Hiking, paragliding, climbing, mountain biking, canyoning, via ferrata: all these leisure activities are not without risk. Falls, sprains, technical blockages… During the summer period, with the influx of holidaymakers, who have sometimes never been to the mountains, the firefighters are in great demand.which requires a special organization. In Haute-Savoie, the Annecy Call Processing Center (CTA) has set up a specific team to handle emergency calls concerning accidents in the mountains. In concrete terms, when you call 18, a GMSP firefighter will answer, the mountain group of firefighters.
“The first seconds of the call are decisive”
With each call, a small light comes on on the central desk. Within seconds, the caller is directed to the right department. Warrant Officer Raphaël Degueldre picks up : this time, it’s an injured hiker. On the firefighter’s screen, a map appears with the approximate position of the victim. First objective: to determine precisely where it is. “When I ask my questions, I zoom in: are you in the Aravis massif, at what altitude, on which path? It has to be as precise as possible in case the conversation cuts off due to a battery failure or loss of network.”
As soon as he has a position, the agent triggers the emergency services. Helicopter, ambulance or 4×4, it’s up to him to determine the most suitable means. On the map, he spots a wide path nearby and sends out an all-terrain vehicle. “The helicopter is an aerial means which remains dangerous”, explains the specialist firefighter. “To send the helicopter into operation, there are many things that come into play, such as the availability of vehicles, or accessibility.”
Field Agent
Before hanging up, Warrant Officer Degueldre gives some advice while waiting for help. This qualified mountain guide is above all a field agent. “We take operational shifts with the helicopter, but also shifts for regulation, which allows us to know all the workings of the system.” This technical assistance is valuable for gaining efficiency, according to GMSP center manager Sébastien Maussang . “He brings all his knowledge of the mountain environment, and he has a fine analysis of this type of intervention that not all operators have,” emphasizes the firefighter. Because after 24 hours on duty at the call center, the GMSP agent will return to the field, from the Meythet helicopter base.
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