Question 17608 — security of property and people

Summary

Mr. Julien Rancoule draws the attention of the Minister of the Interior to the respiratory protection of firefighters engaged in the fight against fires in natural areas. Scientific knowledge relating to the health effects of firefighters' exposure to fire smoke is progressing. The risks linked to the inhalation of toxic substances, in particular fine particles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene or even aldehydes, are now better documented, particularly during structural fires. Although there is still work to be done in this area, this development has led to the strengthening of decontamination protocols and measures intended to limit staff exposure. On the other hand, the situation of firefighters engaged on fires in natural areas appears to be taken into account much less. However, these interventions expose personnel to sometimes very dense smoke for particularly long periods of time, not only during the attack and extinguishing phases, but also during drowning and surveillance operations, which can last several days. The fire hood they are equipped with only constitutes thermal protection and has no smoke filtration function. If protective equipment respiratory adapted to the operational constraints of vegetation fires exist, they remain very little used in France, while several studies have already focused on the specific risks incurred by forest firefighters. He therefore asks whether the ministry has any studies or data relating to the specific exposure of firefighters to smoke from forest fires and natural spaces and their health consequences in the medium and long term, if the fire and rescue services have the obligation to provide their personnel with respiratory protection equipment adapted to this risk as part of their obligations in terms of health and safety at work, and finally if the Government plans to develop the operational doctrine, to financially support the acquisition of such equipment by the SDIS or to launch a national program aimed at better protecting firefighters against this risk.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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