Volunteer Firefighter (VPD)

Verified 21 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Do you want to become a volunteer firefighter (VPD)? You must meet certain conditions to participate in the missions entrusted to the fire and rescue services. Your commitment is 5 years, renewable. Your missions entitle you to compensation. You can suspend your engagement for personal reasons. We present you the information to know.

The SPV's activity is based on volunteerism.

You participate throughout the country in civil security missions of any kind entrusted mainly to fire and rescue services.

These missions are as follows:

  • Emergency relief and care for people
  • Fighting fires
  • Protection of people, property and the environment.

You can become a volunteer firefighter (VPD), whether you are working or not.

You must meet several strict conditions.

Age

You must have at minimum 16 years (21 years to be an officer).

If you are a minor, you must obtain the written consent of one of your parents or guardian.

Physical fitness

The performance of volunteer firefighter duties (including driving vehicles) requires specific health conditions.

Your physical fitness is checked when you are recruited.

It is based on a medical assessment of your physical, sensory and psychological abilities.

You must also meet certain vaccination obligations (hepatitis B, tetanus, etc.).

Your physical fitness is determined by a doctor from the fire and rescue service who is certified as a firefighter.

You should also be vaccinated against the following diseases:

  • Hepatitis B
  • Diphtheria
  • Tetanus
  • Poliomyelitis
  • Flu.

Civic conditions

You must reside legally in France.

You do not need to be a French national.

If you are a French national, you must have Defense and Citizenship Day (JDC).

You must be in possession of your attestation of services performed if you have completed national or military service.

You must respect the 2 conditions following:

The application process differs depending on whether you wish to become an SPV in Paris and small crown, in Marseille or elsewhere:

General case

To obtain an application file, you must send a letter on free paper to the departmental fire and rescue service (Sdis).

The Sdis selects candidates according to criteria that it sets itself.

Who shall I contact
In Paris and in the small crown

The Paris firefighters are military.

The Paris fire brigade operates in the 124 communes of the departments of Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne.

Volunteering takes the form of civic service.

In Marseille

Marseille's fire mariners are soldiers.

You must send your application to the firefighters of Marseille on free paper.

You commit to a period of 5 years.

This period is automatically renewable if you continue to meet the initial conditions of engagement (physical fitness).

Volunteer firefighter (VPD) activity is carried out with obedience, discretion and responsibility.

You also undertake to respect the SPV National Charter.

In the event of non-compliance with these obligations, sanctions may be imposed.

You benefit from initial training adapted to SPV missions.

You then benefit from continuous training and development to maintain your skills and develop your specialties.

You can also benefit from training to adapt to activities and responsibilities following a change of rank to exercise a new activity or responsibilities.

The training is provided by the following structures:

  • National School of Fire Service Officers
  • Mediterranean Forest Agreement (known as School of Civil Security application)
  • Fire and rescue services
  • National Center for Territorial Civil Service
  • Military units permanently engaged in civil security missions.

As soon as you are hired, an individual training booklet is given to you by your managing authority.

This booklet identifies the following:

  • Qualifications obtained as part of your SPV activity
  • Activities carried out during your engagement
  • Copy of the qualifications obtained attached as an annex.

You complete your booklet throughout your engagement.

Your physical fitness and immunity (vaccines) are checked throughout your volunteer firefighter activity.

The check shall be carried out by a doctor from the fire and rescue service who is approved as being suitable for firefighters during medical check-ups to keep them in operation.

During the course of engagement, these visits are organized as follows:

  • A visit every 4 years up to 45 years
  • A reinforced visit at 45 years old
  • A visit every 2 years from the age of 45.

Between 2 medical visits to keep active, at mid-period, you are received for an intermediate visit.

Please note

At the end of the engagement, you are received for a medical examination at the end of the engagement.

If you are in a professional activity, you can leave your position to carry out your mission.

You must request leave of absence to your employer.

This must authorize any absence justified by a mission or training.

He can refuse only if your presence at work is required (absolute necessity of service). Reasons must be given for the refusal, which is forwarded to the fire and rescue service.

Your absence is not paid by your employer.

Several schemes encourage employers, both private and public, to encourage their employees or agents to volunteer.

These arrangements include:

If you are an employee or public official, you can benefit from a giving days off as a volunteer firefighter. The approach depends on your situation:

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You are an employee

The employee who assigns his days of rest and the one who receives them must have the same employer.

The donation can cover all days of rest not taken, except the first 4 weeks of paid leave (24 working days).

The donation is anonymous and without consideration.

THEagreement of the employer is necessary.

