Moncton fire department urges residents to have emergency kits

MONCTON – The Moncton Fire Chief is advising residents to prepare personal emergency kits in the case first-responders can’t help them right away.

Chief Eric Arsenault says sometimes severe weather can keep fire fighters from responding to calls.

“There comes a point where emergency responders cannot leave their quarters and go to peoples’ help,” he said.

The Chief says people should prepare personal emergency kits good for 72 hours in case that happens.

“We talk about water, non perishable food, we talk about items in the kit that maintains communication like battery operated radios or crank radios,” he said. “Mother Nature is reminding us that when she decides to be nasty to us we have to be prepared for anything that may come our way.”

New Brunswickers have had to deal with a lot of severe weather this winter. Ice storms cut power to thousands of homes. Flooding has blocked roadways and major snowstorms kept emergency crews off the streets.

Yvon Hachey is a volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross. He says people should start with a basic kit and add personal items to fit their needs. He says the kit can help others through the worst.

“You don’t want to take resources away from the immediate emergency needs and by you being better prepared it helps the community better serve the emergency needs first,” he said.