Eight out of nine firefighter unions in France have announced a one-month strike to demand increased human and material resources, according to Laurent Guilloteau, general secretary of the CGT-Sdis union in the Bouches-du-Rhône region. The protest comes after a challenging summer marked by four firefighter deaths, over 100 injuries, and nearly 100,000 hectares of land burned in wildfires since the beginning of the year. Firefighters plan to gather in Paris from September 27 to 29 for three days of demonstrations, including occupying the Champ-de-Mars and marching toward Bercy, the Ministry of Economy and Finance. On September 29, their procession will join a broader public sector strike, potentially reaching the scale of the October 2019 demonstrations, when 7,000 to 10,000 firefighters marched in Paris. The main demand of the firefighters’ union is the recruitment of 21,000 professional firefighters to reduce reliance on volunteer firefighters. A 2023 report by the General Inspection of Administration suggested converting 32.3 million hours of volunteer guard duty into full-time professional roles. Currently, about 200,000 volunteers make up 80% of the fire service workforce, while 44,000 professionals are employed, many of whom also hold volunteer status and work additional hours at lower pay. In 2022, these dual-status firefighters performed 2.44 million hours of guard duty, or 7.5% of the total volunteer hours. The report proposed limiting volunteer activity to 600 hours annually and filling the remaining hours with professional firefighters. However, this has not been implemented, as volunteers are significantly cheaper to employ. Volunteers receive 8.71 euros per hour of activity, with higher pay for those in the highest ranks. The government spokesperson, Maud Bregeon, stated that funding for civil security has nearly doubled since 2017, from 450 million to over 800 million euros. However, according to Alternatives économiques, the actual increase between 2017 and 2025 is from 508 to 830 million euros, which is less than a doubling. Additionally, the 800 million euros allocated to civil security is only a small portion of the overall funding for fire and rescue services, which are mainly managed by local authorities. Funding has slightly declined in real terms since 2012, from 4.3 billion euros to 4.25 billion euros in 2025. Between 2013 and 2024, the number of firefighter interventions rose by 11%, from 4.30 to 4.75 million, according to the General Directorate of Civil Security. Despite this increase, the government has not implemented recommendations from the 2024 Beauvau report on civil security, which included proposals to increase insurance taxes and revise municipal contributions. These recommendations have not led to any reforms, and the issue of funding has been postponed to the upcoming budget debate. A civil security bill presented in September 2026 includes proposals to improve volunteer availability through paid leave and absence authorizations, but union leaders argue these are insufficient without permanent employment guarantees. The bill’s fire-related provisions are pending the results of a parliamentary mission on forest fires, expected by the end of September. Union leaders believe the government is delaying action, waiting for budget discussions or the presidential election.