“What will the fire service need five years from today?”

Aurélie Favre, Senior Marketing Manager First Responder and Government, EMEA, MSA Safety

How did you get involved with fire service?

Aurélie Favre began her professional career with water supply company that sold fire hydrants and laid the water pipelines used by firefighters to extinguish fires. Shortly thereafter, she took a job with MSA where she has spent the past 10 years tackling current firefighter needs and assessing their future needs.

Ms. Favre is constantly looking ahead and asking herself, ‘what will the fire service need five years from today?’

The crux of her problem-solving thoughts is to balance what the fire brigade can afford and what the firefighters need. One of her richest experiences in her profession was the opportunity to help create the M1 SCBA.

Today, Ms. Favre is the MSA’s Customer Marketing Manager for the First Responder Segment, overseeing all of Europe.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Work life balance is crucial to Ms. Favre. She enjoys playing sports because that helps her maintain the energy that she needs to interact with end users and her team effectively. Her favorite pastime has been horse riding ever since she was a child.

Outside of physical training, Ms. Favre focuses her efforts on traveling, playing chess with her son, and spending time with friends and family.

“It’s important to have your mind as strong as your body in order to make the most of your life.”

What advice do you have for others in your profession?

Ms. Favre encourages others in her position to listen. “Whether it’s your teammates, your friends or the end-users, you must listen in order to understand how you can help,” Ms. Favre pointed out from experience. She has devoted her professional career to understanding the needs of firefighters.

“It’s critical that you understand the full picture. That’s the only way to develop the right product.”

What changes do you see coming in the fire service?

Generational Change

Generational change is one of the major challenges for the fire service to take into consideration, as a significant portion of firefighters in Europe will retire within the next five years.

For instance, the average age in some countries like the United Kingdom is remarkably high and it will be a significant challenge to backfill the retirees who will be leaving the fire service.

Therefore, it’s important to raise awareness around the fire service to educate and appeal to younger generations. Likewise, it is important for manufacturers like MSA to make the safest and most effective equipment for the brave individuals who dedicate their career to working in one of the most dangerous job in the world.

Ms. Favre is doing her part to ensure both of these tasks are done well.

Technological Change

“Connectivity won’t just be a gadget. It will be something that truly helps firefighters carry out their duties.”

In her job, Ms. Favre’s goal is to relieve firefighters from all unnecessary distractions and allow them to focus solely on the task at hand. She is confident that technology will minimize those distractions on the fireground and in IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) scenes.

Many women are entering the fire service and their wellness and inclusion must be considered as well. Ms. Favre and her team are currently working on bringing more ergonomics into the equipment including fire helmets and turnout gear. In parallel, they are collaborating with third-parties to help female firefighters to deal with their mental health and well-being.

Ms. Favre’s closing story began with a French female firefighter who was running a rescue challenge with her team. She asked Favre for a pink helmet that she could wear during the competition so she could promote women in the fire service, calling for more diversity and inclusion in a country where the culture of firefighters remains very traditional.

After lobbying her colleagues, Ms. Favre convinced MSA to make a pink helmet just in time for a training challenge in which that female firefighter was competing.

Lieutenant Vendelin Clicques, the founder of the Pink Firefighters Association, asked Favre for that same pink helmet to go along with his hand-made pink turnout gear in 2019. Lt. Clicques is actively engaged in breast cancer prevention in France and the European Union.

“It catches people’s attention. Once we have their attention, we educate them on the importance of breast cancer checks and overall breast cancer awareness.”

“The pink helmet has become a massive success as it widely contributes to a deep educational and promotional commitment.” Ms. Favre stated with pride.