As every year, the Alpes Maritimes department and the firefighters have presented the new water surveillance campaign. It’s an opportunity to recall the measures put in place due to the health crisis.
“A campaign that spans the entire 132 km coastline and 40 km of beaches.” The plan includes 47 lifeguard stations spread over ten municipalities, from Menton to Théoule-sur-Mer.
Local authorities at the helm
The costs of SDIS 06 are estimated at 1,247,000 euros. They are covered by the municipalities, but the department supports these investments.
This “firefighter arrangement” is equivalent to last year’s: an agreement is signed with the concerned municipalities (this mission is not mandatory for firefighters). However, this year is special: hiring processes were slowed down, and the training scheduled for March was halted due to inactivity. “It is a system that will ensure the safety of our swimmers. It will enable the opening and staffing of the 47 surveillance posts and the 450 lifeguard instructors. Among them, there are volunteer firefighters and temporary lifeguards,” reminds Deputy Eric Ciotti of the Alpes Maritimes.
This year, the firefighters’ federation has established a partnership with Decathlon, a brand specializing in sporting equipment distribution. They were able to provide masks and swimming buoys free of charge, intended to be attached to swimmers to ensure the safety of the rescuers.
Demonstrations of the arrangement
There are two demonstrations to understand the different intervention forms during a drowning. The first one is conducted with lifeguards:
The lifeguard equips themselves with a tube buoy attached to a 1.5m harness and a mask. Like a dolphin, they swim to the victim. Upon arrival, they flip the victim onto the buoy to tow them to the shore. Even during the rescue, sanitary distancing is maintained. A second rescuer, equipped with a surgical mask, arrives to drag the victim onto the pebbles. First assessment followed by the recovery position.
Then, the firefighter rescuers arrive to implement the protocol with a nurse. It starts with checking respiratory saturation. They put a respiratory and surgical mask on the victim. The person is subsequently handed over to the emergency medical services for a vital assessment.
The second intervention is conducted using a semi-rigid inflatable boat. It patrols the sea all day. They arrive to attempt a retrieval of the person in distress. When they are close enough to the victim, one of the rescuers dives to bring them onto the boat.
Prevention remains necessary
Vigilance is always required. Last year, over 1,000 deaths were recorded due to drownings in France. However, 140 swimmers were rescued, including nineteen who were in cardiac arrest. “That’s what separates us from the world in Asia. In Japan, for instance, with earthquake risks, people are educated. We need to educate ourselves on the risks,” emphasizes René Diez, general controller and departmental director of rescue services for the Alpes Maritimes.
Rescuers have been on the front lines since June. They focus on prevention but also surveillance and as a last resort, interventions. Lifeguards are stationed on elevated posts. However, they alternate with pedestrian and aquatic patrols. For Lieutenant Dominique Delin of SDIS 06, who is in charge of the departmental nautical service, it’s continuous vigilance.
“We patrol the beaches a bit, we do aquatic patrols using paddles or kayaks to push back people who go too far offshore. On the sand and pebbles, if we see children without protection or umbrellas open when it’s windy, we get them to close their equipment.”
