Directorate-General for Civil Security and Crisis Management (DGSCGC)
Emmanuel Clavaud, holder of an engineering degree from INSA Toulouse, presently occupies the position of Chief of Staff for Civil Security within the General Directorate of Civil Security and Crisis Management (DGSCGC). Over three decades, he has actively contributed to the structural reforms of France’s fire‑and‑rescue services, championing managerial support for teams and fostering a policy of innovation, improvement and modernisation in line with the strategic challenges faced by civil security.
In 2003, with the rank of commander, he joined the National Higher School of Fire Officers (ENSOSP). He directed both operational and specialised training programmes and expanded the curriculum on technological hazards and CBRN threats. He remains the national reference for chemical‑risk matters at ENSOSP, recognised as a technical adviser on chemical (RCH4) and radiological (RAD4) risks.
Promoted lieutenant‑colonel in 2004, he served as deputy departmental director of the SDIS of Deux‑Sèvres (2006‑2010) and then as departmental director of the SDIS of Alpes‑de‑Haute‑Provence (2010‑2016). Appointed departmental director of the SDIS of Savoie in 2016, he commanded the rescue operations following the Germanwings aircraft crash in 2015, for which he received the Internal Security Medal (exceptional promotion “Germanwings Crash”). He was also honoured with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (by the German Foreign Minister) and the Commander’s Cross of the Civil Merit Order of Spain (by King Felipe VI).
After his promotion to General Controller, he became, in 2022, director of the Departmental‑Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Service (SDMIS). During his three‑year mandate he oversaw the safety provisions for major international events such as the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as high‑profile local events like Lyon’s Fête des Lumières. His tenure was marked by the tragic fire of 16 December 2022 on the Chemin des Barques in Vaulx‑en‑Velin, which claimed ten lives. Under his leadership, the SDMIS was awarded the Gold Medal for acts of courage and devotion, 69 individual medals for courage and devotion, and 152 letters of commendation from the Prefect. In 2024 he received the Firefighters’ Honour Medal, Grand Gold level.
A recognised driver of national reform, he has advocated since summer 2022 for the evolution of the French civil‑security model, contributing to the emerging concept of a “Beauvau of Civil Security”. In 2023 he promoted an innovative revision of the Risk Analysis and Coverage Scheme (SACR), a forward‑looking tool that anticipates territorial changes up to 2040 and guides the operational adaptation of the SDMIS. The same year, he assumed command of the 3rd French reinforcement detachment deployed to assist Canada in combating forest fires.
In 2025, Emmanuel Clavaud was appointed Chief of Staff for Civil Security within the DGSCGC, a highly strategic role at the core of France’s operational civil‑security decision‑making. This appointment recognises his exemplary career and his unwavering commitment to the public interest
