GSCF

What GSCF does

GSCF (Groupe de Secours Catastrophe Français) is a France-based nonprofit humanitarian NGO founded in 1999 by professional firefighter Thierry Velu and registered as an association loi 1901. Its membership is drawn primarily from active and retired firefighters serving across French SDIS departments, currently numbering "several hundred" with a stated target of 1,000 operational members by end-2027. The organization serves two customer segments: (1) disaster-affected populations and host governments internationally, with GSCF deploying upon official request from the affected country; and (2) French municipalities that subscribe to access the national operational material reserve. Thierry Velu was unanimously re-elected President at the General Assembly of June 13, 2026, with Émilie Coquel as Vice-President.

Core operational capabilities center on USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) at INSARAG standards, including rescue-deblaiement (sauvetage-déblaiement), technical search, canine units, casualty extraction from collapsed structures, and the FARH (Force d'Action Rapide Humanitaire) rapid-deployment unit capable of international launch in under 8 hours. Secondary capabilities include "Drone Secours" — a pioneering 2014-era drone specialty using thermal cameras for victim detection and life-jacket dropping for drowning prevention — and "Formation GSCF" training programs covering USAR certification, FARH preparation, and civil-security awareness. The national material reserve provides free equipment (generators, pumps, lighting, tools) to French partner communes within 24–48 hours and is also a vehicle for channeling corporate-donated equipment to Ukrainian, Lebanese, Congolese, and other foreign fire services. Over 27+ years, GSCF has conducted 200+ missions across 35+ countries on 5 continents, with notable engagements since 2015 (Nepal), 2022 (Ukraine, ongoing), 2023 (Turkey) and 2026 (Lebanon).

Revenue is derived primarily from individual donations (eligible for 66% French income tax deduction), recurring municipal subscriptions (€0.10/inhabitant/year, €100–€10,000 cap), corporate in-kind partnerships (e.g., Rostaing, SETIN, Labaronne-Citaf), occasional contributions from the affiliated Fonds de Dotation endowment (€10,000 in 2026), modest book and merchandise sales (Thierry Velu's publications offered free with €6 shipping contribution; pompiers.shop store), and legacy gifts. GSCF currently operates from Villeneuve d'Ascq (Nord) and Maresquel (Pas-de-Calais), with strategic relocation under consideration as part of National Project 2027 to create a dedicated national catastrophe center combining operations, reserves, and training.

Name

GSCF

Legal name

Groupe de Secours Catastrophe Français

Website

https://gscf.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

France-based nonprofit NGO founded in 1999 by professional firefighter Thierry Velu, providing Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), rapid international deployment, a national disaster equipment reserve, and drone-based reconnaissance. Its membership consists of professional and volunteer firefighters serving French municipalities and disaster-affected populations across 35+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Disaster Response Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Fire Protection (92216), National Security and International Affairs (9281)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADADAA

Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Humanitarian Relief & Emergency Response

SECONDARYBPAGAAAA

Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

Keywords

• Urban search and rescue
• Humanitarian firefighter NGO
• Disaster response services
• Emergency material reserve
• Civil security drones

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeneuve

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Private individuals donate through the website (dons-gscf.fr) or by check. Donations are eligible for 66% French income tax deduction (up to 20% of taxable income). Monthly giving is available. This is the primary funding source.
2. Partner Municipality Subscriptions: Partner municipalities pay an annual subscription of €0.10 per inhabitant (minimum €100, maximum €10,000) for access to the operational material reserve in case of disaster. This is a recurring revenue stream from French local governments.
3. Book Sales (Free/Purchase): The book 'Tout peut changer en une minute' by Thierry Velu is offered free in digital format, and in paper for €6 covering shipping and handling. This generates modest earned revenue.
4. Corporate Partnerships and Mécénat: Companies like Rostaing, SETIN, and Labaronne-Citaf provide equipment donations (in-kind) and occasionally financial contributions (e.g., €10,000 from the Fonds de Dotation du GSCF). Corporate sponsors benefit from tax deductions under French law.
5. Legs and Donations (Inheritance Gifts): GSCF accepts legacy gifts and donations through estate planning, a revenue stream mentioned on the website under 'Legs, Donations'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GSCF is a French nonprofit humanitarian NGO of professional and volunteer firefighters that delivers Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) operations to international disaster zones via its FARH rapid-deployment unit, and provides a pre-positioned national material reserve of rescue equipment to French partner municipalities deployable within 24-48 hours. The organization supplements rescue operations with Drone Secours aerial reconnaissance, runs the Urgence SDF social outreach program for homeless populations, and delivers INSARAG-standard training to members and partner fire services.

Product overview

GSCF (Groupe de Secours Catastrophe Français) is a French humanitarian NGO of firefighters offering a portfolio of emergency response services centered on USAR (Urban Search and Rescue), a national material reserve for French communes, and drone support capabilities. The organization operates the FARH (Force d'Action Rapide Humanitaire) for rapid international deployment, provides social outreach through Urgence SDF for homeless populations, and publishes educational materials including the free guide 'Tout peut changer en une minute'. All services are grounded in firefighter expertise and INSARAG-standard training, with teams deployable in under 3 hours domestically and under 8 hours internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drone Secours: Specialty unit focused on drone technology for reconnaissance, victim search, and operational support in France and internationally since 2014.

