Deployment of the "Cathedral Security" plan in Île-de-France

The DRAC Île-de-France is responsible for three cathedrals in Paris: Saint-Étienne de Meaux Cathedral (Seine-et-Marne), Saint-Louis de Versailles Cathedral (Yvelines) and Saint-Denis Basilica (Seine-Saint-Denis). It is responsible for the maintenance, conservation and restoration of these cathedrals and has been driving major works since 2020. In Île-de-France, the plan is implemented by several DRAC departments: the Regional Conservation of Historic Monuments (CRMH) and the Departmental Units of Architecture and Heritage (UDAP) whose architects of the Bâtiments de France are solely responsible for security (ABF/RUS).

Basilica Saint-Denis, the nave © DRAC Île-de-France - Nicolas Thouvenin

Safety audits to prepare responses

Thanks to the recovery plan, the DRAC conducted an audit for fire safety of the three cathedrals, for an amount of nearly €100K, in order to identify and carry out the necessary work to upgrade the three monuments.

In this context, the joint consortium of two specialized preventive design offices delivered for each cathedral an audit, a fire safety master plan and operating specifications in February 2022.

• Fire Safety Audit: Audit report on fire hazards, fire safety organisation and technical facilities.

• Fire safety master plan: In addition to the audit report for each cathedral, the group made hierarchical proposals aimed at resolving the defects identified during the audit and at achieving the high level of fire safety. The most immediately feasible and effective proposals are: cleaning, removal of hazardous storage and purging of networks.

• Operating specifications for all the cathedral’s activities: these specifications define the technical and organisational measures to be implemented by the organiser at any usual or occasional events.

Actions taken since 2020

In anticipation and then following the guidelines of the fire safety master plan, the departments of the DRAC Île-de-France undertook several actions to respond to the action plan.

Saint-Louis de Versailles © DRAC Île-de-France - Nicolas Thouvenin

In order to mitigate the risk of an outbreak, DRAC services have undertaken preventive and curative maintenance of electrical and fire safety equipment.

Studies and diagnostics have also been carried out with the aim of acquiring a complete fluid knowledge and management.

Finally, in closed and independent construction sites, the hot spot work have been systematically the subject of a fire permit modified in accordance with the recommendations of the Mission Sécurité Sécurité Audit (MISSA). The frequency of unscheduled visits during work by hot spots has been increased in conjunction with the safety coordinators.

In order to reduce the risks of development and spread of a disaster, the DRAC and its services have also carried out actions to reduce the risk of disaster development and spread. In this context, a roof overlapping was prompted. A photographic campaign was carried out, and SDIS 78 (Departmental Fire and Rescue Service) made a photographic report. As part of the diagnostic study of the works entrusted to the chief architect of the historical monuments, a 3D scan was also performed. 

The attic cleaning was also undertaken. In fact, the safety audits have highlighted the dust contamination of the attic, the vertical and horizontal circulation, the premises hosting the safety bodies and the storage areas. The cleaning of these spaces, which helps to reduce the risk of outbreaks and spread, was planned in several stages. Thanks to the restoration work on the southern rose of the transept of the Saint-Denis basilica, the southern roof of the transept had been completely cleaned up in January 2021.

The cathedral of Meaux, west façade and low side © DRAC Île-de-France - Point cloud

For facilitate the action of fire-fighters, the restoration work is now the subject of a systematic filing of a safety notice, indicating in particular the measures taken during the work site to ensure the emptiness of the fire brigade access roads, access to dry columns and compensatory measures in the event of closure of emergency exits. This is why a key box dedicated to emergency services was installed in the Basilica of Saint-Denis and the Cathedral of Saint-Louis de Versailles.

In the will and necessity ofmaintain privileged relationships with emergency services, the latter are regularly solicited and participate with the DRAC in exercises.

In addition, the operating conditions will be revised by renewing the operating specifications in order tocontrol the operating conditions of the various activities.

Saint-Denis Basilica, roof and attic © DRAC Île-de-France - Nicolas Thouvenin

Finally, in order to strengthen the training of actors on fire safety issues, trainings are organized by the Centre des monuments nationaux (CMN) at the Basilica of Saint-Denis for its agents and the clergy affected and fire safety trainings have been organized by the UDAP des Yvelines at the Cathedral of Saint-Louis de Versailles for his agents and the clergy affected. For the Saint-Étienne de Meaux Cathedral, the results of the formations remain to be done.

Zoom on the work of Saint-Louis de Versailles Cathedral

The "cathedral security" plan is fully deployed for the benefit of Saint-Louis de Versailles Cathedral.

Thanks to the France Relance credits, the cathedral’s main roof is being crossed, under the mastery of the chief architect of historic monuments. Initiated in November 2022, the work was completed in March 2023. The safety audits have highlighted the dust contamination of the attic, the vertical and horizontal circulation, the premises hosting the safety bodies and the storage areas.

Saint-Louis de Versailles, attic © DRAC Île-de-France - Nicolas Thouvenin

The cleaning of these spaces, which helps to reduce the risk of outbreaks and spread, was therefore planned in several stages. Thus, the large attic and the east attic of the ambulatory where the technical room for the central fire safety source was installed were cleaned between December 2022 and January 2023. Subsequently, the lowering of the concentration of lead in these spaces made it possible to check and maintain the safety equipment in these attics.

Saint-Louis de Versailles, attic © DRAC Île-de-France - Nicolas Thouvenin

As the restoration work is now the subject of a systematic deposit of a safety notice aimed in particular at facilitating the action of fire-fighters, the SDIS 78 systematically visits the sites of the Saint-Laurent CathedralLouis de Versailles, in order to prepare a possible intervention while taking into account the provisions related to the work.  As part of the work to restore the north façade of Saint-Louis Cathedral, the SDIS organized an exercise and several site visits.

In order to reduce the consequences of a potential disaster, the Cathedral’s Cultural Property Protection Plans (CBSP) were approved by the emergency services in 2019 and 2020. Fire safety training was organized by the Yvelines UDAP for its agents and the clergy affected.

The security of the Saint-Louis de Versailles cathedral, and more generally of the cathedrals placed under the responsibility of the DRAC, mobilizes the services in human time. In addition, as part of their missions, the ABF/RUS and their teams take care to ensure the day-to-day regulatory monitoring of security, whether it is for example monitoring, preventive and curative maintenance, or event management. The DRAC also provides a financial contribution, since 22% of the annual budget devoted to the maintenance of the historical monuments allocated to the DRAC is for the safety of cathedrals. In addition, France Relance credits have made it possible to undertake several important actions, such as the intersection of the roof.

A committed action that continues...

In 2023, the DRAC continues and amplifies these actions as part of the securing of cathedrals. At Saint-Étienne de Meaux Cathedral and under the impetus of the architect of the Buildings of France, a diagnosis of strong and weak current networks will be conducted in 2023.

The black tower or south tower of Meaux Cathedral © DRAC Île-de-France - Point cloud

In the same year, a complete diagnosis of the networks of the Basilica of Saint-Denis will be entrusted to the chief architect of the historical monuments, in order to identify the deficient equipment and plan their removal and replacement. In addition, the Saint-Étienne de Meaux Cathedral and the Saint-Denis Basilica will be cleaned up during the year and a site of the collections of the Saint-Étienne Cathedral will be launched during the first semester. Finally, the Cathedral of Saint-Louis de Versailles will be the subject of a public maintenance contract, once the work of overlapping the large attic has been completed.