The PPMS, explained to parents
The Plan particulier de mise en sûreté (PPMS) is the document every French school and educational institution must keep up to date. Since the circular of June 8, 2023, the "major risks" PPMS and the "attack-intrusion" PPMS are merged into a single unified document, according to Éduscol, the Ministry of Education's portal.
In practice, the school must organise at least two PPMS drills a year, in addition to fire drills: one in September-October, the other before the winter holidays (February-March), each covering a different aspect. Your children therefore already know, in principle, what to do: shelter in a room, move away from windows, or evacuate as instructed by a staff member.
Why not to pick up your child
This is the most counterintuitive point, and one of the best documented by school districts that inform families about the PPMS. Three reasons come up systematically:
- Your child is already safe. The school follows its plan and knows where its students are.
- You expose yourself, and you expose them. Driving or walking towards the school during an ongoing event (flooding, intrusion, industrial accident) can be more dangerous than staying where you are.
- You hinder the emergency response. A crowd of parents outside a school complicates the work of firefighters, police or teachers. Similarly, you're asked not to phone the school during the alert, so as not to tie up the lines emergency services need.
Géorisques gives a concrete example in its individual safety plan guide: in heavy rain, the right reflex is precisely not to leave home to pick up children from school.
Talking about risks by age
| Age | What works |
|---|---|
| Preschool, primary | Concrete information, not scenarios: the sound of the smoke detector (with the test button), the name of a meeting place. |
| Middle school | A real role in the family plan ("you take the cat", "you meet your sister at point B"), which builds responsibility without scaring. |
| High school | Life-saving basics (basic first aid) and the reasoning behind official instructions, so they follow them even in your absence. |
In all cases, the goal isn't to frighten but to make the child capable of acting: a child who knows what to do is calmer, not more anxious.
What a child should know by heart
Their full address
Including the town, useful if they need to give it to an adult who doesn't know them.
A parent's phone number
Learned by heart, not just saved in a phone that could be dead or absent.
The name of the family meeting point
The one you chose in your family safety plan.
Mistakes to avoid
- Rushing to school during the alert. This is the reflex to remember: the school handles it, you wait for official information.
- Phoning the school during the event. The switchboard needs to stay free for emergency services and management.
- Never practising at home. The school drills twice a year; the household rarely does.
- Describing detailed, anxiety-inducing scenarios. A child needs to know what to do, not every way a situation could go wrong.
A place for each child in the household plan
LASTLINE doesn't replace the school's PPMS. Within the family, the app can help you:
- add each child to the household, with a simple status to confirm ("safe");
- assign them a role in the family plan, suited to their age;
- keep emergency contacts and the meeting point in the same place as the rest of the household.
A child's status must be confirmed by an adult: LASTLINE doesn't replace a parent's vigilance.
Add my children to my householdFrequently asked questions
Can I go pick up my child from school during an alert?
No, this isn't recommended. The school follows its PPMS and keeps students safe on site. Travelling exposes you, exposes your child, and hinders the emergency response. Authorities also ask that you not phone the school, to avoid tying up the lines.
Is the PPMS mandatory in schools?
Yes. Since the circular of June 8, 2023, every school and educational institution must have a unified PPMS, covering both major risks and the attack-intrusion threat, with at least two drills a year.
How do I talk to a child about risks without scaring them?
By giving concrete information rather than disaster scenarios: the sound of the smoke detector, the name of the meeting point, a parent's phone number. A child who knows their role is reassured, not anxious.
What should a child know by heart?
Their full address, a parent's first name and phone number, and the name of the family meeting point. From primary school age, they can also know their own role in the family plan.
Sources
- Éduscol (Ministry of Education), Ensuring the safety of schools and establishments, February 2026.
- Géorisques, The individual safety plan.
In a real alert affecting a school, always follow instructions communicated directly by the school or the authorities.