To benefit from the donation of days of rest, you must contact your employer, justifying your situation.

If your request is accepted, your remuneration is maintained during the days of absence covered by the donation of days of rest.

You are a public official

The officer who assigns his days of rest and the officer who receives them must report to the same employer.

Thus, the donation can be made between agents under one of the following administrations:

  • Ministerial Department in the State Civil Service
  • Public institution
  • Independent administrative authority
  • Territorial authority or public health institution
  • Legal entity private law (in the case of public officials attached to such a legal person).

Any officer may give days of RTT and/or annual leave (beyond 20 days). The donation is anonymous and without consideration.

If you wish to receive a donation of rest days, you must inform in writing your administration.

Your application must be accompanied by a certificate of SDIS: titleContent to which you are attached, specifying the mission concerned and the number of days requested.

The administration has 15 working days to inform you of the donation.

The length of leave that you can take using specific days of rest is limited to 10 days per calendar year.

Leave can be taken for 1 year from receipt of the donation. It can be split.

The advancement of SPVs takes place within a hierarchy comprising the following grades:

  • Sapper
  • Corporal
  • NCO (Sergeant and Warrant Officer)
  • Officer (lieutenant, captain, commander, lieutenant-colonel and colonel).

Advancement is subject to seniority and training conditions.

You are not paid, but only compensated, unlike professional firefighters.

The amount of your compensation is, according to your rank, one of the following:

Tableau - Hourly allowance by grade

Grade

Amount

Sapper

€8.71

Corporal

€9.35

Non-Commissioned Officer

€10.55

Officer

€13.11

Your hourly allowances are exempt from income tax.

You can suspend your engagement for one or more periods, up to a maximum of 5 years, for the following reasons:

  • Family
  • Professional
  • School or university
  • Parental leave.

The suspension shall be for a period of minimum duration of 6 months.

Suspension periods are not taken into account for your career advancement and seniority, but you retain your rank and seniority.

At the end of your suspension, you resume your activity after a medical examination.

To suspend your engagement, you must address:

  • To the human resources department of your departmental fire and rescue service (Sdis) by mail RAR: titleContent
  • To your center manager, if your Sdis does not have a human resources department, by letter or RAR.
Who shall I contact

You can benefit from additional quarters for your period of engagement as a volunteer firefighter, if your retirement takes effect from 1er July 2026.

We're talking about mark-up of your duration of insurance.

Your entitlements depend on the date of your retirement:

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You are retiring before July 1, 2026

You do not benefit from additional retirement quarters for your period of commitment as a volunteer firefighter.

You are retired from 1 July 2026

You can benefit from additional retirement quarters for your period of commitment as a volunteer firefighter.

The number of quarters depends on the duration of your engagement:

  • 1 quarter for a commitment period of at least 10 years
  • 2 quarters for a commitment period of at least 20 years
  • 3 quarters for a commitment period of at least 25 years.

Your commitment period is calculated for the total duration of your services, from date to date, continuous or not.

To benefit from your additional quarters, you must provide a status of services established by the last SDIS: titleContent in which you were engaged.

It should include the length and period of your engagement as a volunteer firefighter.

After you cease your engagement as an SPV, you will receive an allowance or benefit.

Its amount depends on the following 2 elements:

  • Year you stopped your engagement
  • Number of years of service.

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Before 2004

You are entitled to a veteranship allowance if you meet the following conditions:

  • You are at least 55 years old
  • You have completed at least 20 years of service (15 years if your operational incapacity has been medically recognized)
  • You are up to date with your pension insurance contribution.

Payment terms and amounts vary from department to department.

The veterinarian allowance has the following characteristics:

  • Exempt from income tax and social levies (CSG, CRDS...)
  • Non-transferable (it is assigned to you personally and therefore cannot be assigned to another person)
  • Cumulative with any income or social benefit.

In the event of death, the veterinarian's allowance continues to be paid to your Civil partnership if the Civil partnership was made at least 2 years before the death or if you had a child with your partner.

In 2004

You are entitled to a loyalty allowance if you meet the following conditions:

  • You are at least 55 years old
  • You have completed at least 20 years of service (15 years if your operational incapacity has been medically recognized)
  • You are up to date with your pension insurance contribution.

The loyalty allowance is paid only once a year.

The amount of the allowance differs according to the number of years of service performed.

Tableau - Amount based on number of years of service

Number of years of service

Annual amount

Between 20 and 24 years of service

Approximately €450

Between 25 and 29 years of service

Approximately €600

Between 30 and 34 years of service

Approximately €700

Between 35 years and more of services

Approximately €800

The loyalty allowance is exempt from income tax (but you must declare it with all your income).

