Magnum Photos Blog

Featured Essays 

Inside Paris' Rescue Operational Center 

October 20, 2016 
by Jean Gaumy 
In a secret underground location in Paris, France, an operational team is working 24/7 in crisis management rooms, ready for any exceptional catastrophe in the city. The team, trained to react to emergencies and equipped with the latest technology, have managed the operation since 2011, well before the Paris attacks of 2015. It is from this centre that all operations following the triple attacks of 13th November were managed. Each Saturday, staff undertake training exercises recreating real-life conditions, in order to solve complex operational situations and improve synergy between different services taking part in the crisis management of the Parisian metropolitan area. On October 1, Jean Gaumy photographed firemen and doctors present during a training exercise. The scenario of the exercise, which was revealed at the last minute, consisted in the simulation of simultaneous terrorist attacks targeting kindergarten schools.

<a href='http://pro.magnumphotos.com/Package/2K1HRGP9A6RK' target='_blank'>Click here</a> to view images.