Emergency care provided by firefighters in Gironde: “A saving of time and life expectancy”

For the past year, firefighters have been authorized to perform medical procedures previously reserved for doctors and emergency medical services. In Gironde, more than 5,000 emergency treatments have been performed.

A woman fell from the first floor of a building. She was suffering from acute pain in her chest and arm. Upon arrival, the firefighters assessed her condition, took her blood pressure, and entered all the data into a tablet. She reported pain of 9 on a scale of 10, likely a fracture of the humerus and ribs. A message appeared on the tablet screen: the intervention criteria for emergency care were met. The emergency medical dispatcher was contacted by telephone. He prescribed the immediate administration of pain-relieving gas and a hemoglobin test. The firefighters took charge.

Another accident, this time caused by a hornet sting. The victim develops a rash and complains of increasing discomfort in her arm and throat: she has Quincke's edema. She has difficulty breathing and could suffocate and die in less than ten minutes. It's anaphylactic shock. After consultation, the dispatching doctor recommends an injection of adrenaline.

These two simulations recently conducted by the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (Sdis 33) in La Brède illustrate how decisive the emergency care provided by firefighters can be. The range of their interventions has become very broad since last year: electrocardiograms, pain management, asthma attacks, severe hypoglycemia, severe allergies, overdoses, and even severe hemorrhages. In Gironde, 2,500 firefighters out of a total of 7,000 have become familiar with these procedures. The Sdis 33 is the only one in France to perform all medical procedures authorized by law.

"Before, we were a bit helpless when it came to these issues," recalls Staff Sergeant Jonathan Richaud. "We were dealing with people who were suffering, and providing care was difficult. Having new prerogatives gave us added value and re-motivated us."

The protocol is strict. These emergency procedures are only performed under the authority of a dispatching physician. The Smur-Samu will then only intervene if the severity of the situation requires it. This is the concept of graduated emergency response. "It's about providing the right care based on the person's condition," explains François Pantaloni, head physician of the health sub-directorate of the Sdis 33.

“Before, care was difficult. Having new prerogatives has given us added value.”

This minor revolution in civil security was made possible by the Matras Law of 2021, the decree of which was published the following year. Firefighters then began to be trained, initially in measuring blood pressure, capillary blood glucose levels, and carbon monoxide levels in the blood.

Considering that the department only has about ten emergency medical services, the impact of their intervention can be significant. "It saves time and life expectancy," summarizes Lieutenant Colonel Olivier Cassone. "It can save about an hour of treatment, which is no small thing when you're suffering," adds his colleague François Pantaloni.