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 had been the subject of a danger order since 2014, proof that these files can take time.
"The hypercentre of Toulouse is a very old building, with the Garonne which is often not very far, which also has an impact on the foundations", recalls Claire Nison, elected municipal official in charge in particular of building safety.
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, the statistics jumped.
The idea is to start 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 machines, which will also monitor the flooding of the banks of the Garonne, should thus come into operation in the spring.
And the service will be strengthened, with three recruitments planned this year, then four next year.