Anticipating and managing heatwaves with the municipal reserve
Heatwaves are becoming more and more frequent in France and are putting municipalities to the test: risks to the health of the elderly, isolation of vulnerable populations, tensions on water resources and organization of municipal services.
Faced with these challenges, the municipal civil security reserve plays a central role. It makes it possible to quickly mobilise trained and organised volunteers to support municipal services in times of climate crisis.
What is a communal reserve?
The municipal civil security reserve is a legal mechanism allowing municipalities to form a network of volunteer citizens, supervised by the municipality.
Their mission: to provide logistical and human reinforcement in the event of a crisis (floods, storms, but also heat waves and heat waves).
The specific missions of the municipal reserve in the event of a heat wave
In hot weather, reservists can:
- To ensure courtesy visits to vulnerable people (the elderly, isolated, the sick).
- Disseminate prevention instructions : hydration, ventilation, heat protection.
- Support municipal logistics (water distribution, help in refreshment centres).
- Feedback information from the field for better crisis coordination.
Why should each municipality have a reserve?
With climate change, the question is no longer if a heat wave will hit, but when. Municipalities equipped with a municipal reserve are better prepared and more responsive.
It is also a great lever for local solidarity, which strengthens the link between citizens and the town hall.
How to organize and manage your municipal reserve effectively?
Setting up a reserve requires a clear organization : recruitment, training, planning of interventions.
This is where tools such as eBrigade, a software dedicated to the management of municipal reserves and civil security associations, come in.
With eBrigade, the municipality can:
- Manage volunteers (registrations, availability, skills).
- Quickly plan missions during a heat wave alert.
- Send instant notifications to reservists.
- Follow actions in the field in real time.
Case in point: the Bormes-les-Mimosas communal reserve
In Bormes-les-Mimosas, the Communal Civil Security Reserve (RCSC) and the Communal Forest Fire Committee (CCFF) already use eBrigade to organise and monitor all their volunteers.
Thanks to the platform, the municipality can:
- centralize the availability of volunteers,
- plan patrols and missions in periods of high risk (heat waves, fires, drought alerts),
- communicate instantly with all teams,
- Have a precise follow-up of interventions.
This feedback shows that with the right tool, citizen mobilization becomes fluid and effective, even in the face of intense climatic episodes.
Conclusion
Heatwaves will multiply in the years to come. To effectively protect their inhabitants, municipalities must anticipate and rely on well-organised municipal reserves.
Thanks to digital solutions such as eBrigade, the management of volunteers and missions becomes simple, fast and efficient. An equipped municipality is a resilient municipality.
