SDIS 34

What SDIS 34 does

SDIS 34 (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours de l'Hérault) is the statutory departmental fire and rescue service for the Hérault department in the Occitanie region of southern France, established under the Code général des collectivités territoriales as a public establishment (établissement public départemental) under the supervision of the French Ministry of the Interior and the Hérault Department Council. The organization provides 24/7 emergency response across 248 municipalities and approximately 1.2 million residents, operating more than 100 centres de secours (fire and rescue stations) from its headquarters at 150 Rue Supernova, Vailhauquès. Its service portfolio covers structural and forest firefighting (including CCFS Super tankers and aerial water-bombing), emergency medical response, road accident rescue, nautical and coastal rescue, hazmat (NRBC) incidents, K9 search and rescue (Cellule Cynotechnique), and drone-based aerial reconnaissance (Cellule Drone). Supporting the operational core, SDIS 34 runs a training academy (PPESU/Centre de Formation) in Gignac, crisis management programs for elected officials, fee-based event safety services (Dispositif Prévisionnel de Secours), intervention certificates, and team-building facility rentals.

The workforce is structured around a dual model of professional and volunteer firefighters (Sapeurs-Pompiers Volontaires), with additional seasonal reinforcements for forest fire and beach safety (SBAN) operations. Funding flows primarily from departmental taxes allocated through the Hérault Department Council and Ministry of Interior subsidies, with minor transactional revenue from DPS event services and administrative attestations. The organization holds an exclusive statutory mandate for fire and rescue in its territory and is operationally integrated into national and European mutual aid networks, including the European Civil Protection Mechanism and inter-departmental reinforcement columns. Public-facing communications run through the sdis34.fr website and the @PompiersHerault social account, alongside school-based Jeune Sapeur-Pompier outreach and community engagement programs.

Name

SDIS 34

Legal name

Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours de l'Hérault

Website

https://sdis34.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SDIS 34 is the statutory departmental fire and rescue service for Hérault in southern France, operating over 100 stations across 248 municipalities to provide 24/7 emergency response — including forest firefighting, medical, nautical, and hazmat operations — funded primarily by departmental taxes under the French Ministry of the Interior.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Medical Assistance & Field Care (DMAT/Field Hospitals) (HLAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mutual Assistance Crew Logistics, Staging & Base Camp Services (EUAEAIAJ), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) & Preparedness (BPADADAK)

Keywords

• Fire and rescue services
• Emergency medical response
• Forest fire fighting
• Crisis management training
• Firefighter training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vailhauquès, Occitanie

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (Tax-based): Governmental funding from the Hérault Department and French Ministry of Interior. Primary funding source for emergency services operations.
2. Dispositif Prévisionnel de Secours (DPS): Fee-based provision of safety personnel and equipment for public events. Organizations can request DPS coverage for events with minimum one-month advance notice.
3. Attestation d'Intervention: Administrative fees for issuing intervention certificates to beneficiaries of emergency services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SDIS 34 is the departmental fire and rescue service for the Hérault department in France, providing 24/7 emergency response for fires, medical emergencies, accidents, natural disasters, and rescue operations across 248 municipalities via a network of more than 100 fire stations and a workforce of professional and volunteer firefighters. It also delivers fee-based safety coverage for public events (DPS), initial and continuing firefighter training, and crisis-management support for elected officials and organizations.

