Toulouse equips itself with drones to anticipate the risks of building collapses
At the start of the year, four buildings in downtown Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), located rue d’Austerlitz, behind Place Wilson and the former UGC cinema, were destroyed. Dilapidated, they threatened to collapse and would become the subject of a danger decree since 2014, proof that these files can take time. “Toulouse’s hypercentre is a very old buildingwith the Garonne which is often not very far away, which also has an impact on the foundations”, recalls Claire Nison, elected municipal official in charge of building safety in particular.
This dedicated service communicates with residents to encourage them to report any problems and offers free inspection services. ” After what happened in Marseille in 2018, statistics made a connection. The idea is to undertake work before the danger is too serious, ”underlines the elected official. Last year, 112 reports were recorded and 8 urgent security procedures were implemented.
The ally of firefighters
In order to go further in prevention, the City of Toulouse has just equipped itself with two drones, including one equipped with a thermal camera, to inspect roofs and inaccessible areas, thus becoming “the only city in France to have its own service equipped with drones, under management”, underlines Claire Nison.
“This new tool is not a gimmick. The firefighters, who will train our agents in piloting, use it in the event of a fire, for example. » The two motors, who also monitor flooding on the banks of the Garonne, should therefore come into operation in the spring. And the service will suffice, with three recruitments planned this year, then four next year.