The Honour medal for firefighters (or “Médaille d’honneur des Sapeurs Pompiers”) is a state decoration of France bestowed by the Ministry of the Interior to members of the French Fire Service.
Although possessing a two-century-old firefighting tradition, the French government proved slow in recognizing the service and courage of the men and women who face risk on a daily basis to save lives and property. Not until 1875 was a service certificate established and bestowed for thirty years of service.
The decree of 4 March 1981 saw a new design and ribbon for the Honour medal for firefighters awarded for exceptional service.
The Honour medal for firefighters is bestowed to firefighters:
- who have always displayed devotion to duty (long service); or,
- who have particularly distinguished themselves (exceptional service).
The Honour Medal for Firefighters Design
The Honour medal for firefighters bestowed “for long service” is a 30mm in diameter (27mm before 1935) circular medal.
Its obverse bears the effigy of the republic in the form of the relief image of the left profile of a woman wearing a firefighter’s helmet, also visible is her uniform collar bearing the distinctive grenade insignia of the firefighting corps in France. On either side, the relief inscription along the circumference “RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” (“FRENCH REPUBLIC”).
The medal is struck in silver, silver-gilt and gold. The silver grade award’s ribbon suspension bar is adorned with opposing fire hose nozzles. Each grade above silver is denoted by an increasingly intricate ornamentation on the ribbon suspension bar.
The reverse of the medal bears at its center, the relief image of a fireman’s helmet partially covering a building on fire above the inscription “HONNEUR AU DEVOUEMENT” (“HONOUR TO DEVOTION”) itself above a blank area reserved for the recipient’s name and year of award. The relief image of flames at the very bottom and on either side of the fire hall. At the top along the medal circumference, the relief semi circular inscription “MINISTÈRE DE L’INTÉRIEUR” (“INTERIOR MINISTRY”).
The current, post-1981 Honour medal for firefighters bestowed “for exceptional services” is a 32mm in diameter circular medal. Its obverse bears the relief image of the left profile of a helmeted male firefighter, above his head, the relief semi circular inscription “MINISTÈRE DE L’INTÉRIEUR” “INTERIOR MINISTRY”) along the medal’s upper circumference. The ribbon suspension bar is adorned with two crossed firemen’s axes resting atop two laurel branches from which flames shoot upwards to just above opposing horizontal fire hose nozzles. The medal is struck in silver or silver-gilt variants. The reverse bears a Phrygian cap with between two axes below the initials “R.F.”.
The medal hangs from a 37mm wide silk moiré ribbon of red on the right edge watering into yellow across its width. The ribbon bears a rosette of the same colours to indicate that it is an award “for exceptional services”.
