Pompiers Sans Frontières

What Pompiers Sans Frontières does

Pompiers Sans Frontières (PoSF) is a French international solidarity NGO (association loi 1901) founded in 1991 and headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, operating approximately 400 missions across 35+ countries with a permanent staff of roughly 36 people. Its core business is disaster risk reduction and civil protection capacity building, structured around three programmatic pillars: environment (forest fire prevention and climate adaptation), innovation (VR/AR-based risk education), and development (vulnerability reduction and emergency response capacity). Field operations are coordinated through permanent regional offices in Peru (since 1993), Senegal (since 2001), and Lebanon (via independent association PSF Liban, founded 2019), with services including emergency humanitarian response, equipment and training provision to civil protection agencies, and disaster risk governance programs implemented with municipal and national government partners.

The organization's product portfolio combines field programs with a distinctive technology layer: VR-based training modules including 'Le Risque Environnemental 2.0' (immersive 10-minute sessions for groups of 8 students across 7 REP-classified schools, reaching 815+ students), 'Des Classes Virtuelles aux Classes Réelles' (an experimental VR classroom), and the multi-platform serious game 'Sauver sans Périr' deployed across VR, Web, and Mobile. Domestic programs in France include the Cadets de la Sécurité Civile training program (~40 hours per student), the Programme Insertion Citoyenne for youth under judicial supervision, and Service Civique accreditation hosting since 2010.

Revenue is generated through four streams: annual membership fees (€30/year, subscription model), one-time donations via HelloAsso and PayPal, institutional grants from AFD, AFNIC Foundation, Fonds MAIF pour l'Éducation, Fondation de France, and historically UNICEF, and public funding tied to Service Civique host status. Go-to-market relies on direct field operations, institutional and municipal partnerships, and education-sector channels (Education Nationale, DRANE PACA, REP schools), with digital channels (website, Instagram, Facebook, newsletter, Lilo solidarity search engine) for awareness and member recruitment. Strategic positioning is explicitly grounded in the Sendai Framework 2015-2030 and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Name

Pompiers Sans Frontières

Legal name

Pompiers Sans Frontières

Website

https://pompiers-sans-frontieres.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pompiers Sans Frontières is a French international solidarity NGO founded in 1991 that reduces disaster risk and builds civil protection capacity across 35+ countries through field missions, institutional partnerships, and VR-based risk education programs, serving vulnerable populations, civil defense agencies, and youth in priority areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disaster Risk Reduction and Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Education / Education in Emergencies (EiE) (BPADADAN)

Keywords

• Disaster risk reduction
• Civil protection training
• Humanitarian emergency response
• Virtual reality training
• Fire prevention programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Aix-en-Provence

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees of €30 from individual members. Members receive regular updates on actions and can participate in general assemblies. Active members contribute to project delivery.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website (HelloAsso platform) and PayPal. Donations support the NGO's disaster risk reduction and emergency response programs.
3. Institutional Funding & Grants: Funding from institutional partners including AFD (French Development Agency), Fondation de France, AFNIC, and other government/cooperative organizations to support specific programs and missions.
4. Service Civique Program: Participation in national civic service programs (agréé service civique since 2010) hosting young volunteers for citizenship and prevention programs, with associated public funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pompiers Sans Frontières is an international solidarity NGO that conducts emergency humanitarian response missions, delivers long-term disaster risk reduction programs, and builds civil protection capacity in vulnerable regions. It also develops VR/AR-based immersive training tools (Le Risque Environnemental 2.0, Sauver Sans Périr) for risk education in schools and youth insertion programs in France.

