Description

GardAuFeu project was born from the wish of the Gard Department Council to adapt the study case NimetPasLeFeu  - a ComMod process about fire risk management in Nîmes Métropole Urban Community - to a new territory: the one of 'Les Cevennes', in Alès and Le Vigan' sectors. It started in 2009 within the framework of the Interreg IVB Sudoe European project. The Gard Department Council enlisted Lisode agency to develop it. Then, it is the first ComMod process led by a private agency. Michel Etienne, referent researcher on NimetPasLeFeu project and senior member of ComMod association, helped Lisode to take over from the first project and to further develop the method.

This study case presentation was made at the end of Lisode's work. However, the project will continue to be developed, thanks to a transfer of skills allowing members of the Gard Department Council to conduct alone all GardAuFeu workshops.

The project was broken down into seven phases: La démarche s'est déroulée en 7 temps :

On Alès' sector (24 towns and 4 district organisations has been currently involved):

1. Designing and testing with local stakeholders a computer-assisted role playing game, called 'GardAuFeu - Alès', to simulate the fire risk management in Ales' sector of 'Les Cevennes' territory. This step lasts for 4 workshops with the same stakeholders: elected representatives, private and public local organisations. It has been the occasion for Michel Etienne to transfer ARDI methodology to Lisode.
 2. Setting-up of 4 workshops based on 'GardAuFeu - Alès' game and conducted by Lisode and members of the Gard Department Council to stimulate collective discussions on local fire risk management. Workshops were addressed to different elected representatives of local towns and they took place in different localities. It has been the occasion for Lisode to transfer workshop' monitoring skill to members of the Gard Department Council.

 3. Setting-up of 2 more workshops conducted by members of the Gard Department Council alone.

On Le Vigan' sector (7 towns and 3 district organisations has been currently involved):

4. Designing and testing with local stakeholders a computer-assisted role playing game, based on 'GardAuFeu - Alès' but adapted to the new geographic sector and called 'GardAuFeu - Le Vigan'. This step lasts for 3 workshops bringing together elected representatives, private and public local organisations.
 
 5. New workshops based on 'GardAuFeu - Le Vigan' and addressed to different elected representatives of local towns will be conducted by members of the Gard Department Council alone.

On the all project (31 towns and 7 district organisations has been currently involved):

6. Assessing participants' feedbacks by individual interviews of all elected representatives' involved.

7. Editing a guide to help participants to link concrete actions to the theoretical projects evocated in the game.

Most of the participants found these workshops useful for the meetings that they created and for the quality of exchange that they allowed. This project also highlights the interest to link fire risk management to a more global vision of town' politics. For example, it has been suggested by participants that links between fire risk management and farming, town-planning and citizen education should be enforced.