A reinforced departmental reserve to respond to major crises

The departmental crisis management reserve of Alpes-Maritimes will count 229 volunteer agents in 2026. This mobilization will strengthen the department’s organization in the face of major events that regularly affect the territory.

The Alpes-Maritimes department presented the new class of the departmental crisis management reserve. This team now has 229 volunteer agents. This increase marks a step forward in the strategy to prepare for major events that regularly affect the territory. The presentation took place in the presence of the department president, also president of SDIS 06, and Christophe Picard, director general of services and head of the crisis management unit.

The creation of a departmental reserve is part of a context marked by successive crises. The territory has experienced violent episodes, whether natural, health-related or caused by human acts. The 2015 floods, Storm Alex in 2020 and Aline in 2023, terrorist attacks and the Covid-19 crisis highlighted the need for a structured and responsive approach.

In 2022, a Crisis Management Unit was established under the authority of the Director General of Services. This structure’s mission is to support departmental departments when exceptional events disrupt their operations. The first mobilizations showed that the continuity of public services also depends on a human force capable of intervening quickly. The creation of a departmental reserve was born from this finding.

The president of the Alpes-Maritimes department, Charles Ange Ginésy, recalled the purpose of this initiative. « In the Alpes-Maritimes, we know that the beauty of our territory is also a responsibility. We live on magnificent land, but exposed to natural and human challenges. The tragedies we have just experienced, from the 2015 floods to Storm Alex in 2020, remind us of something essential: in a catastrophe, the true strength of a territory is that of the women and men who choose not to leave when everything shakes. With this departmental crisis management reserve, we wanted to give substance to this spirit of solidarity and service. Today, 229 women and men are ready to act for the people of Alpes-Maritimes when the situation requires it. Their commitment is not just technical reinforcement, it is the sign of a human community that refuses fatalism and chooses collective service. In a world of tensions and uncertainty, this civic commitment is an asset. It is the symbol of a community patriotism, rooted, carrying values of solidarity and service. I want to tell these committed individuals of my pride and recognition. Their commitment is, in the Alpes-Maritimes, the promise that we will never be alone facing storms and trials. »

This statement places the reserve within a broader vision. Crisis management does not rest solely on technical systems. It also relies on collective mobilization and on a capacity to act in situations where usual landmarks disappear.

An increase driven by agent commitment

The first class of the reserve, launched in 2025, had 155 volunteers. The 2026 class therefore brings together more agents. This progression reflects strong internal momentum. Agents who join the reserve wish to contribute to the protection of the territory and the maintenance of essential services. Their role is to intervene in support of departmental departments affected by a crisis.

The reserve is not intended to replace specialized services. It provides support when events disrupt normal organization. Reserve members can be mobilized for various missions: logistics, coordination, public reception, administrative support or participation in emergency operations. Their training aims to guarantee intervention consistent with field needs.

This mobilization testifies to a deep attachment to the territory. It also illustrates the department’s desire to structure an organized and available human response. The reserve becomes a tool for continuity. It makes it possible to maintain essential services when crises weaken operational capacities.

The 2026 class marks a milestone. It confirms that the approach initiated in 2022 finds lasting resonance. The departmental reserve is now part of the institutional landscape.