It is also exempt from social levies (CSG, CRDS...).

It is non-transferable (it is assigned to you personally and therefore cannot be transferred to another person).

It can be combined with any income or social benefit.

In the event of death, the loyalty allowance continues to be paid to your Civil partnership or partner if the Civil partnership was made at least 2 years before the death or if you had a child with your partner.

Between 2005 and 2015

You have the right to a loyalty and recognition service (PFR) if you meet the following conditions:

  • You are at least 55 years old
  • You have completed at least 20 years of service (15 years if your operational incapacity has been medically recognized)
  • You are up to date with your pension insurance contribution.

The LIP is paid only once a year.

You can use the PFR website to find out how much it costs. To do this, you need to log in and open a personal account.

Access your volunteer firefighter loyalty and recognition service (PFR) account

The LIP is exempt from income tax (but you must report it with all your income).

It is also exempt from social levies (CSG, CRDS...).

It is non-transferable (it is assigned to you personally and therefore cannot be transferred to another person).

It can be combined with any income or social benefit.

FYI  

In the event of death, the LIP continues to be paid to your Civil partnership or partner or, if not, to your minor children.

Between 2016 and 2021

You are entitled to the benefit called new loyalty and recognition service (new LIP) if you meet the following conditions:

  • You are at least 55 years old
  • You have completed at least 20 years of service (15 years if your operational incapacity has been medically recognized).

The new LIP is paid only once a year.

The amount of the new LIP differs depending on the number of years of service performed.

Tableau - Amount based on number of years of service

Number of years of service

Annual amount

From 20 years to 24 years of service

€1,024.95

From 25 years to 29 years of service

€2,049.90

From 30 years to 34 years of service

€2,690.50

35 years of service and more

€3,074.85

The new LIP is exempt from income tax (but you must report it with all of your income).

It is also exempt from social levies (CSG, CRDS...).

It is non-transferable (it is assigned to you personally and therefore cannot be transferred to another person).

It can be combined with any income or social benefit.

Please note

In the event of death, the new LIP continues to be paid to your Civil partnership or partner or, if not, to your minor children.

Since November 27, 2021

You are entitled to the benefit called new loyalty and recognition service (new LIP) if you meet the following conditions:

  • You are at least 55 years old
  • You have completed at least 15 years of service (10 years if your operational incapacity has been medically recognized).

The new LIP is paid only once a year.

The amount of the new LIP differs depending on the number of years of service performed.

Tableau - Amount based on number of years of service

Number of years of service

Annual amount

From 15 to 19 years old

€512.50

From 20 years to 24 years of service

€1,024.95

From 25 years to 29 years of service

€2,049.90

From 30 years to 34 years of service

€2,690.50

35 years of service and more

€3,074.85

The new LIP is exempt from income tax (but you must report it with all of your income).

It is also exempt from social levies (CSG, CRDS...).

It is non-transferable (it is assigned to you personally and therefore cannot be transferred to another person).

It can be combined with any income or social benefit.

Please note

In the event of death, the new LIP continues to be paid to your Civil partnership or partner or, if not, to your minor children.

In the event of death in service, your loved ones may be entitled, under certain conditions, to a reversion allocation.

The survivor's allowance is paid every month to any of the following:

  • Person you lived with as a couple
  • Ex-spouse who is not remarried, not married and who does not live in a cohabitation
  • A child who is under 21 years of age or of any age if disabled.

Your commitment as a volunteer firefighter can end in many situations.

This is the case in the following situations:

  • Your contract is not renewed
  • You no longer meet the physical fitness requirements
  • You're reaching the age limit
  • You've had a criminal conviction.

Non-renewal of contract

If your contract is not renewed, your commitment ends.

Please note

The maintenance and renewal of your commitment are subject to compliance with the national charter of the volunteer firefighter.

Physical fitness

As a volunteer firefighter, you must have specific health conditions.

They are subject to periodic review.

In order for your contract to be maintained or renewed, you must meet the required health conditions.

Please note

The physical fitness of any volunteer firefighter aged 62 years or older is assessed annually.

Age

Your commitment as a volunteer firefighter ends from an age set according to your activity:

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General case

Your engagement automatically ends at 67 years.

Doctor, pharmacist and veterinarian

Your engagement automatically ends at 70 years.

Nurse, psychotherapist, expert psychologist

Your engagement automatically ends at 72 years.

Criminal conviction

Your commitment as a volunteer firefighter is terminated in the following cases:

  • Criminal conviction incompatible with the performance of your duties
  • Loss of your civil rights.

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