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On Monday July 14th, Chief Warrant Officer Bernard Gendrey, Sergeant Vincent Gaffiot and Sapper 1st Class Erika Aubin marched in the Champs-Elysées in Paris with the 18th Battalion of the French Fire Brigade, alongside firefighters from all the French overseas territories.
The helmets shone brighter than ever, the posture was haughty, the march perfectly assured. On the Champs-Élysées on Monday July 14th, three volunteer firefighters from Saint-Barthélemy's Service territorial d'incendie et de secours marched in the ranks of France's 18th firefighting battalion. The battalion is made up entirely of firefighters from eleven overseas territories (Mayotte, La Réunion, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, New Caledonia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna).aise, Wallis-et-Futuna, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy), Chief Warrant Officer Bernard Gendrey, Sergeant Vincent Gaffiot and Sapper 1st Class Erika Aubin were a credit to their department, their colleagues and the island of Saint-Barthélemy.
The most satisfied was undoubtedly Lieutenant Christophe Laurens, commander of the Stis. It's a great source of pride for these personnel and for Stis," says the officer. Parading on the Champs-Élysées is a unique experience, but it's important to remember that they were selected on the basis of their seriousness and motivation. It's also a fortnight's experience, with many kilometers of marching to ensure that the whole battalion moves smoothly in close order. No easy task when you've had no military training. The result was a complete success. "
Senate citizenship medal
Senator Micheline Jacques presented the Senate Citizenship Medal to Chief Warrant Officer Bernard Gendrey, Sergeant Vincent Gaffiot and Sapper 1st Class Erika Aubin. Félix Anthenor-Habazac, Comptroller General of Guadeloupe, and Captain Bruno Edom were also honored.
Senator Micheline Jacques had a front-row seat to watch the 18th French Fire Brigade Battalion and the three representatives from Saint-Barthélemy. "Emotion and pride as the firefighters from Saint-Barth passed by, they represented us with dignity", commented the parliamentarian on a video of the parade she posted online. The following day, July 15, Micheline Jacques received Chief Warrant Officer Bernard Gendrey, Sergeant Vincent Gaffiot and Sapper 1st Class Erika Aubin at the Senate. They were accompanied by Guadeloupe Comptroller General Félix Anthenor-Habazac and Captain Bruno Edom. "I presented each of them with the Senate Citizenship Medal for their commitment to serving the people of our island", said the Senator.
For his part, the President of the Collectivité territoriale, also speaking online at the July 14th ceremony, praised the participation of the three Stis volunteer firefighters in the parade. Saint-Barthélemy was magnificently represented", he declared, before also paying tribute to pilot Jean Maille, "recently married to the Collectivité". recently married to the Collectivité", who was at the controls of the Falcon 50 that flew over the parade.
Chief Warrant Officer Bernard Gendrey has been a volunteer firefighter for over twenty years, Sergeant Vincent Gaffiot for nine and Sapper 1st Class Erika Aubin for two. There's no doubt that their next assignment at the Saint-Jean fire station will have a very special flavour.
Stis on the training front
Throughout the first half of the year, Saint-Barthélemy's Territorial Fire and Rescue Service saw its firefighters take part in training courses. "It's a first to have all these people out and about, mainly thanks to the support of the Collectivité," stresses Lieutenant Christophe Laurens. It demonstrates the evolution of Stis and the follow-up of these training courses, which are compulsory to remain competent. "A number of success stories can be highlighted. Firstly, Master Corporal Mickaël Régniez, a professional firefighter, and Warrant Officer Aurélien Rasse, a volunteer firefighter, who spent two weeks on an intensive training course in French Guiana, supervised by the defense zone and the local departmental service.
Secondly, Lieutenant Thomas Charmillon, who graduated from a course dedicated to crisis management for inter-service officers. He completed this course at the École nationale des officiers sapeurs-pompiers in Aix-en-Provence.
Finally, four firefighters who have completed their induction training to become professionals. This four-month training program was carried out within the Sdis de l'Hérault. Corporal Lucas Bosc (class valedictorian), Corporals Arthur Cohan and Doris Durrèche and Sapper Nicolas Legendre received their professional helmets at a ceremony in Montpellier. It goes without saying that another ceremony will be held in Saint-Barthélemy to pay tribute to them.
