A major safety challenge for the metropolis
A Resilience village helped explain the correct emergency responses to local middle schoolers in the event of a nuclear risk.
As part of the 5th edition of the Journée nationale de la Résilience, a prevention village was inaugurated on March 26 at the Zénith Live in Toulon. This event, focused on nuclear safety, was launched by the préfet du Var, accompanied by the préfet maritime de la Méditerranée. The initiative targeted middle school students in the agglomeration, in order to strengthen the culture of risk and civil safety among the youngest, ahead of a large-scale exercise.
“Toulon, as the main port of the Marine nationale, houses a naval base of strategic importance, including infrastructure related to nuclear propulsion. This specificity requires constant vigilance and rigorous preparation of the surrounding populations in the event of a potential incident,” stated Simon Babre, the préfet du Var.
It is in this context that this village de la Résilience was set up. The State representative added: “It was primarily aimed at students residing within the perimeter of the Plan Particulier d'Intervention (PPI) of the naval base. The goal is to instill from an early age the behaviors and reflexes that know how to react, and to make these young people effective information relays within their families.
By familiarizing youth with emergency protocols, the authorities intend to strengthen the collective resilience capacity of the territory in the face of major technological threats.”
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH To capture the attention of middle schoolers and ensure optimal memorization of instructions, the event was designed in the form of interactive and pedagogical workshops. Far from a formal lecture, the route offered concrete immersion into the world of civil safety. The various stands allowed students to talk with rescue and crisis management personnel (firefighters, civil safety, etc.)
and to understand the precise role of each responder in the event of an alert. The emphasis was placed on learning the right actions: how to take shelter, how to get information via official channels, what the warning signals are, and how to react. This pragmatic approach aims to defuse the fear of risk while empowering future citizens.
This village de la Résilience was not an isolated operation. It served as an essential preparatory phase for the national exercise “PPI Toulon 2026”, which took place on Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2.
“This major exercise made it possible to test in real conditions the chain of command and coordination of the various services of the State and local authorities, as well as warning and population protection procedures. By raising awareness among middle schoolers a few days beforehand, the organizers ensured that local youth were not only informed about the upcoming exercise, but also better prepared to understand its challenges and mechanisms. This synergy between educational awareness and operational simulation constitutes a cornerstone of the risk prevention policy carried out by State services in the Var,” recalled the préfet maritime de la Méditerranée on March 27, the day after the inauguration of the Village de la Résilience, during a second press conference.
With regard more specifically to the PPI TOULON 2026 exercise, he added in the presence of the Autorité de sûreté nucléaire de Défense (ASND): “The triennial nuclear exercise with a civil safety focus aims to test the emergency response plans that would be implemented in the event of a radiological event in the naval base: the plan d'urgence interne (PUI) for the naval base, and the plan particulier d'intervention (PPI) for the population.” The exercise, which meets national programming, takes place every three years in Toulon and in the three other municipalities within the scope of the PPI (La Seyne-sur-Mer, Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, and Ollioules).
It mobilizes public, civil, and military actors as well as the experts concerned by this risk.
Photos Philippe OLIVIER.