Jean-Moulin’s sixth-form students study risk management at Châteaulin

“Rather than classically explaining the role of a mayor in class, I wanted to start from a concrete case on risk management by elected officials, and in particular the flood risk in Châteaulin,” explains Vivien Caze, professor at Jean-Moulin college. Friday November 22, the latter therefore transported, as part of his moral and civic education (EMC) course, his 6th grade class to the banks of the Aulne.

An informative outing during which Éric Croguennec, head of the aquatic observatory, first reminded them of what the stone weir was for and the role of the sluice gate in the event of flooding. He also located the last major flood in Châteaulin. “It took place in 2000. In that room, there was 1.60 m of water, higher than most of you,” he notes in his office.

“Being a firefighter helps me in my work as an elected official”

With this data in mind, the college students then had an appointment at Quai du Général de Gaulle, with Jean-Pierre Juguet, deputy for works and security. “I was also a firefighter for 16 years and that helps me in my work as an elected official,” he explains to the children. “What do you do when there are floods? », asks a student. “First, I monitor the coast at the road bridge. When it reaches 1.50 m, we trigger the municipal protection plan.” In the event of a risk of flooding, Jean-Pierre Juguet says he gets up every two hours to monitor the rise in the water level on the Vigicrues site. “It’s quite stressful. However, it doesn’t last very long. Generally, within 48 hours, it returns to normal. But then there’s cleaning…”.

“Have you ever had phone outages?” », asks another student. “Yes, during storm Ciaran, we found ourselves without telephone, without electricity, without anything at all. Since then, we have purchased eight walkie-talkies to be able to communicate with elected officials and organize things,” says Jean-Pierre Juguet. Communication is, in fact, a major issue. “See the white building over there? These are the residents who are first warned in the event of flooding, because there is a car park below the building…”. Although it was a little vague before the meeting, this learning in the field allowed the students to better understand the role of the elected official in the event of a crisis.