chef de colonne

English translation: Chef de colonne

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:chef de colonne
English translation:Chef de colonne
Entered by: B D Finch

15:15 Jun 10, 2014
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Human Resources / Fire brigade hierarchy
French term or phrase: chef de colonne
Not sure what to class this under, so apologies if it should be somewhere else! Does anyone have any idea what the equivalent English rank of a French chef de colonne in the fire brigade might be? I'm translating a chronology of an incident and I just have the note "Engagement Chef de Colonne" - is it station officer, I wonder, or someone more senior?

Would be grateful for your guidance as ever.

Thanks
Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:36
Chef de colonne
Explanation:
If you look at the organisation chart in the first reference below, you will see that this is the second position from top one. However, it would be a mistake to assume that the structural organisation of the French sapeurs pompiers can be simply equated with those of the British or another fire service.

You could add that it is the second in command, but there can be two or more of them in any station.

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Note added at 1 hr (2014-06-10 16:28:05 GMT)
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I think that even comparing ranks might be difficult. The French system is based on volunteers, while the British one is not, and the sapeurs pompiers also provide some ambulance services. There will be differences between town and country brigades, the sizes of administrative units and the way they are organised.
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 16:36
Grading comment
Thanks Barbara - you're quite right. I left it in the French and explained the predicament to my (direct) client in a separate note.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2Chef de colonne
B D Finch
3 -1(fire) brigade leader
Timothy Rake


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
(fire) brigade leader


Explanation:
..or alternately, "head of the (fire) brigade

Timothy Rake
United States
Local time: 08:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 18
Notes to answerer
Asker: In other words, the head of the whole outfit, rather than a local division, do you think? I'm sorry I haven't any more information to go on, so it's hard to tell...


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Alan Douglas (X): Way too simplistic. Each country has its different grades structure. In France a chef de site is senior to a chef de colonne. Also the ranks of (fire) brigade leader or head of the (fire) brigade simply don't exist.
33 mins
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52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Chef de colonne


Explanation:
If you look at the organisation chart in the first reference below, you will see that this is the second position from top one. However, it would be a mistake to assume that the structural organisation of the French sapeurs pompiers can be simply equated with those of the British or another fire service.

You could add that it is the second in command, but there can be two or more of them in any station.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2014-06-10 16:28:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I think that even comparing ranks might be difficult. The French system is based on volunteers, while the British one is not, and the sapeurs pompiers also provide some ambulance services. There will be differences between town and country brigades, the sizes of administrative units and the way they are organised.


    Reference: http://pompiersdemehun.free.fr/organisation_des_sapeurs_pomp...
    Reference: http://www.firesafe.org.uk/role-structure-in-the-british-fir...
B D Finch
France
Local time: 16:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 83
Grading comment
Thanks Barbara - you're quite right. I left it in the French and explained the predicament to my (direct) client in a separate note.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Yes, I quite agree, Barbara - I just wanted to give them an idea of the status. I'll add a note to the client warning him that these are just similar ranks...


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alan Douglas (X): Equivalent to Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Senior Divisional Officer (possibly), Divisional Officer Grade I, II, III, or none of the above: better to stay with the French.
21 mins
  -> Thanks Alan

agree  Yolanda Broad
1 day 4 hrs
  -> Thanks Yolanda
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