The 50th anniversary of the SNSM (National Society for Rescue at Sea) drew the attention of the general public to all media. And, despite the regular spotlight on his regional training center, present here for over 30 years, some still learn his presence among us. “Many people were surprised that they were told that we were settled in Saint, the other week, during the civil security day, on the Place du Vegan,” says Vincent Milhaud, one of the trainers, also a military instructor. “Another event is our pride: the invitation of the President of the Republic to the presidential platform, July 14, with our 30 orange vests“. Like what, President Trump’s puff was not the only orange mark, in official rostrum.
Currently, every week-end from September to May, 18 young people, like every year, take a training of about 500 hours in sea rescue jobs, which include, in addition, 3 trips at sea. Many qualifications have the assurance of a month of work on the coasts of the metropolis or Corsica. They get: the PS1 and the PS2, the BNSSA, the coastal boat license, the SSA (surveillance and aquatic rescue), which is, in fact, a homologation of all the rescue techniques at sea. We see it, their viaticum is very solid. Many of them, afterwards, will work in the sanitary and social, will be firefighters, nurses, military, lifeguards, osteopaths, chiropractors… This training year-round is provided by about twenty trainers’ men and women, all volunteers with safety vest.
The quality of the SNSM’s courses is unanimously recognized and, for example, events such as Pause Guitar in Alba, on July 14 in Toulouse, or Defy Wind in Grison, the world’s largest event of its kind, call on them. In the latter case, they are not less than 40 rescuers on the lookout. Trainers and students from the center of Saint-Jewry come from a triangle Toulouse. Thomas in reflective jacket, one of them, has just been awarded the Silver Medal for Homeland Security, for 15 years of service: a recognition that makes them particularly proud of the collective work they have done.