Product overview

SDIS 34 (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours de l'Hérault) is a French public emergency services organization operating 77 fire and rescue stations across the Hérault department. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of emergency response services including firefighting, emergency medical services, forest fire fighting (CCFS), road rescue (VSR), nautical rescue, K9 search units, drone reconnaissance units, and hazmat response (NRBC). Supporting these core operations are training and professional development programs, crisis management services for elected officials, event safety services (DPS), and administrative services including intervention certificates. The organization also provides facility rental for team building and utilizes modern equipment including robot vehicles (VROB), aerial water bombers, and specialized rescue vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dispositif Prévisionnel de Secours (DPS) Deployment of trained safety personnel and equipment to ensure safety at public gatherings; requested by event organizers with at least one month's advance notice via email or mail, on a quote-based pricing model.
• Emergency Response Operations (Centres de Secours) 24/7 emergency response through 100+ fire and rescue stations across Hérault, handling fires, accidents, medical emergencies and natural disasters, accessed via 18 / 112 emergency numbers.
• Formation Initiale et Continue (Firefighter Training Services) Initial and continuing training programs for professional and volunteer firefighters, including specialized courses in forest fire fighting, road rescue, nautical rescue, and crisis management.
• Gestion de Crise et Résilience (Crisis Management for Elected Officials) Crisis management training and resilience support for elected officials and organizations, including the Bootcamp intensive program at the PPESU (Pôle de Préparation à l'Engagement aux Situations d'Urgences) and Maison des risques facility.
• Intervention Feux de Forêts (Forest Fire Fighting) Specialized forest fire fighting services including deployment of CCFS Super tankers, water bomber coordination, and seasonal reinforcement teams (e.g., 72 firefighters and 19 vehicles deployed to Corsica).
• Secours Nautique (Nautical Rescue) Maritime and coastal rescue services including beach safety, water rescue, and seasonal deployment of nautical firefighters (SBAN).
• Secours Routier (Road Rescue) Road traffic accident rescue services including vehicle extraction and medical assistance at accident sites.
• Cellule Cynotechnique (K9 Search and Rescue Unit) Canine search and rescue unit for locating missing persons and supporting various rescue operations.
• Cellule Drone (Drone Reconnaissance Unit) Drone reconnaissance and investigation unit providing aerial surveillance during fires, natural disasters, and search operations.
• Intervention NRBC (Hazmat Response) Nuclear, radiological, biological, and chemical (NRBC) emergency response services for hazardous material incidents.
• Location d'Espaces et Team Building (Facility Rental) Rental of SDIS 34 training facilities and event spaces for team building activities, seminars, and corporate events.
• Attestation d'Intervention (Intervention Certificate) Administrative service issuing official intervention certificates to beneficiaries of emergency services, documenting the intervention details for a fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• 368 interventions recorded in operational period
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CHU de MontpelliercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2024Healthcare cooperation agreement between SDIS 34 and Montpellier University Hospital for emergency medical protocols, mutual aid, and healthcare coordination during emergencies.
• Université Paul Valéry MontpellierminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2024Convention for training partnerships and mutual cooperation between the fire service and the university.
• Croix Rouge FrançaisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2023Convention signed for humanitarian cooperation and joint emergency response capabilities.
• Aéroport Montpellier-MéditerranéecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement for airport emergency response, mutual aid, and specialized rescue operations at the airport.
• Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs de l'HéraultminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention for joint efforts in rural safety, wildfire prevention, and land management cooperation.
• CAPEB Hérault et U2PminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConvention with building craft employers and tradespeople unions for supporting firefighter volunteers and workplace safety.
• IGESAminorOthersPartnership with social welfare institution for firefighter personnel and their families.
• Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA)minorOthersEmployer convention with agricultural social mutual for supporting employees who are volunteer firefighters.
• Préfecture de l'HéraultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrefectural authority coordination for departmental emergency management and civil protection.
• Fédération Nationale des Sapeurs-Pompiers de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation providing training standards, professional development, and coordination of fire services nationwide.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SDIS 31 (Haute-Garonne): Departmental fire service covering the Toulouse metropolitan area and surrounding rural communes. Comparable scale and dual urban-rural mandate within the same Occitanie region.
• SDIS 84 (Vaucluse): Provençal departmental fire service with similar summer wildfire risk and agricultural/vineyard hazard profile. Operates within the same national SDIS legal and funding structure.
• SDIS 13 (Bouches-du-Rhône): Departmental fire and rescue service for the neighboring Bouches-du-Rhône department. Directly comparable structure, mandate, funding model, and Mediterranean coastal/forest fire risk profile.
• SDIS 11 (Aude): Departmental fire service adjacent to Hérault with overlapping wildfire risk and rural coverage profile. Operates under the same French SDIS legal framework with similar staffing and station distribution model.
• SDIS 83 (Var): Mediterranean coastal departmental fire service with very high wildfire exposure and tourism-driven DPS demand. Highly comparable in service mix, scale, and seasonal workforce challenges.
• SDIS 33 (Gironde): Large departmental fire service covering Gironde, including forested Landes region. Comparable in scale, mutual aid obligations, and significant wildfire response track record.
• SDIS 06 (Alpes-Maritimes): Coastal/mountain departmental fire service on the Côte d'Azur. Comparable Mediterranean risk profile and dual urban-mountain-rural response mandate under the same national framework.
• SDIS 30 (Gard): Departmental fire service for the adjacent Gard department. Faces very similar wildfire, flood, and Mediterranean terrain challenges, with comparable professional/volunteer workforce model.

Broad incumbents

• Brigade de Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris (BSPP): Military-status fire brigade serving Paris and surrounding departments. Comparable core mission (fire, rescue, EMS) but distinct military governance, funding, and operational structure — useful benchmark for scale and capability.

Regional players

• Marins-Pompiers de Marseille: Naval fire battalion serving Marseille under a distinct historical/military statutory regime. Provides fire, rescue, and EMS across a major port city, overlapping with SDIS-style responsibilities in a different governance framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PompiersHerault
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sdis-34

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SDIS 34