In the bays of IMT Mines Alès, a flood crisis management simulation was deployed in three rooms. This fictitious day, at the heart of the management of the municipality of Anduze, aimed to faithfully reproduce a crisis situation for a truer-than-life experience.
Thursday September 8, 2024. In the charming town of Anduze, residents wake up to the specter of an orange weather alert and a yellow level flood alert. The forecasts from yesterday’s bulletins warn of imminent violent thunderstorms, gusty winds, hail and torrential downpours, which could lead to precipitation of 70 to 100 mm in just a few hours. Panic on board!
The crisis unit takes action
In this context, fictitious but oh so realistic, twelve participants gathered this Wednesday, April 24 in three rooms at IMT Mines Alès, accompanied by four observers and six facilitators, to confront this disaster scenario. Their mission was to reconstitute the Anduze crisis unit, in the presence of the municipality’s first deputy, Jacques Faïsse, in order to respond in an effective and coordinated manner to this emergency situation. This scenario, worthy of the big screens, actually draws its Source of inspiration from a real event that occurred on September 19 and 20, 2020 in Anduze. This simulation then allows participants to best respond to the different challenges and issues faced by those responsible for crisis management in “real life”, and to put into practice the protocols and procedures necessary to ensure the safety of their fellow citizens. .
The poles maintain real-time communication to guarantee perfect synchronization between them. • Photo Louis Valat
Although the fun and immersive aspect may recall our best video game simulators, this simulation is in reality centered on serious issues linked to forecasts and the risks of flooding, obviously major problems in the Cévennes, and more generally in the Gard. The recent floods leading to the death of six people demonstrate this seriousness and the reality of these risks (article to read by clicking here).
With its large interactive screens, telephones with direct lines, up-to-the-minute information and even tweets from residents, the crisis management simulator perfectly reproduces reality. • Photo Louis Valat
Today’s exercise, one of ten organized each year at IMT Mines Alès, focuses on preparation, responsiveness and coordination of actions between stakeholders. It is also a question of putting in place evacuation protocols – this was the case on the commune’s nursing home in particular – and the safety of residents, an aspect on which the sub-prefect of Alès, Émile Soumbo, has clarified this morning during his visit, grant “great attention”. The objective being to become familiar with new uncertainty and flood forecast bulletins, with the exceptional contribution of AI (artificial intelligence) in forecasting thresholds exceeded, such as the overflowing of the submersible bridge of the common.
The panic of the Anduzians is palpable, an immediate response is essential for the authorities! • Photo Louis Valat
To guarantee optimal realism, the SDIS commander of Gard, Jérôme Tallaron, participated in the exercise as a representative of the “rest of the world”, alongside the animators assuming the roles of citizens, media, traders and other parties. stakeholders, from the “game masters” room. “These are actions carried out which must be carried out and which correspond well to reality”explains Commander Tallaron.
Meanwhile, in the rooms designated at the ends to coordinate the action, each team took on specific responsibilities: the mayor took charge of directing the relief operations, while the deputy mayor ensured coordination. The secretariat and logistics were taken care of, while the communications center managed the tweets and other information disseminated in real time. Technology, security and management of emergency accommodation were also at the heart of the action, with a continuous exchange of information between the different teams.
Commander Jérôme Tallaron was fully involved in the exercise, in the “game masters” room. • Photo Louis Valat
Artificial intelligence: game-changer in crisis management?
Difficult for them to believe, but users will discover at the end of their experience that one of the two rooms was assisted by artificial intelligence (AI), while the other had to get by without it. At the end of this day, the two teams will have the opportunity to compare themselves using camera analysis and other data. This may raise questions about the effectiveness of current systems, with technological or even futuristic assistance on the one hand, and a more traditional approach on the other.
And if artificial intelligence has been integrated into the crisis management simulator “Simulcrise” of the Center for Research and Education in Environment and Risks at IMT Mines Alès, it is thanks to the research of Salma Sadkou, doctoral student. whose thesis is nearing completion. Funded by the Region and Europe, this thesis, entitled “Level Finder – Flood forecasting by AI”, aims to anticipate the use of artificial intelligence as a valuable tool in the management of natural disasters. This work is integrated within LabCom Hydr.IA.
“There are already live forecasts thanks to the Vigicrues system, but the idea of an exercise like this allows us to test changes that could be made on longer-term forecasts, on models such as than AI, which could help us make better predictions. The idea is to test what we will provide over a certain period of time and to know in which direction should we direct our services.
Jérôme Tallaron, SDIS commander of Gard
Faced with the multiplication of floods and flooding phenomena, public and private stakeholders in water management, in particular local authorities, are faced with the need to considerably reduce the associated risks, among the most serious risks. natural. And artificial intelligence seems on track, once again, to position itself as a key tool in preventing these events. However, on this subject, it is Salma Sadkou who will speak about it best, during her thesis planned for soon.
