Government activates ORSEC amid extreme heat: hospitals under pressure

Paris – 10.07.2026: In light of an intensifying heatwave, the French government has activated the ORSEC mechanism for “extreme heat.” The decision is aimed at nationally coordinated support for prefectures, emergency services and hospitals after Météo-France placed 24 departments on the highest warning level for Saturday, 11 July. The Interior and Health Ministries are coordinating the measures together with the Regional Health Agencies (ARS).

At the end of June, the Ministry of Health had already escalated parts of the ORSAN EPI CLIM emergency plan in order to deploy personnel, transport capacity and equipment more flexibly. With the ORSEC activation now implemented, these instruments can be used in a coordinated manner: bed capacity is recorded in real time, transfers between facilities are accelerated, and additional teams are deployed for emergency care and the SAMU emergency medical service. Authorities remind municipalities and operators to open cooling centers and strictly implement protective measures in nursing homes (EHPAD).

Hospitals report rising numbers of cases involving dehydration, circulatory disorders and worsening chronic conditions, especially among older people and those with pre-existing conditions. Several facilities are postponing scheduled procedures to absorb peaks in emergency care. Hospitals are expanding cooling equipment and fans, setting up shaded waiting areas with drinking stations, and adjusting visiting hours to relieve patients and staff. Emergency services are recording high occupancy levels due to deployments in public spaces, for example at sporting activities or construction sites.

In practice, ORSEC places heat prevention on the same organizational scale as floods or major fires: prefects can temporarily restrict outdoor gatherings, adjust work in direct sunlight, and open municipal facilities — such as cooled halls — for at-risk groups. Companies and social services are asked to shift working hours, guarantee drinking breaks, and actively reach out to particularly vulnerable people. The government refers to funds announced in June for rapid purchases; their distribution to hospitals and municipalities has begun.

Public advice emphasizes simple but effective behavioral rules: drink enough, avoid physical exertion and direct sunlight around midday, cool indoor spaces, and check on neighbors. Parents and caregivers should watch for signs of heat stress — dizziness, unusual fatigue, confusion — and call emergency services in good time. According to current forecasts, temperatures will remain elevated over the next 48 to 72 hours; the situation may vary by region. The ARS are therefore continuously adjusting readiness levels and, in the event of bottlenecks, examining transfers to less burdened departments.

The authorities announce that they will keep the public continuously informed via prefectures, municipal information channels and Météo-France. The goal remains to keep emergency care stable and reduce avoidable hospital admissions until warning levels can be lowered again as expected.