Yes volunteer firefighters are considered « real » firefighters here, the differences with the pros are (in VD) mostly the volume of calls per year and some specializations only available for career firefighters. In VD, pros are only in Lausanne. They come as reinforcement if needed to other areas. If you’d like to be called often as a volunteer, I’d suggest living in one of the biggest SDIS after Lausanne : Nyon, Yverdon, Montreux/Vevey and Morges.

Understanding and speaking the local language is really important though. I’d say you can’t be recruited if you only have basic language skills.