SIGNATURE OF THE SERVICE PROVISION
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE G.E.I.E. DU
TUNNEL DU MONT BLANC AND THE FRENCH
AND ITALIAN PUBLIC EMERGENCY SERVICES
COVERING INITIAL EMERGENCY AND FIREFIGHTING RESPONSE IN THE MONT BLANC
TUNNEL
COURMAYEUR, 23 June 2001
Press information:
GEIE-TMB tel I (0039)0165 89421 tel F (0033)(0)45053 0615 fax(0039)0165 89548
segreteria@tmbcourmayeur.com
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The Groupement Européen d’Intérêt Economique du tunnel du Mont Blanc
(GEIE-TMB), the Service Départemental d’Incendie et de Secours de HauteSavoie (SDIS 74), and the Regione Autonoma della Valle d'Aosta (RAVA)
will sign a service agreement on 23 June in Courmayeur.
The agreement defines the resources (human, technical, financial and
organisational) that the three parties to the agreement undertake to deploy to
ensure safety and first emergency response after the Mont Blanc Tunnel
reopens to traffic.
The signature of this agreement is the first public act of the new organisation
set up by the concession companies to operate the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
Its content reflects several months of work on the part of the GEIE-TMB
Operations Project Group, its Experts and the ATMB and SITMB companies
working with the Officers of the SDIS 74 and RAVA fire brigades, their experts
and the SDIS 74 and RAVA oversight authorities.
This work is part of the quest for the best possible safety conditions in the
renovated Mont Blanc tunnel, a quest which brought together personnel from
GEIE-TMB, the ATMB and SITMB Joint Technical Department and the Public
Emergency Services mobilised by both governments and overseen by the
Safety Committee reporting to the Mont Blanc Tunnel Intergovernmental
Control Committee.
In parallel with the negotiation of this Agreement and consistent with it, the
Internal Response and Safety Plan and the Binational Rescue Plan were
drafted and the prototype bi-frontal fire-fighting vehicle was developed. The
signature of the Agreement, which refers to these plans and to the supply of a
bi-frontal vehicle at each of the emergency response stations, was made
possible by these joint efforts.
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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The agreement signed on 23 June stipulates that GEIE-TMB will entrust to the
SDIS 74 and RAVA professional fire-fighting services the immediate response
missions incumbent on them as defined by the Internal Response and Safety
Plan.
OBJECTIVE:
 Ensure efficiency of response initiated by the GEIE-TMB command post.
 Ensure rapid action at the site of the initiating event by the professional
fire-fighters on duty 24 hours a day at the three GEIE-TMB emergency
response stations located at each portal and in the centre of the tunnel.
 Ensure renewal and ongoing training of these immediate response teams
by calling on the fire safety professionals of the nearby emergency
services.
 Ensure that the teams of the emergency services of the two countries
called upon to carry out emergency operations under the Binational
Rescue Plan are fully familiar with tunnel equipment.
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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SDIS 74 and RAVA teams will provide the services entrusted to them by
GEIE-TMB, which will be coordinated within the Groupement Mixte du Tunnel
du Mont Blanc:
THESE TASKS INCLUDE IN PARTICULAR:
 uninterrupted operation of the immediate response system, with 3
professional fire-fighters on duty at each of the tunnel's three
emergency response stations 24 hours a day.
 emergency response within the framework set out by the Internal
Response and Safety Plan (fire-fighting, rescue, assistance and
forecasting).
 support for emergency services when they take command of operations
under the Binational Rescue Plan.
 support for tunnel accident prevention and operating risk assessment
(preparation of procedures, participation in working groups, inspection
and verification of safety equipment, etc.).
 provision of information to GEIE-TMB on technical improvements to
Mont Blanc Tunnel safety.
THE GROUPEMENT MIXTE DU TUNNEL DU MONT BLANC WILL ALSO WORK
WITH GEIE-TMB TEAMS TO:
 bring tunnel users to safety and evacuate them
 train GEIE-TMB teams having safety responsibilities
 perform risk prevention analysis and activities.
Without distinction based on nationality, the Groupement Mixte du Tunnel du
Mont Blanc will provide its services throughout the site managed by GEIETMB, i.e. the tunnel itself and the French and Italian platforms.
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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UNDER THE AGREEMENT, GEIE-TMB MUST IN PARTICULAR:
 Provide GMTMB teams with full information required to carry out their
missions: technical changes in the tunnel, organisational changes,
works and maintenance programme, etc.
 Ensure coordination between the immediate response teams provided
by the Groupement Mixte du Tunnel du Mont Blanc and its own
safety/traffic and maintenance teams as well as with all other subcontractors called upon to work in the tunnel.
 Supply the equipment, facilities and premises required.
 Carry out its share of specific tunnel training, in particular training to
foster bicultural cooperation and action.
 Reimburse expenses incurred by each of the emergency services.
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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THE INTERNAL RESPONSE AND SAFETY PLAN (PIIS)
Immediate response procedures are set out in the Internal Response and
Safety Plan (PIIS). This plan is implemented by GEIE-TMB to manage all
incidents.
