Modernisation and expansion of civil protection project in Côte d’Ivoire

The basic training aims to provide 1,500 Ivorian firefighters with basic technical, theoretical and practical knowledge to allow them to be firefighters in their fire stations.

In this module, which is taught for 3 weeks, trainees will acquire knowledge about firefighting equipment and rescue-excavation, and will be sensitised to chemical, biological, flood, collapse and electrical risks. This training is being given in the Gendarmerie School in Abidjan. The courses and practical training are being led by Ivorian trainers, who are already qualified as supervisory staff and are advised by French experts who have specifically come for this mission.

It will be followed by specialised training for supervisory officers: manager of equipment for victim assistance or firefighting, group leader, water and coastal rescuer training course, trainer in roadside assistance, etc. These training courses began in 2018.

The rehabilitation of 10 emergency assistance centres is complementary to the works undertaken by the regional councils. It will ensure that these units are fully operational by equipping them with a permanent area for manoeuvring vehicles, security fences, an access road and entry gates, a washing area and sports facilities.

Each centre will also be provided with all the facilities required for its operation: offices, dormitories for on-call staff, hangars for vehicles, shops for small equipment, kitchen, canteen, rest and relaxation room, call reception centre.

Furthermore, all the firefighting and assistance equipment of each centre will be provided (trucks, water tanks, ambulances, first aid equipment, water pumps, intervention uniforms and helmets, radio and computer equipment, etc.).

While the civilian firefighters component is gradually being implemented and the Corps of Military Firefighters is strengthening its establishment in large cities in Côte d’Ivoire, it is now necessary to coordinate all the country’s assistance facilities, especially if the country has to face large-scale disasters (bush fires, floods, etc.).

It is for this reason that the project will provide the National Civil Protection Office (ONPC) with a command and crisis management structure to continuously inform the Ministry of the Interior and the relevant ministries about the disaster or ongoing situation and coordinate the emergency actions.