First responders

Date: 13 November 2015

Event: Jihadist shootings and suicide attacks at the Stade de France, on café terraces in the 10th and 11th arrondissements, and at the Bataclan concert hall

Location: Saint-Denis and Paris, France

This kepi, adorned with the two silver stars of a brigadier and a gold trim, was worn on 13 November 2015 by the chief of the Paris Fire Brigade. It serves as a reminder that on that night, more than 400 firefighters were mobilised to rescue hundreds of victims, marking the largest rescue operation for the brigade since the Second World War.

Throughout the history of terrorism, and particularly on 11 September 2001 and 13 November 2015, firefighters have been iconic figures in the provision of first aid to victims.

Information about the item:

• Donated by General Philippe Boutinaud, Commander of the Paris Fire Brigade between 2015 and 2017
• Dimensions: height 13 cm; length 26 cm; width 20 cm
• Photo credit: Benoît Pailley