This plan indicates in particular the conditions under which GEIE-TMB may,
within the framework of the PIIS, request outside emergency service response
or initiation of the Binational Rescue Plan.
THE BINATIONAL RESCUE PLAN (PSB)
Depending on the incident, the Binational Emergency Plan overseen by the
Prefects of the Haute Savoie and the Vale d'Aosta can take over from the
PIIS. The PSB sets out, in particular, the practical details of the response by
the emergency services of the two countries and organises management of
rescue operations.
If the PSB is initiated, GEIE-TMB teams, especially those set up under this
agreement by the Groupement Mixte du Tunnel du Mont Blanc, will be placed
at the disposal of the Director of Emergency Operations appointed by the
French and Italian public authorities.
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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The forecast annual cost for implementing this agreement is 3.1 million euros
for the supply, by the two public emergency services, of the GEIE-TMB
immediate response teams.
Costs relating to the supply of equipment, facilities and premises must be
added. The total budget amounts to approximately 4 million euros, covered
entirely by GEIE TMB.
HUMAN RESOURCES
SDIS 74 and RAVA must each supply five people to man the tunnel's three
immediate response stations at all times.
To ensure optimum performance by their personnel, SDIS and RAVA will also
organise the duty roster of response team personnel at their nearby
emergency service centres.
TRAINING OF THE GROUPEMENT MIXTE DU TUNNEL DU MONT BLANC
TEAMS
SDIS 74 and RAVA will ensure ongoing training of the personnel making up
the GEIE-TMB immediate response teams, especially in use of equipment
made available to the latter by GEIE-TMB.
The Groupement Mixte du Tunnel du Mont Blanc teams will receive:
 initial training related to their new responsibilities
 specialised training related to site-specific risks,
 special training related to uniform response and coordination
with the GEIE-TMB operating teams (ex: Italian and French
language training).
Overall, the training programme covers 440 trainee-days in the first year.
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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TRAINING OF GEIE TEAMS
GEIE safety personnel will receive training provided by Groupement Mixte du
Tunnel du Mont Blanc team members. This training will cover, in particular,
rescue operations, installation of mobile emergency infrastructure, respiratory
protection, fire-fighting, etc.
MATERIAL RESOURCES
Premises
The three emergency stations located at the two portals and in the centre of
the tunnel will include working and staff premises equipped with full resources
needed to perform services in compliance with the health and safety rules
applying in the two countries.
Vehicles
 Three "heavy" bi-frontal fire-fighting vehicles
 Three "light" emergency vehicles
 Vehicles for team changeover and replacement
Equipment
Fire-fighting.
Respiratory protection.
First aid.
Personal protection.
Extrication.
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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The brochure for the prototype "Janus" bi-frontal vehicle, drawn up for GEIETMB by the BAI company in conjunction with SDIS 74, RAVA, ATMB and
SITMB and their advisers HBI, SITEC and SCETAUROUTE/SPEA, is
appended
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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On the day of the signature of the agreement with SDIS 74 and RAVA, the
GEIE-TMB team which will be operational when the tunnel reopens was
already in place This team, which is preparing the reopening of the tunnel, was
appointed for a period that will end 30 months after tunnel reopening.
Starting in early June 2001, Ms Bianca Vetrino-Nicola, Chairman of SITMB,
will chair the GEIE –TMB Supervisory Board, alternating with Rémy Chardon,
Chairman of ATMB, in accordance with the GEIE statutes.
Jean-Marc Berthier, Managing Director:
He joined GEIE-TMB as Director at the beginning of the year to prepare the
setting up of the future tunnel teams. He was appointed Managing Director in
June 2001.
He succeeds Vincenzo Pozzi, who will henceforth work with Jean-Yves
Lapierre within the ATMB and SITMB Common Technical Department which is
in charge of the tunnel works programme.
Jean-Marc Berthier, 55, a spent most of his career at AREA (Autoroutes
Rhône-Alpes), where he was head of operations for 5 years. He carried out a
large number of international assignments, in particular in Malaysia and
Australia where he set up operation of motorways with tunnels. Immediately
after joining GEIE-TMB, he was posted to Sydney, Australia, where he
prepared the operation of a motorway with a 4 km tunnel for the EGIS Group.
Jean-Marc Berthier is assisted by two Directors, Michele Tropiano and PierreFrançois Linares. Together they make up the GEIE Management Committee.
Michele Tropiano, appointed GEIE –TMB Director by SITMB in June 2001,
had been in charge of tunnel operations since 1992.
He spent most of his career with the Mont Blanc Tunnel, which he joined
when it opened in 1965.
Pierre-François Linares joined the GEIE team as a Director in April 2001 to
take part in the tunnel reopening project group, covering technical organisation
and maintenance, especially future information systems in the Mont Blanc
Tunnel.
As an officer in the French Navy since 1976, Pierre-François Linares
previously worked within the Armed Forces Staff where he was in charge of
technical affairs in the Telecommunications, Information Systems and
Command Division.
Signature d’une Convention entre le GEIE du tunnel du Mont Blanc et les services de secours français et italiens
23 juin 2001
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