French government pledges €1 billion for firefighters over five years

The French government has pledged one billion euros over five years to bolster the resources of departmental fire and rescue services (SDIS). During an annual congress, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that a civil security modernization bill will include a specific article outlining these dedicated funds.

The funding is intended to be provided at a rate of 200 million euros per year, financed through an exceptional increase in the special tax on insurance agreements (TSCA). This tax, which applies to automobile insurance contracts, will be used to support local authorities and social security organizations, including the departments that fund firefighters.

Xavier Boy, president of the professional firefighters' union FA/SPP-PATS, described the move as an “interesting political orientation” but cautioned that an announcement does not equate to a permanent budgetary commitment. He noted that the union will evaluate the actual amounts inscribed in legal texts and effectively received by the SDIS.