The solemn occasion was the 104th anniversary of the Armistice of 11th November 1918, which put an end to four terrible years of fighting.
The Principality’s firefighters gathered in front of the Great War memorial on the Place du Campanin to salute and honour the commitment, involving the ultimate sacrifice, of Monaco’s firefighters in this conflict.
This dignified ceremony was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Maxime Yvrard, Chief of the Fire Brigade, in the presence of Colonel Tony Varo, Colonel and Supreme Commander of the Military Force.
The ceremony took place in several phases, including individual tributes to the fourteen firefighters who died during the conflict, among whom was also Commandant Auguste Picandet, the first Chief of the Corps after its creation in 1909 by Prince Albert I.
The commemoration was followed by the reading of a prayer “To the Dead” by Father Christian Venard, Chaplain of the Force Publique. The ceremony ended with the laying of a wreath by the authorities.
Transfer of command at La Condamine Emergency Response Centre
On the eve of the commemoration of 11th November, there was a military ceremony, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Maxime Yvrard, which took place at La Condamine Fire Station on Thursday 10th November.
The event, attended by Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario and Supreme Commander of the Military Force Colonel Tony Varo, was held to mark the transfer of command at La Condamine Emergency Response Centre from Major Patrice Jacob to Adjutant Jean-Christophe Masotti.
Jean-Christophe Masotti
Adjutant Jean-Christophe Masotti joined the Marseille Naval Fire Battalion in 1994, where he spent two years and was assigned to busy operational areas (the Northern district and the port area). He joined the Operations Office of the Monaco Fire and Emergency Service in 1996. In 2017, he was appointed Deputy Chief of La Condamine Emergency Response Centre. He was promoted to Chief on 2nd November 2022. He has risen through the ranks during a career in which he has received awards and plaudits on several occasions for his actions in complex operations.