Product overview

Pompiers Sans Frontières operates as an international solidarity and development NGO offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on disaster risk reduction and civil security. The core offerings include immersive VR-based training products (Le Risque Environnemental 2.0, Des Classes Virtuelles aux Classes Réelles) and the multi-platform serious game Sauver sans Périr, which together provide educational institutions with virtual reality tools for teaching emergency preparedness. The organization also delivers field programs including the emergency intervention unit (UIU), citizen insertion programs, civil security cadet training, and multi-year disaster risk reduction initiatives. Since 2022, PoSF has fully integrated innovation into its France programs, having been recognized by the AFNIC Foundation for its digital equity work. The product ecosystem serves educational institutions, local governments, and vulnerable populations across France and international zones.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Le Risque Environnemental 2.0 VR-based immersive training program that simulates natural disaster scenarios for middle school students, allowing them to experience fear and panic effects in a controlled environment to develop better emotional and behavioral preparedness for emergency situations. Features 10-minute immersive VR sessions for groups of 8 students, deployed in REP schools.
• Sauver Sans Périr Multi-platform serious game (VR, Web, and Mobile) that gamifies risk prevention education by immersing players in simulated rescue missions as rescuers, first responders, or engaged citizens, teaching correct behaviors during emergencies.
• Des Classes Virtuelles aux Classes Réelles Experimental VR learning classroom created in REP-classified middle schools to bridge the digital divide and reduce school dropout rates, using virtual reality to familiarize students with new technologies while teaching environmental protection and civic responsibility.
• Programme Insertion Citoyenne Citizen insertion and juvenile delinquency prevention program through participatory civil security, providing civic and citizen reference points, professional insertion support, and risk awareness training for youth from priority neighborhoods and those under judicial protection in the PACA region.
• Cadets de la Sécurité Civile Civil security cadet training program for middle and high school students, offering approximately 40 hours of optional training in first aid, fire prevention, firefighter sports, and risk awareness, conducted by NGO professionals during free time in partnership with the French Education Nationale.
• Programmes de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes (RRC) Disaster risk reduction programs focused on prevention and prediction of risks, population awareness, capacity building, and crisis management, implemented in alignment with the Sendai Framework 2015-2030 and UN Sustainable Development Goals across 35+ countries.
• Unité d'Intervention d'Urgence (UIU) Emergency intervention unit providing immediate humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, including mobile health posts, water purification units, search and rescue operations, and logistical support for affected populations in international disaster zones.
• Plan de Gouvernance Incendies Lebanon (Jezzine) 3-year governance and management plan for natural space fire risks in Lebanon's Jezzine territory, including civil society inclusion, early warning systems, reforestation with 35,000 trees, and economic development of natural resources.
• Module Mobile Itinérant VR Mobile itinerant VR module for risk awareness pedagogy that travels to various educational institutions, bringing immersive VR training experiences to schools participating in PoSF programs across multiple locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 815 students trained through VR risk education programs, exceeding the initial target of 650
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• ElevenLabs ImpactminorGTM or Marketing PartnerElevenLabs Impact program supports the organization's innovation initiatives. ElevenLabs provides technology or platform support for digital projects.
• Harmonie MutuelleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth insurance company listed as a supporter of the organization's initiatives.
• DRANE PACAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirection Régionale du Numérique dans l'Éducation (PACA) collaborates with the organization on VR-based innovation projects in schools, providing pedagogical oversight and digital education support.
• Jezzine Foundation for Culture and Heritage (JFCH)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary Lebanese partner for the Jezzine fire risk governance project. Founded in 2017, this Lebanese NGO works on cultural and social development in the Jezzine region and environmental protection. Coordinates with civil defense, municipalities, youth, and local populations.
• Fédération des Municipalités du Kesrouan-FtouhmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with this Lebanese inter-municipal association (equivalent to a communauté de communes in France, comprising 54 municipalities) for fire prevention programs and the first 'zero waste' race in Lebanon (October 2022).
• Office de la Langue Française / Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the OIF related to Francophone language and cultural initiatives, supporting the organization's international Francophone operations.
• Ministry of National Education (France)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the French Education Nationale for the 'cadets de la sécurité civile' program in REP schools and for integrating VR innovation into national education frameworks (CNR for schools).
• Protection Judiciaire de la Jeunesse (PJJ) des Bouches du RhônemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for participatory civil protection and crime prevention programs targeting minors under judicial supervision in Marseille and specialized facilities.
• Civil Defense of LebanonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing operational partner in Lebanon, collaborating on fire prevention, early warning systems, and civil protection capacity building since 2015. Part of the Jezzine governance project.
• Lilo (Solidarity Search Engine)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresence on Lilo, a French solidarity search engine that generates free funding for associations when users search through the platform.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge Française: French Red Cross society operating across emergency response, first aid training, social welfare, and international humanitarian programs. Directly comparable as a French-rooted humanitarian organization combining domestic civic engagement with international disaster response, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): French-founded international humanitarian medical NGO operating in conflict and disaster zones worldwide. Directly comparable as a French-origin NGO delivering emergency field operations internationally, though focused on medical care rather than civil protection and risk education.

Direct peers

• Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International): French humanitarian NGO working in conflict and disaster zones to support vulnerable populations including people with disabilities. Comparable in French origin, international field operations in fragile contexts, and combination of emergency response with longer-term programs.
• Médecins du Monde: French humanitarian medical NGO combining international emergency response with domestic programs for vulnerable populations in France. Highly comparable in combining field missions abroad with domestic civic/social programs, though its core competency is medical rather than civil protection.
• Secours Populaire Français: French nonprofit providing emergency social assistance, disaster relief, and solidarity programs for vulnerable populations in France and internationally. Comparable as a French association loi 1901 combining emergency assistance with domestic social programs.
• Action contre la Faim: French humanitarian NGO combating hunger in emergency, conflict, and disaster contexts through food security, water/sanitation, and nutrition programs. Comparable as a French-based operational humanitarian NGO working in disaster-affected and fragile countries.
• ACTED: French humanitarian NGO implementing emergency relief, rehabilitation, and development programs in over 40 countries with focus on fragile contexts. Directly comparable in operational humanitarian model, geographic scope, and combination of relief with longer-term capacity building.
• Solidarités International: French humanitarian NGO focused on emergency response in conflict and disaster zones, particularly access to water, sanitation, and food security. Comparable as a French-based operational humanitarian NGO working in fragile contexts with disaster risk reduction programs.

Emerging players

• Plan International France: French branch of the international child-rights NGO with strong focus on education in emergencies and disaster risk reduction. Comparable in combining educational programming with disaster resilience work in vulnerable communities, particularly through schools.
• La Chaîne de l'Espoir: French medical humanitarian NGO providing care to children in low-resource and conflict-affected settings. Comparable as a French humanitarian association delivering field programs in disaster-affected countries, though focused on pediatric surgery rather than civil protection.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pompierssansfrontieres
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pompiers-sans-fronti%C3%A8res

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Pompiers Sans Frontières