French Firefighters Fuming After Being Told To Shave Off Beards

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Story By: Joseph GolderSub-EditorJoe Golder, Agency: Newsflash

French firefighters have been left fuming by a new rule forcing them to shave off their beards.

According to the Fire and Rescue Department in the French region of Finistere, the reason for the new requirement is to protect firefighters so that their breathing apparatus is properly sealed from fumes and placed directly on bare skin.

Nicole Ziegler, president of the Fire and Rescue Department, told French news site Le Point: “They will not go out on a call as long as they have beards.

Newsflash

“It is not a sanction, it is to protect them.”

Many firefighters, especially young volunteers representing about 80 percent of the workforce, are refusing to conform, calling it an “absurd” rule that undermines their individual freedom.

Some of them expressed concerns that rescue centres might end up with fewer volunteers as a result of the new rule.

Ironically, the Fire brigade recently congratulated firefighters for sporting moustaches when they raised money for illnesses such as prostate cancer.

Movember is an annual event that involves people growing moustaches in November to raise awareness about men’s health issues, including prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

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