“Preserving this heritage so that we can show it off”: in Aube, the firefighters now have their own museum

A restored hangar located next to the Malterie Museum in La Chapelle-Saint-Luc (Aube). From the outside, this former municipal storage center may not look like much. But inside, it's a veritable treasure trove that many firefighters and enthusiasts have managed to create over the past few years. Welcome to the Aube Firefighters' Memorial Space, a welcoming space inaugurated on May 15, 2025, characteristic of the legendary firefighters' fraternity, which also serves as a historical resource center thanks to the quantity and variety of documents and objects collected over the years.

To understand the birth of the site, we must trace its history. In 2016, the Departmental Union of Firefighters of Aube, the association that leads numerous actions in terms of social ties, solidarity and training for Aube personnel, began working on the firefighters who died during the Great War. This is where the History Commission of the Firefighters of Aube was born, which brings together the thirty enthusiasts behind this museum.

"We thought there was a great heritage in the department," says Jean-Pierre Pinasseau, chair of the Aube firefighters' history commission. "We thought it was a shame to see it go. We saw sales at garage sales, Leboncoin... We had to stop the bleeding and preserve this heritage so we could show it off. Collecting isn't for oneself; it's to explain how we've progressed over the years. And when we understand the past better, we're better prepared for future changes."

Little by little, a small group of volunteers began storing equipment. All that remained was to find a suitable and sufficiently spacious location. "In 2023, the municipality of La Chapelle-Saint-Luc lent us a three-story building. We then said to ourselves that, now that everything was there, we had to present it," recalls Jean-Pierre Pinasseau. On site, the former firefighters are busy restoring the premises and the lighting, funded by the Departmental Union and donations. The town hall is donating the rent and electricity.

"Since then, 18 people, builders, have come to work on the premises every Wednesday to turn it into a museum," adds the host. Volunteers who don't look at their watches: 5,500 hours were devoted in 2024 to sorting the many treasures recovered and installing them in themed spaces.

So far, 6,200 objects have been collected, often on loan or donated. "It ranges from pins to vehicles," explains Jean-Pierre Pinasseau. Not everything can be exhibited, due to lack of space or because repairs are necessary, but the content of the tour is expected to evolve over time.

Among the museum's organizers is Honorary Captain Pascal Toulouse. "When I retired in 2021, I joined this commission, which I really enjoyed and which kept me involved with the firefighters," he says happily.

In charge of the ground floor tour, he introduces visitors to motorization and pumps. "We find hand pumps, motor pumps of varying ages, hose reels, a vehicle from a rescue center in Les Riceys, pump buckets and fire extinguishers, but also an old ladder from a village in the Aube region that we completely renovated with the help of some sawmills," he explains. Years of research and word of mouth have led to the recovery of these very old nuggets, some dating back to the early 20th century.

The first floor showcases the evolution of first aid and interventions over the decades, thanks in particular to the expertise of Jacky Harvier, honorary captain. This includes the discovery of training slides dating from the 1960s, old resuscitation devices (including one from the 1930s) and oxygen therapy, as well as old devices for lighting or extricating victims with a metal chainsaw. "It created a lot of sparks, so we always had to have a fire extinguisher available," adds the former head of the Mussy-sur-Seine emergency center.

Special outfits and emergency or anti-pollution cases provide insight into how interventions were carried out in the past on victims of electrical or chemical accidents. A little gem: a piece of insulating breathing apparatus that was on board the France ocean liner. "It was found at a garage sale by the daughter of a firefighter on our committee," says Jacky Harvier.

Documents on gestures, postures, and procedures demonstrate that the know-how has not aged at all. "We have simply adapted the situation in relation to our technological advances, even if the defibrillator has brought us a lot for people in cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation, a heart that works but is not efficient."

On the second floor, there is space for more transportable, lighter objects, such as trophies and sports outfits, but also headdresses, kepi and other helmets, from the oldest to the F1, used since 1985 in its various evolutions by firefighters.

"We recovered a helmet from the 1830s, which had been slightly punctured, and we took it apart, removed the dents, and lubricated it to restore it," explains Honorary Captain Dominique Dautreme. "You should know that among firefighters, everyone equipped themselves as best they could between 1850 and 1950. That's when the French firefighters began to implement regulations regarding equipment. The municipalities followed suit, depending on their finances."

At the time of the fire in January 1985, which ravaged around fifteen buildings in the city centre of Troyes at -20°C, "we did see a pair of firefighters with helmets from 1895," says the former fire station manager in Piney and Rouilly-Sacey.

Further on, numerous intervention or ceremonial uniforms, some of which date back to the end of the 19th century. Some of them may have been modified by the firefighters themselves. "It is thought that municipalities that didn't have a lot of resources tinkered with their uniforms," ​​adds Jean-Pierre Pinasseau. For current historians, it is therefore difficult to date certain elements. Moreover, even today, due to financial constraints, the old uniforms of the departmental firefighters are distributed among the many municipal bodies in Aube.

All the clothing on display in the memorial space has its own story, donated by families or colleagues of firefighters who died from illness or accidents, or simply by retired people who chose to donate their memories. Some of these outfits are still used daily, and allow us to clearly see the evolution of clothing .

The history of the Young Firefighters of Aube, formerly cadets, is also explored. There are also beautiful display cases dedicated to pennants, medals, badges, and other insignia. And right next door, a guaranteed return to childhood with an entire area dedicated to miniature vehicles and figurines.

"I had a large collection of 250 vehicles at home that took up a lot of space," smiles Thierry Cretel, a former volunteer firefighter, who contributed some of his memorabilia. Numerous donations helped complete the collection, including a display case to showcase all the finds. "We have some fairly rare, numbered pieces," he says.

Drums, bugles, and other signaling devices (musical instruments were also used to sound the alarm in the past) complete this enormous collection, which can be viewed free of charge on Wednesdays (from 10 a.m. to noon, then from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and upon request from the Aube Departmental Firefighters Union. But also this weekend of May 17 and 18, to celebrate the inauguration of the space and the Night of Museums. On this occasion, the space will be exceptionally open from 1:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. this Saturday afternoon.