Paris Fire Brigade

The brigade's main area of responsibility is the City of Paris and the surrounding départements of Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, and Hauts-de-Seine (the petite couronne).

It is a unit of the French Army's Engineering Arm (l'arme du génie) and the firefighters are therefore sappers (sapeurs, thus sapeurs-pompiers).

They must have French nationality, be between 18 and 25 years old, have a clean criminal record and have at least a vocational training CAP certificate.

The first period lasts two months, with the first aid and first responder training, and basic military instruction (including shooting).

The BSPP consists of 8,550 personnel with 81 stations and facilities who conduct 1,200 operations daily.

The brigade commander directly controls the Information and Public Relations Bureau, and who is assisted a Colonel-Adjutant, a General Council called a Cabinet and a Chief of Staff who controls the following Bureaus: and three Assistant Chiefs of Staff: Operational staff are divided into three geographic groups, as well as a training group and a services group.

Evening dance parties are held at fire stations on (or near to) Bastille Day.

The Fire Brigade's headquarters in Paris
Firemen of the Paris brigade, Bastille Day 2008 military parade on the Champs-Élysées, Paris.
General Bernard Périco, as of 2006 commanding officer of the Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP)
Mobile HQ of Paris Fire Brigade in action.
Iveco fire apparatus in Paris.
Fire support truck near Champerret HQ.
Peugeot 308 (Chief officer's car).
Renault Mascott light truck of the Scuba unit of Paris firemen.
Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP) firemen displaying various uniforms. Place de l'Opéra, Paris - 12 January 2019.
Light electric car Renault Zoe, Paris, June 2019.