The Ministry of Culture, owner of 89 buildings of worship, including 87 cathedrals, has made an inventory of security systems and proposed a plan «cathedral security», with 2 million euros, which will come in addition to the appropriations devoted next year to their conservation and restoration.
The Ministry of Culture, owner of 89 buildings of worship, including 87 cathedrals, has made an inventory of security systems and proposed a plan «cathedral security», with 2 million euros, which will come in addition to the appropriations devoted next year to their conservation and restoration.
The objective of this action plan, drawn up by the Heritage Inspectorate of the General Directorate of Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, in conjunction with the Bishops' Conference of France, is to specify the measures to be implemented by the various actors in the ministry (DRAC, Architects of Buildings of France, Curators of historical monuments, etc.).
This goes beyond simple regulatory requirements. It will complement the action of the security commissions which are mainly interested in the conditions of reception of the public and will ensure a follow-up of all the cathedrals.
These constructive, material, technical and organisational provisions will cover the following eight areas:
- limit the risk of hatching by paying particular attention to electrical installations and procedures implemented during work, particularly by hot spot.
- reduce the risk of development and spread of a disaster by implementing constructive, technical and organizational provisions adapted to the specificities of each building;
- facilitate the action of firefighters
- maintain privileged relations with the emergency services;
- to regulate the conditions of operation of the various activities, particularly in the cultural context, in order to ensure public safety and clarify the responsibilities of each party;
- reduce the consequences of a disaster by setting up a plan to safeguard cultural property in particular;
- strengthen the training of stakeholders on fire safety issues;
- implement management tools and organizational measures.
“I made the decision, the day after the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, to request a very precise inventory of each cathedral in France. Today, these controls are carried out every five years, but I wanted an update that could lead to the definition of an action plan to bring the best in this area.”
- Franck Riester, Minister of Culture
