The national federation of civil protection (French: fédération nationale de protection civile), or the FNPC, is one of the a French humanitarian and first aid voluntary association.
Its logo, a blue triangle on white and orange ground, comes from the international distinctive sign of civil defence, which is a protective sign under the protection of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949.
This voluntary association is not to be confused with the French Sécurité Civile, which is a government agency, and is only oone of the many French civil protection associations.
History
From Civil Defense to Civil Protection
At the end of World War I, the high number of civilian casualties highlighted the need to upgrade the protection of people during conflicts.
In 1933, the first voluntary organization to protect civilians during war time was founded with the support of Gaston Doumergue (UNDA : UNION NATIONALE POUR LA DEFENSE AERIENNE ET POUR LA PROTECTION DES POPULATIONS CIVILES). In 1938, at the dawn of World War II, the French government developed civil defense (défense passive) policies. Their goal was to build blast shelters and warning networks to keep people safe from airstrikes, the UNDA become COMITE NATIONAL DE DEFENSE AERIENNE ET DE SAUVETAGE PUBLIC.
After the war, the défense passive missions became more and more related to non military threats like natural disasters. The 27 of january 1950, the UNPC (UNION NATIONALE DE PROTECTION CIVILE), is born.
In 1951, a national service for civil protection in the ministry of the Interior was established. This government agency then became the French Sécurité Civile in 1975.
However, this nationalization did not hamper volunteering which developed through local civil protection societies from 1958.
Local societies and the national federation
In 1965, there were local civil protection societies in 26 departments. Following a call from Prime minister Georges Pompidou, the national federation of civil protection (Fédération nationale de protection civile) was constituted on December 14, 1965 in Paris, in order to manage these local societies and to raise popular awareness on civil defense. The first federal president was Léon Robine.
In 1968, there were local societies in 54 departments and 31,701 volunteers. One year later, a decree entitled the French Civil Protection as an association acting in the public interest.
During the 1980s, the Civil Protection became the society which delivered the second highest number of first aid trainings in France. Its volunteers also led awareness campaigns on several topics such as first aid, domestic accidents, HIV or road safety.
In the early 1990s, the national federation of civil protection was unifying 94 local civil protection associations, but also other societies like the French White Cross, the RATP first aid society or the national civil defense amateur radio society. Since 1993, the French Civil Protection is entitled to deliver official first aid training and certifications.
Missions broadening
From 1991 to 2009, Louis Lareng, the founder of the French emergency medical service, was elected president of the national federation of civil protection. Under his impulse, the scope of civil defense societies widened from their traditional first aid stations missions to disaster response and emergency response. Since then, the French civil protection has developed civil defense partnerships with national and local authorities.
Presidents
1965–1969: Léon Robine
1969–1978: Lucien Leprestre
1978–1980: Jean Perreau Pradier
1980–1985: Guy Bonneterre
1985–1991: Ida Guinot
1991–2009: Louis Lareng
2009–2012: Yannick Chenevard
2012–2015: Christian Wax
2015–2019: Paul Francheterre
Since 2019: François Richez
Source
Current organization
The French Civil Protection is a voluntary association acting in the public interest, with a government certification to carry civil defense missions. In 2018, there were 32,000 volunteers acting in more than 500 local societies spread into 97 departments. The federation is led by a board of directors with 24 members and by François Richez who has been the federal president since 2019.
National level
The national federation is the organization in charge of managing the 97 societies spread in metropolitan and overseas departments. Headquarters are located in Asnières-sur-Seine.