High schools are ready for a studious and safe start to the school year.

After doing so the day before yesterday at the Academy of Marseille, the President of the Region, Christian Estrosi, could not miss the appointment on his home ground.

Thus, it was in Nice* that he came to detail the investment measures for the 48 high schools in the Alpes-Maritimes that have already been deployed and will be in the years to come, the first of which obviously concerns security.

Not without first noting that security is a mission of the State but since it is failing, “I want our community to show initiative on these issues”—he affirmed. The regional president stated that due to the need to adapt the equipment to the current threat, €4.4 million were allocated to this plan for the year 2016 alone.

Concerning the renovation and construction of establishments, a significant intervention is planned for the CIV in Valbonne. As for the Lycée Hôtelier Paul Augier, an almost century-old flagship for training in all tourism professions, more than just a facelift is planned for it—a real and proper rejuvenation with a budget of 30 million euros over several years.

The Action Plan to Strengthen Security (5 priorities and 10 measures):

Combat Radicalization within Establishments:

-Measure 1: Ensure before hiring that new regional agents in the high schools pose no risk to students.
=> Systematically request the prefect to verify that any agent about to be hired by the Region to work in a high school is not listed as a security risk.

• Measure 2: Make 3,500 high school agents the first line of vigilance in the fight against radicalization.
  => From September, training of 600 team leaders and reception agents in high schools to detect early signs of radicalization and report suspicious behaviors.

Strengthen the Presence of Specialized Teams Near Establishments:

• Measure 3: Increase the number of safety mediators by 30%.
  => +33 agents, totaling 142 mediators, at a cost of €1 million per year.
• Measure 4: Recruitment of a security expert. This is a first in France. It will be a senior law enforcement official who will take up duties in the coming weeks.

A Cyber-Security System:

• Measure 5: Deploy an autonomous video protection system connected to the municipal CSU. For municipalities without a CSU, a CSR (Regional Surveillance Center) in the Region’s Houses. Installation of 242 additional cameras in establishments for an investment of €1.2 million. At the start of the 2017 school year, 100% of high schools will be fully equipped with cameras.
• Measure 6: Equip all establishments with differentiated alarms to distinguish a fire alarm from an intrusion alarm. 21 installations from today for €1 million and by the next school year all establishments will be equipped. Alert buttons will be directly connected to law enforcement.

Strengthen Building Security:

• Measure 7: Define a safety charter for school buildings that allows for improved construction and restructuring of establishments and management of flows, entrances, and exits.
• Measure 8: Accelerate the work program of the regional high schools’ safety plan by reinforcing the safety level requirements.

Coordinated Means:

• Measure 9: Secure private establishments under contract with the State for those who wish.
• Establish a regional fund to support municipalities’ video surveillance to support Mayors and especially to improve the safety of the area around their school establishments.
• Measure 10: Establish a regional security and delinquency prevention committee in high schools. It will be installed at the end of September and will coordinate our actions with those of the State and the two academies.