Fire disaster The municipality of Crans-Montana supports its president Nicolas Féraud
The municipality of Crans-Montana has reacted after the almost eleven-hour hearing of its president Nicolas Féraud on Monday. In a statement published on its website, it supports the position of the accused.
15.04.2026, 10:04
SDA
The authorities, as well as Féraud's lawyer Christian Delaloye, point out that since 2017, the municipal council has systematically granted all requests for staff increases made by the former and current head of the public safety department, without exception. The municipality had never set a budget limit with regard to safety, the latter stated.
From 2017 to 2024, the number of full-time positions had increased from 1 to 5 people, making the municipality's public safety department one of the largest in the canton in terms of personnel. Since 2024 and until the tragedy on New Year's Eve, the public safety department had not submitted any new requests for staff increases, according to the municipality.
No specific problems in 2023
As far as the audit of the municipal administration in 2023 is concerned, the aim was not to analyze a specific department, but each department head a few years after the merger, the municipality continued. In 2017, the municipalities of Chermignon, Montana, Randogne and Mollens merged to form Crans-Montana.
"The report did not point to any specific problem in any particular department", the press release states. "Nothing worrying was identified by the heads of department, nor did the author of the audit point out anything of the sort."
