SNSM CFI TOULOUSE

What SNSM CFI TOULOUSE does

SNSM CFI Toulouse is a regional training and intervention center operated by the Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (SNSM), a French non-profit association created in 1967 from the merger of SNSSM and the Société des Marins de la Mer. Inaugurated on January 19, 2008 in Saint-Juéry near Toulouse (Occitanie), the center recruits, trains, and certifies volunteer lifeguards who perform beach surveillance in support of the national SNSM public-safety mission. It operates under a regulatory framework in which SNSM has held public-utility recognition since 1970 and was designated Grande Cause Nationale in 2017.

The CFI delivers a multi-tier curriculum of aquatic rescue and first-aid certifications including PSE1, PSE2, BNSSA, CRR, SSA Littoral, Permis Bateau, and the Formation Nageur Sauveteur, and dispatches Détachements de Premiers Secours (DPS) — on-site first-aid standby teams — to public and private events. Operations run on a hybrid model of approximately 8 paid staff and roughly 100 volunteer lifeguards, with no proprietary software or technology platform disclosed.

The business model is non-commercial and structured as an association loi 1901. Revenue is sourced from individual donations and legacy gifts, fees from event organizers for DPS deployments, and indirectly via municipal contracts that fund beach surveillance in communities served by SNSM-trained lifeguards. Training and DPS pricing is set at cost-recovery levels consistent with the public-safety mission, and any surplus is reinvested in training equipment, vessel maintenance, and volunteer capacity rather than distributed.

Name

SNSM CFI TOULOUSE

Legal name

Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (SNSM)

Website

https://cfi-toulouse.snsm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SNSM CFI Toulouse is a French non-profit training and intervention center that recruits, certifies, and prepares volunteer lifeguards, delivering rescue, first-aid, and boat-handling certifications plus on-site first-aid teams for events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Rescue Training and Lifeguard Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Safety, Lifeguarding & Training Services (Staffing, Certification) (THAAABAL)

Keywords

• Lifeguard training services
• Maritime rescue services
• First aid certification
• Beach safety services
• Aquatic rescue certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and public support: The SNSM relies on donations from the public, regular giving programs, one-time donations, legacy donations, and corporate sponsorship (mécénat). 66% of donations are tax-deductible in France.
2. DPS service fees: For Dispositifs Prévisionnels de Secours at events, event organizers pay a financial participation to cover the CFI's costs for equipment maintenance and wear. Volunteer lifeguards and first-aid team members provide the service without compensation.
3. Municipal contracts: Trained lifeguards are hired and paid by municipalities during summer beach season. The CFI facilitates this placement but the payment relationship is between the lifeguard and the municipality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SNSM CFI Toulouse is a volunteer-based training and intervention center that recruits, trains, and certifies lifeguards (nageurs sauveteurs) for summer beach surveillance, offering certifications including BNSSA, PSE1, PSE2, SSA Littoral, CRR (VHF), and Permis Bateau Plaisance. The center also provides Dispositifs Prévisionnels de Secours (DPS) preventive rescue teams to sporting, cultural, and social events. All instructors and trainers are unpaid volunteers holding state or national diplomas, with training running from mid-October to mid-June before graduates are assigned to beaches by the SNSM.

Product overview

SNSM CFI Toulouse is a training and intervention center for sea rescue, part of the Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (SNSM) association. The center provides a portfolio of training courses and certifications including PSE1, PSE2 (first aid team levels 1 and 2), BNSSA (aquatic rescue certification), Permis Côtier (coastal boat license), CRR (VHF radio certificate), and SSA littoral (aquatic surveillance and rescue with piloting). The center also offers DPS (preventive rescue services) for sporting and cultural events. Training is delivered by volunteer instructors holding state or national diplomas, preparing lifeguards for beach surveillance during the summer season.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BNSSA (Brevet National de Sécurité et de Sauvetage Aquatique) National aquatic safety and rescue diploma required for lifeguard positions. The exam includes two timed rescue courses (100m and 250m), a rescue exercise, and a multiple-choice questionnaire. Valid for 5 years with acquisition maintenance verification. Intended for individuals seeking lifeguard certification.
• PSE1 (Premiers secours en équipe de niveau 1)
• PSE2 (Premiers secours en équipe de niveau 2)
• SSA Littoral (Certificat de Surveillance et Sauvetage Aquatique mention pilotage)
• Permis Bateau de Plaisance Option Côtière
• CRR (Certificat Restreint de Radiotéléphonie)
• DPS (Dispositifs Prévisionnels de Secours)
• Formation Nageur Sauveteur (Lifeguard Training Program)

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Grand AlbigeoisminorOthersRegional partner providing support and collaboration with the CFI for local training and safety initiatives
• Tarn DepartmentminorOthersRegional departmental partner collaborating with the CFI for training and operational activities
• La Région OccitanieminorOthersRegional council providing institutional support and partnership for the CFI's training programs
• Ville Saint-JuéryminorOthersLocal city partner collaborating with the CFI for training and community safety initiatives
• AlbiminorOthersCity partner working with the CFI for training sessions and events (training pool at Atlantis Albi, Urban Triathlon)
• Piscine Atlantis AlbiminorOthersSwimming pool facility used for BNSSA exam preparation training sessions (Friday and Saturday evenings)

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ordre de Malte France: French branch of the Order of Malta providing first aid training (PSE1/PSE2) and event DPS services, competing with SNSM CFI for both trainee recruitment and event safety contracts.
• Protection Civile: French civil protection association providing DPS services at events and first aid training, directly competing with SNSM CFI for Dispositifs Prévisionnels de Secours contracts with event organizers.
• Croix-Rouge française: French Red Cross operates broader humanitarian mission but provides overlapping first aid (PSE1/PSE2) and rescue training, competing for both volunteer pools and trainees in the same regulatory framework.
• Sapeurs-Pompiers de France: French fire service provides water rescue and aquatic training in some regions. As a government-funded service with broader emergency response mandate, it represents the public sector alternative to SNSM's volunteer rescue model.
• Fédération Française de Natation (FFN): National swimming federation offering related aquatic safety and rescue certifications. While broader in scope (competitive swimming), it overlaps with SNSM on water safety education and lifeguard training pathways.

Direct peers

• DLRG (Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft): Germany's largest water rescue and lifeguard training organization, comparable in volunteer-driven model and comprehensive certification portfolio. Strong European peer for benchmarking operational structure.
• Fédération Française de Sauvetage et de Secourisme (FFSS): French federation dedicated to water rescue and first aid training, comparable in mission to SNSM. Directly competes for lifeguard training candidates and operates parallel certification pathways across France.
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): UK-based charity providing maritime rescue services and lifeguard training, structurally similar to SNSM as a volunteer-driven rescue organization. Closest international analog in operating model and scale.
• SNSM CFI Bordeaux: Sibling CFI within the SNSM network in Bordeaux. Operates the same lifeguard training portfolio under the same volunteer-driven model, representing both internal benchmark and resource-sharing peer within the national network.

Others

• International Life Saving Federation (ILS): International federation coordinating lifeguard standards globally. SNSM operates under ILS frameworks, making this an enabling/standards-setting peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/snsm-albi

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SNSM CFI TOULOUSE