The Lycée Saint-Louis, located in the sixth arrondissement of Paris, hosts the headquarters of the Civil Protection volunteers during the Olympic Games, a veritable second Olympic village. This exceptional system organizes the transport of thousands of volunteers to more than 70 sites.
Published
Reading time: 2 min
:quality(50)/2024/08/05/1000031544-66b0d7256ad79449891098.jpg)
Inside the Lycée Saint-Louis in Paris’s sixth arrondissement, the sounds of students in the courtyard have disappeared. Volunteers in fluorescent orange and navy blue jumpsuits have taken up residence in the school during the Paris Olympics: “This is the Olympic village of civil protectionsays Florian, a volunteer. This is our little home.”
These are more than 1 200 volunteers from all over France and mobilized on more than 70 sites who live together to the rhythm of the tests and the missions. Danièle, a net of laundry on her back, takes hers to heart: she is a laundress.I spend ten to twelve hours a day here taking care of this laundry. I wash it, I dry it and I bring it back here, she explains. We still realize that we are participating, even very modestly, in these Games which are extraordinary.”
:quality(50)/2024/08/05/1000031557-66b0d72573985758613839.jpg)
Just behind, the groups parade to the canteen. Martine is having lunch with fellow rescuers, her eyes glued to the big screen. “Everything is Olympic, we eat Olympic, we dress Olympic, we live Olympic, it’s an enthusiasm, it’s madness. We no longer have any notion of time and place. We are in an entire team and we only live in relation to our missions. As I say, it’s Olympian.”
The days are very busy and the missions vary every day. Nicolas comes from Chalon-sur-Saône. He tells, moved, his experience at the Olympic swimming pool, right at the edge of the pool.
“We were able to see Léon Marchand win his two medals. It was magical. Experiencing the Games means helping people when they need it and also participating in the general emotion.”
Nicolas, a volunteer for Civil Protectionto franceinfo
At the command post, Maël spends his day in front of an Excel spreadsheet to assign the 1,200 volunteers to the different sites.I am replacing some rescue workers who were unavailable at the last minute. We are going to requisition some reserve rescue workers.”he says.
:quality(50)/2024/08/05/1000031559-66b0d7256a679015225957.jpg)
The stocks to be managed on the site are significant. Several thousand bottles of water or cold packs. From ““First aid by passion” for Alexandre, delighted with his work. And as another volunteer says : “In five years, when we are asked what we did during the Games, we will have a great answer!”
Report by Lise Ross-Weil at the Civil Protection HQ for the Olympic Games