The containment linked to the Covid 19 pandemic has a host of consequences. Among them, the prohibition for firefighters to distribute their traditional calendar by doorstep door-to-door sales. Tuesday evening November 24, 2020, Christian Bidegain, president of the firefighters association of the Bayonne Anglet Biarritz rescue center, was in front of his television at the time of the intervention of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron. With the tenuous hope that something would change. “This is not the case, fatalistic coward Christian Bidegain. Until December 1, 2020, we are still strictly forbidden to go and propose our calendar.”
Calendars at the barracks
However, you can get one by going directly to the rescue center, 3 avenue de la Butte-aux-Cailles, in Anglet. “There are calendars at the secretariat of the rescue center and at the secretary’s office, confirms Christian Bidegain. A few people have already come to look for them.”
An Internet site
But the president of the fire brigade knows that this solution is insufficient. “That is why we have created a website at amicalepompiersanglet.com under the heading “Support us” to allow people who wish to order a calendar and leave a contribution either by Paypal or by credit card. ”This site will soon be active.
Privileged canvassing
This Internet solution is implemented as long as canvassing remains prohibited. The firefighters wish to continue to favor this formula which allows them, once a year, to meet the public in a context different from that of the interventions.
An unprecedented fire
For this year 2020, the fire in the Pignada forest, on the evening of Thursday, July 30, 2020, will remain engraved in the memory of the Angloy firefighters. “More than eighty firefighters returned to the rescue center to go and fight the fire, not to mention the other barracks in the Basque Country and Béarn and the reinforcements from neighboring departments. For all of us, this fire was exceptional. ” assures Christian Bidegain, “I have since done research, going back far in time. There had never been anything comparable.”
Outburst of gratitude
He also noted the outpouring of gratitude that manifested itself in the direction of the firefighters after this disaster. “We received a lot of thanks from local residents, including people whose houses were hit by the fire,” said the president of the association. Angloys even took the initiative to open an account on a financing platform. participatory and to give the money to our association. We decided in the board of directors to pay this sum in turn to the association Help Pignada which was created to centralize all donations in favor of reforestation. ”
The Ansbach firefighters in solidarity
The German firefighters from the twin city of Ansbach, who still due to the Covid 19 pandemic were unable to come to Anglet, as they do every year, also let their Anglo-speaking colleagues know that they were going to mobilize for the benefit of Pignada.
80% you budget
In addition to this traditional exchange between the firefighters of the two cities, the Angloy fire soldiers have also canceled their July 14 ball, their Christmas tree and the celebration of Saint Barbara, which takes place around December 4 each year. “We still maintained the actions that are the raison d’être of the association, when a firefighter has a hard blow, or during births and weddings. We did not organize or participate in meetings sports either. That’s all that the calendar is used for, the distribution of which constitutes 80% of our budget. “
Unpublished documents
The 2021 calendar is all the more important, as it is partly illustrated by images taken by the firefighters themselves during the Pignada fire. “Our communication department has a team of photographers throughout the department, responsible for taking images of our interventions.” This makes it possible to discover, in this new calendar, unpublished documents.
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