=http://www.helico-dragon.com/historique/histo02.html |title=Helicopter group history (in French) |access-date=2008-08-03 |archive-date=2008-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801184209/http://www.helico-dragon.com/historique/histo02.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> the {{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}} is split into several branches:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000037086033&dateTexte=20180923 |title=Arrêté du 18 juin 2018 portant organisation et attributions de la direction générale de la sécurité civile et de la gestion des crises |language=fr |trans-title=Order of June 18, 2018 on the organization and powers of the Directorate General for Civil Security and Crisis Management |date=2018-06-18 |access-date=2018-09-23}}</ref>

* The {{lang|fr|inspection générale de la sécurité civile}}, which is in charge of auditing the [[civil defense]] public policies.

* The {{lang|fr|Direction des [[Fire service in France|Sapeur-pompier]]s}} are the French [[firefighter]]s.

* The {{lang|fr|service de la planification et de la gestion des crises}} is the crisis oversight service. It includes the units involved in [[bomb disposal]], [[Maritime Gendarmerie|coast guard]], [[Mountain rescue#France|mountain rescue]], [[Air medical services|air ambulance]] and [[medical evacuation]], and [[aerial firefighting]] duties.

* The {{lang|fr|sous-direction des affaires internationales, des ressources et de la stratégie}} (sub-directorate of international affairs, resources and strategy).

== Aircraft ==

{{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}} aircraft operate for the Rescue operation and civil-military cooperation branch under the {{lang|fr|Groupement des Moyens Aériens Sécurité Civile}} (Aerial Group).<ref name="HDchart">{{Cite web |url=http://www.helico-dragon.com/presentation/popup.html |title=Sécurité Civile Organisational Chart (in French) |access-date=2008-08-03 |archive-date=2011-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711162559/http://www.helico-dragon.com/presentation/popup.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Aircraft carry the title SECURITE CIVILE on the fuselage sides, together with the international civil defence symbol. The aircraft are divided into the {{lang|fr|Groupement des Helicopteres de la Securite Civile}} (Helicopter Group) and the {{lang|fr|Groupement des Avions Bombardiers d'Eau}} (Water Bomber Group).<ref name='Aeroflight'>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/france/francaf5.htm |website=Aeroflight |title=World Airforces: France}}</ref>

=== Helicopter group ===

[[File:Sud SE3160 Alouette III F-ZBAL LEB 02.06.73 edited-2.jpg|thumb|[[Aérospatiale Alouette III]] of the {{lang|fr|Protection Civile}} demonstrating at [[Paris–Le Bourget Airport]] in 1973.]]

The {{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}} helicopter group has 23 helicopter bases in mainland France and its overseas territories. It has a fleet of 35 helicopters and employs 230 pilots and flight engineers and 50 ground engineers. Over its 50 years of activity, the helicopter group has an impressive track record, with 480,000 flight hours, 250,000 rescue missions and 225,000 people rescued.<ref name='Rotorhub'>{{cite web|url=http://www.shephard.co.uk/Rotorhub/ShowReportItem.aspx?ID=e3faf43f-dade-4223-ae82-94c18e1035fe |website=Shephard.co.uk |title=Turbomeca and Securite Civile celebrate 100,000 flight hours of the Arriel 1E2}}</ref> Helicopter group aircraft use the callsign "DRAGON", followed by the number of the {{lang|fr|[[Departments of France|département]]}} in which their base is located.<ref name='HDhist2' />

* [[Eurocopter EC145]] (35)

{{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}} currently operates 35 EC-145 helicopters that were delivered between 2002 and 2005. The fleet has accumulated over 100,000 flight hours.<ref name='Rotorhub' /> The EC-145 fleet is used for [[search and rescue]], fire fighting, [[emergency medical services]] (EMS), [[surveillance]] and [[Law enforcement agency|law enforcement]]. EC-145s are deployed on 22 {{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}} bases in France and the [[Overseas territory (France)|French Overseas Territories]]. An order has been placed for a further five helicopters, to be delivered from January 2009. This will enable the phasing out of the six remaining ''Alouette'' III helicopters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eads.net/1024/en/investor/News_and_Events/news_ir/2007/2007/20071213_ec_dga_ec145.html |title=DGA orders 5 Eurocopter EC145 helicopters for Sécurité Civile |website=EADS}}</ref> The EC 145 carries out an average 10,000 rescue missions each year, representing over 13,300 flight hours.<ref name='Rotorhub' />

==== Bases ====

* [[Ajaccio]] ([[Corsica]])

* [[Annecy]]

* [[Bastia]] (Corsica)

