Fire Department Open House helps residents prep for 72-hour emergency

photos by Stephen Dafoe

The Morinville Fire Department held an open house at the Don Found Fire Station on 100 Street on Wednesday night during Emergency Preparedness Week, which runs until May 11.

Prior to the mid-week event, Brad Boddez, Morinville’s fire chief and manager of community safety services, told MorinvilleNews.com the idea of the event was to promote home and family education on preparing for an emergency or disaster by making an emergency preparedness kit to sustain a family for 72 hours. 

The two-hour open house gave Morinville residents an opportunity to win a 72-hour emergency kit, see Morinville’s fire equipment up close, and talk to members of the fire department.

The Fire Chief explained that emergency preparedness kits are essential across the province in the event of wildfires, flooding, or tornados, as well as in cases of long-term power or heating outages or the need to evacuate one’s home. “I think a key thing when it comes to emergency preparedness is that we never seem to do the whole preparedness part,” he said prior to the event, noting that the time to make a kit ready to go is before the emergency arrives. “We need to get into that habit of getting things done ahead of time so when the emergency does happen, we don’t have to think about it; we’re ready to go. Because, during that time, you’re not going to have time to get ready.”

The free drop-in event drew a solid group of people of all ages. Below are some photos from Wednesday night’s open house.

Three-and-a-half-year-old Theodore East stands on the bumper deck of Morinville Fire Department’s Ladder 4 during an open house at the Don Found fire Station on Wed. May 8. Emergency Preparedness Week ran May 5 to 11, and the Morinville Fire Department open house promoted helping families prepare for a 72-hour emergency. – Stephen Dafoe Photo

Walter Smith, who turns three in June, may still be far too young to drive, but it didn’t stop him from pretending to take the wheel of Morinville’s Ladder 4 during an open house at the Don Found fire Station on Wed. May 8. – Stephen Dafoe Photo

A trio of Dalmatians attended the open house at the Don Found Fire Station in Morinville during Emergency Preparedness Week. – Stephen Dafoe Photo

Attendees at the Morinville fire Department open house had the opportunity to learn about what goes into a 72-hour emergency kit. – Stephen Dafoe Photos