“When will there be a global civil protection response mechanism?”

Captain Vendelin Clicques

What initially inspired you to become a firefighter?

Since he was a child, Captain Vendelin Clicques has always dreamed of being a firefighter. He started his professional life as an aeronautical engineer but in the end, he was not satisfied with that. Then, he tried his hand at volunteer firefighting.

Firefighting lived up to all of the expectations he had been building in his mind over the years and he knew that was what he wanted to do professionally. He was too old for the professional firefighter recruitment, so he only had one choice… He took the leap, taking the professional firefighter officer exam, and he passed.

“I always wanted to be useful for the population and manage problems and crises,” Capt. Clicques stated.

Today, Clicques is a Firefighter Officer, President of the International Emergency Drone Organization, and Pink Firefighter

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Captain Clicques does a lot of CrossFit and firefighter training for upcoming firefighter challenges. He is also very much involved and busy in managing two associations as a president.

“I like to go beyond my limits and go through difficulties with a cool head.”

He has been the International Emergency Drone Organization (IEDO) president for the past 3 years now. Today, the organization brings together more than 650 members from 49 countries.

“We are promoting drone uses for public safety agencies to save lives with drones, but also organizing and supporting national and international events to develop experience and knowledge exchanges across borders and agencies,” Captain Clicques laid out the efforts of the IEDO.

When Captain Clicques is not fighting fires or organizing international seminars on emergency drone use, he is likely educating the public about all types of cancers, with an emphasis on breast cancer prevention.

Under Clicques’ leadership, the Pink Firefighters Association is developing teams in France, Germany, Portugal, and the UK.

What advice do you have for others in the fire service?

Love your job and train hard.

Always be aware how lucky you are to have this job, which not everyone has the opportunity to do.

Don’t ever trust that you know everything and never stop learning!

Certainties are a dangerous in this profession.

What changes do you foresee in the next 5 years in the fire service?

Captain Clicques knows that new technologies are coming soon to the fire service. He also believes that these technologies will be supported by a new generation of young fire chiefs.

“But the worst will be an increase in natural disasters such as forest fires, floods, and storms,” Capt. Clicques prophesied. “We need to build a better international response. When will there be a global civil protection response mechanism?” he called upon his colleagues and policy-makers.

Captain Clicques will take it from here with his closing story.

In 2019, I took part in a 10km charity race, wearing pink firefighter gear. I ran in a pink outfit, helmeted with a flag representing the pink ribbon of the fight against breast cancer.

Running with all of that gear made me hot but I enjoyed chatting here and there with the other runners and exchanging smiles. Then I met Valérie, a fellow runner who was in her fifties. A joke and a smile exchanged, then she tells me that she is running alone and that she has breast cancer.

It touched me and it was only natural that I suggested that we run together to finish the last kilometers.

She also told me that it had been several weeks since she trained for this race. Valérie is not a top athlete, but she runs. She did not choose her breast cancer, but she is fighting.

At the 7th kilometer she seemed feverish to me, so I motivated her to keep moving forward. I didn’t want her to stop — no break for the brave. She was holding up, but she pushed onward. Then it was me at the 9th kilometer who got feverish with my 7 kg of equipment. Without breaking stride, Valérie reversed the roles, and she was the one to motivate me to keep going.

Then we crossed the finish line together, hand in hand — victorious. I was proud of her so without thinking I hugged her to congratulate her.

People sanctify firefighters a lot, but we are nothing compared to all these sick people, these superheroes who fight against cancer.

Respect to you Valérie and to all these women, with or without hair, who remain feminine through their fight for life.