* [[Besançon]]

* [[Bordeaux]]

* Cannes

* [[Clermont-Ferrand]]

* [[Granville, Manche|Granville]]

* [[Grenoble]]

* [[Le Havre]]

* [[Lille]]

* [[Lorient]]

* [[Lyon]]

* Marseille

* [[Montpellier]]

* Paris - [[Issy-les-Moulineaux]]

* [[Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques|Pau]]

* [[Perpignan]]

* [[Pointe-à-Pitre]] ([[Guadeloupe]])

* [[Quimper]]

* [[La Rochelle]]

* [[Strasbourg]]

The {{lang|fr|Echelon Central}} (command centre), and helicopter maintenance base is located in [[Nîmes]].

=== Water bomber group ===

[[File:Grumman S-2A-Conair Turbo Firecat (G-89), France - Securite Civile AN0205116.jpg|thumb|{{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}} [[Conair Firecat|Conair Turbo Firecat]] at [[Stuttgart Airport]]]]

* [[Bombardier 415]] (12)

12 Bombardier 415s are currently operated by the {{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}}, each able to drop {{convert|6,137|L|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/misill/sections/a_la_une/toute_l_actualite/securite-civile/canadair-rhodes/view Envoi de deux Canadair sur l'île de Rhodes (French)]</ref> France was the first nation to commit to the CL-415 "Superscoop" in 1992, so that it could phase out its [[Canadair CL-215]]s.<ref name='AFM'>{{cite book | last = Keijsper | first = Gerard | title = Airforces Monthly: 'Water-Bombers Required!' | publisher = Key Publishing | date = July 2008 | location = London | pages = 38–44 }}</ref>

* [[Bombardier Dash 8]] (6)

Two pre-owned Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s, acquired from [[Scandinavian Airlines|Scandinavian Airlines System]], were modified by [[Cascade Aerospace]] of [[Abbotsford, British Columbia]], for the {{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}} to act as fire-fighting [[Aerial firefighting#Airtankers|water bomber]]s in fire season and as transport aircraft off season. This aircraft is designated the Q400-MR (Multi Role). The aircraft can be reconfigured into the passenger, cargo or aerial fire control role in under three hours<ref>[http://www.cascadeaerospace.com/products/Q400%20Air%20Tanker%20Conversion/ Cascade Aerospace - Q400 Airtanker Conversion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813063702/http://cascadeaerospace.com/products/Q400%20Air%20Tanker%20Conversion/ |date=2009-08-13 }}</ref> and can drop {{convert|10,000|L|abbr=on}} in the tanker role.<ref>[http://www.flightlevel350.com/De_Havilland_Canada_Dash_8_aircraft_facts.html De Havilland Canada Dash 8]</ref> 6 more ordered in 2017 for 365M€, 4 delivered by the end of 2021.

* [[Beechcraft Super King Air|Beechcraft Super King Air 200]] (3)

==== Bases ====

All fixed-wing aircraft are based at [[Garons Provence Airport]].

== Bomb disposal ==

:''Main article: [[Iron Harvest]]''

307 {{lang|fr|Sécurité Civile}} [[bomb disposal]] experts are based at 20 bomb disposal units, including 2 overseas units (Guadeloupe and [[French Guiana]]). They are responsible for the detection, removal, disposal or destruction of suspicious objects. They also provide assistance during official travel or large demonstrations and disarm and destroy dormant ammunition [[Zone Rouge|still present from the two world wars]].<ref name='FIbomb'>{{cite web |url=http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_l_interieur/defense_et_securite_civiles/services-operationnels/deminage |title=Le service du déminage de la sécurité civile |trans-title=The civil security demining service |language=fr|date=2010-05-17 |publisher=[[Ministre de l’Intérieur]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523220948/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_l_interieur/defense_et_securite_civiles/services-operationnels/deminage/ |archive-date=2012-05-23}}</ref>

In 2004, {{convert|440|t}} of munitions was disposed of, whilst forty-three bomb disposal experts were deployed on the sixtieth anniversary of the [[Normandy landings]], seventeen on the sixtieth anniversary of the [[Operation Dragoon|landing in Provence]], and sixteen during the visit of [[Pope John Paul II]] to [[Lourdes]].<ref name='FIbomb' />

== References ==

== External links ==

* [https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Le-ministere/Securite-civile - Sécurité Civile (in French)]

* [http://www.helico-dragon.com/ Sécurité Civile Helicopters (in French)]

* [http://www.helis.com/database/org/fr_french_civillian_security/ Sécurité Civile Helicopters fleet]