Products and services

• USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) Rescue and debris-clearance operations following earthquakes, structural collapses, and other major disasters. GSCF teams are trained to INSARAG international standards and can deploy anywhere in the world in under 3 hours, providing victim extraction from collapsed structures using canine units, acoustic/thermal cameras, and specialized extraction tools.
• FARH (Force d'Action Rapide Humanitaire) Elite rapid-response humanitarian unit combining USAR search-and-rescue capabilities with humanitarian logistics. Capable of being deployed internationally in under 8 hours, FARH enables GSCF to bridge the critical 72-hour response gap after major catastrophes.
• Réserve de Matériel (Material Reserve)

Quantifiable outcome

• Deployable within 3 hours anywhere in the world
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SDIS de la Drôme (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours 26)coreOthers · 19 June 2026The Drôme fire service gifted a VSAV (Véhicule de Secours et d'Assistance aux Victimes / rescue vehicle) to GSCF, enriching its operational fleet. SDIS 26 has supported GSCF for many years with material donations that have been forwarded to firefighters in Ukraine and other countries. Franck Soulignac (President of the SDIS board) and Franck (Bureau Maintenance et Gestion de Flotte) facilitated the transfer.
• RostaingcoreOthersFrench family-owned glove manufacturer (founded 1789 in Villieu-Loyes-Mollon, Ain) providing ongoing in-kind donations of high-performance protective gloves to GSCF teams. Rostaing gloves are also distributed by GSCF to firefighters in Ukraine, Lebanon, Croatia, Mayotte, Congo-Brazzaville, Spain, and other countries. This is a multi-year partnership rooted in shared values of solidarity and French industrial excellence in protective equipment.
• SETINcoreOthersSETIN is a French industrial and construction supply company based in Martot (Eure), descended from a family business founded by Henri Sétin in Elbeuf. The company donated a substantial quantity of tools, hardware, PPE, and other operational supplies to GSCF, loaded onto a GSCF truck for direct use in future missions in France and internationally.
• Labaronne-CitafminorOthersLabaronne-Citaf provided emergency water storage and firefighting reserve equipment to GSCF, strengthening the organization's water management and flood response capabilities. Mentioned in June 2026 news as a supplier strengthening GSCF's operational capacity.
• Fonds de Dotation du GSCF (Endowment Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe organization's own endowment fund (a separate legal entity) provides exceptional financial support to GSCF. In 2026, it granted €10,000 to support humanitarian operations. The fundraise from donors and redistributes to fund missions, equipment, training, and humanitarian projects.
• Communauté d'agglomération de PauminorOthersAs part of the National Project 2027, the Pau urban community contacted GSCF with interest in hosting the future national center. This represents a potential strategic territorial partnership for GSCF's relocation and expansion.
• Republic of Congo Embassy in FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSCF received officials at the Republic of Congo Embassy in France, marking more than 10 years of partnership and new projects under development. The relationship includes ongoing support to Congolese firefighters (equipment donations) and exploration of future cooperation.
• Partner Municipalities of FrancecoreOthersFrench municipalities that sign annual partnership conventions with GSCF (paying €0.10 per inhabitant/year) gain priority access to the national operational material reserve. These municipal partners represent GSCF's domestic distribution network for disaster response.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): International humanitarian medical NGO with a donation-funded, rapid-deployment operating model. Not a USAR competitor, but the gold-standard comparable for nonprofit rapid-response humanitarian operations and brand-driven fundraising.

Regional players

• Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris: Professional fire brigade serving Paris and surrounding areas. The largest source of French firefighter talent and operational doctrine that GSCF draws from via SDIS, with overlapping rescue and emergency-response capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge française: Large French humanitarian organization with established disaster-response, emergency relief, and social assistance programs. Broad incumbent in the same humanitarian space as GSCF's Urgence SDF and emergency relief operations.
• Sécurité Civile (Ministère de l'Intérieur): French government agency coordinating national and international civil protection and disaster response, including INSARAG-classified USAR units. The public-sector incumbent operating in the same space as GSCF's mandate.
• EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC): EU-level hub coordinating civil protection and disaster response among member states, including activation of international USAR teams. The supranational incumbent that aggregates and dispatches teams like GSCF's FARH.

Direct peers

• Rescue Global: UK-based international search-and-rescue NGO deploying specialist teams to natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Highly comparable in mission (international USAR), team structure (volunteer professionals), and rapid-deployment positioning.
• Pompiers Sans Frontières: French NGO of professional firefighters conducting humanitarian search-and-rescue and disaster response internationally. Closest direct peer to GSCF, sharing the firefighter-NGO model, international USAR focus, and French institutional ecosystem.
• UK International Search and Rescue (UKISAR): UK government-affiliated INSARAG-compliant international USAR team that deploys to overseas disasters. Direct functional peer to GSCF's international USAR capability, with similar rapid-deployment doctrine and INSARAG training standards.
• Secouristes Sans Frontières: French humanitarian NGO specialized in rescue and emergency-response deployments abroad. Comparable international humanitarian rescue mission profile and French-association governance structure.
• Team Rubicon: International disaster-response NGO using skilled volunteers (veterans) for rapid deployment to disasters worldwide. Comparable volunteer-driven rapid-deployment model and donor-supported operating model, though with a different core talent pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pompiers-humanitaires
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gscf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 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 GSCF