Civil security: the Montpellier base closed again at the beginning of May

Once again, the Dragon 34 will pay the price for short-term management. Free Midday

There would also be a question of keeping the doors closed in July and August. 

For the Civil Security helicopter group, the years go by and have an unfortunate tendency to look very similar. Because since the summer of 2021, certain Dragons bases have been forced to close.

For that of Montpellier, it will be between April 29 and May 10, the fourth. If the previous ones were all attributable to a lack of machines but, above all, to a lack of spare parts, this new announcement is perhaps the consequence of the combination of these two factors. Because this time, the Dragon 34 will leave its Hérault nest to reach the La Rochelle base. Whose helicopter will be unavailable as part of a maintenance operation.

Montpellier recently insured
temporary employment in Marseille

As for the choice to deprive the seventh largest city in France of its rotating wing, a mystery. One thing is certain, however: the waltz of closures, modestly called "technical monitoring" in the administrative jumble and their avatars continues. Proof ? "Around ten days ago the Dragon 34 often went winching in the Bouches-du-Rhône to replace that of Marseille, unavailable for around fifteen days", reports an informed observer. Not really reassuring since the Mediterranean arc only has four bases (Perpignan, Montpellier, Marseille and Cannes plus a summer detachment at Luc in the Var).

Turbulence also for Smurs

If the management of Civil Security leaves something to be desired, the private sector is not left out. A case suffered by several Smurs whose machines were rented by the regional health agencies (ARS) to the operator British Babcock via its French subsidiary. Which is unable to replace certain aircraft that have stopped flying. This, despite steep penalties. Result ? The ARS had to go back to the pot. And also finance the surge in the cost of the A1 jet (kerosene) and that of spare parts.

"We're walking on our heads!"

But the most worrying thing is, perhaps, still to come. Indeed, and according to several consistent reports, the Montpellier base would be forced to close during the months of July and August, a crucial period during which travel and the population surge. This while the department of Lozère would have, like last summer, a machine based permanently at the Mende-Brenoux aerodrome. "Last year, between August 1st and 15th, Dragon 48 came here to do primaries (the most important missions, Editor's note). You should also know that this game of musical chairs cost more than a hundred hours of flight time in transit. We are walking on our heads!", castigates a professional. Like the prefecture of Hérault, Strasbourg, Lyon and Ajaccio would also undergo this same treatment

To compensate for this lack, the General Directorate of Civil Security is counting on the assistance of the National Gendarmerie. The weapon being, with the Royale, the only one to have winching capabilities (and technicality). "I am not sure that the gendarmes will take on all of the Civil Security missions because they already have their own", doubts Xavier Roy of the Autonomous Union of Aircraft Personnel of the Civil security (SAPNSC).

And if this were the case, the use of the constabulary helicopter (one of which is based on the right of way of Montpellier airport), would not solve everything , far from it. Because here, the gendarmes use an EC 135. A machine whose cabin, more modest than that of the EC 145 of Civil Security, does not allow for ad hoc medicalization (intubation…) . Which also prevents the transport of nurses. But also to helicopter the firefighters of the Intervention Group in dangerous environments (Grimp). So many limits to which is added less power from the turbines. Which, in certain configurations, can prove critical.

We contacted the General Directorate of Civil Security without obtaining a response. I subscribe to read more