The Official Moncton, NB Project Thread

[adamuptownsj]

How many house or apartment fires happen a year in Moncton? If it's anywhere like the rest of the country, there's fewer fires now than in the 70s- raw, not just per capita. Maybe stop sending a fire truck to every overdose. That's a terrible misuse of an expensive resource.

[C_Boy]

From Moncton Firefighters FB Page in regards to 2022 emergency calls:

"In the last twelve months, firefighters from the five city fire stations have completed 11,542 unit responses to 7,023 emergency calls. This amounts to another record breaking year.

Among those emergencies, there were 606 Alarms, 201 Structural Fires, 1,202 Non Structural Fires, and 790 Motor Vehicle Collisions. Moncton Firefighters also responded to many medical assistance requests, gas leaks, off-road and water rescues, and emergency public service calls"

Obviously, like all other public services strained by overdoses, there still are not enough services for all of the emergencies from a city that has doubled since the 70s and has the same staffing. Even if you removed the new social issues that the city is dealing with.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Maybe stop sending a fire truck to every overdose. That's a terrible misuse of an expensive resource.

The thing is that the fire department can be the first on scene (even before the paramedics get there). This can make the difference between life and death in terms of reversing an opioid overdose with Narcan. Firefighters with appropriate training are perfectly capable of administering Narcan.

[Riberview]

Originally Posted by C_Boy

There's definitely some political fluff not to scare anyone, especially the elected officials... but I can tell you that the fire department as well as other city services have nowhere near kept up with the growing city. You would be shocked if you knew how bad it is. Often there are no, or little resources available. Even one active house fire in the city all but drains the city resources. And that's usually not running with ideal personnel on that scene just so there can be a little bit left for other calls. Let alone a high-rise incident that requires far more resources than your typical bungalow.

amen.

Response time standards aren't being met currently, let alone with any future growth. And I'm talking the CITY'S arbitrary number of something roughly close to "4 minutes to 80 percent of the city, 80 percent of the time."

That is light years worse than any actual firefighting standard. How do you think the folks in Rural Estates feel about that number, now that they're paying for services..

You referenced the resources being drained for a house fire. That's actually sort of a best of worst case scenario. What if one of those older 3 storey walk up apartments has a problem? Well there's a standard there as well, that is nowhere near being met. Nevermind ANY of the new 6 storey plus buildings.

There just aren't enough staff, period.

Fortunately the equipment deficit is being chipped away at. Unfortunately the staffing deficit is a harder sell, for some reason.

I would encourage everyone to watch this video, and then remember there are 21 firefighters on duty today in the city.

https://youtu.be/G9qmMhtNGEs

[Riberview]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The thing is that the fire department can be the first on scene (even before the paramedics get there). This can make the difference between life and death in terms of reversing an opioid overdose with Narcan. Firefighters with appropriate training are perfectly capable of administering Narcan.

Fact.

And this is the case for four to sixteen overdose calls per day. But yes, by all means stop sending the first responders. While the ambulance is potentially 2 hours away.

And I wish I was joking.

[adamuptownsj]

Is there no more efficient way to bring junkies back to life every two hours that doesn't involve using fire protection services? This is a wild misallocation of resources that simply didn't exist 20 years ago, population changes aside. A full crew and a fire truck dispatched to often-predictable locations to do a relatively safe thing this often must place a bigger strain on resources than population growth.

Plus you will NEVER have any municipal department, particularly fire or police, say 'we don't need any more staff, any extra budget, or new equipment.' You simply won't.

[Riberview]

Well, they did open that safe injection site at the corner of Gordon & Weldon Streets.

So now the fire department and ambulance and police go there regularly in addition to Albert St, St George St, Mark Ave, and quite literally every single point in between.

I am certain the powers that be would be open to suggestions.

There have been suggestions a smaller response vehicle could be used for medical calls. Riverview has one and Dieppe has one at both stations.

The issue with this is these stations have 4-5 firefighters on duty, and when 2 go on the medical response, 1 or 2 are called in on overtime to backfill the position to ensure the engine or ladder is adequately staffed.

This overtime model wouldn't work in Moncton for a variety of reasons.

You could staff a small truck per station, but then you need 10 more firefighters per shift, times four shifts.

I would caution against suggesting taking 2 off an engine or truck company 16 times a day, that essentially puts that apparatus out of service, when they're already into response time issues with the current level.

Also remember this crew of 4 on the apparatus are going to the other medical calls as well.

Many hands make the cardiac arrest call run a fair bit smoother, especially considering again the ambulance is potentially very very delayed, through no fault of the medics.

Again I'm sure they're open to suggestions.

[adamuptownsj]

We should perhaps start arresting narcan recipients for their own safety instead of bringing them back to live every GAME OVER like video game characters. This is a horrendous use of fire services.

Waterloo St has similarly become a constant emergency services trade convention since getting its 'safe injection site'. Safe for who? Local often low-income residents with drug addicts in their yards and vestibules? Businesses that literally can't offer seating or washrooms to customers? The addicts themselves, who require gigantic civic expenditure and misallocation of resources- on the front (injection site) and back (narcan so they can continue to use the injection site) ends?

The 'harm mitigation' strategy of providing a byzantine and expensive set of parallel bespoke services to enable constant injection drug use until death is not working in anyone's best interest. It's killing people, ruining already-rough neighbourhoods, and taxing all emergency services to the limit. Everyone involved deserves better.

[Bishop2047]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

We should perhaps start arresting narcan recipients for their own safety instead of bringing them back to live every GAME OVER like video game characters. This is a horrendous use of fire services.

Waterloo St has similarly become a constant emergency services trade convention since getting its 'safe injection site'. Safe for who? Local often low-income residents with drug addicts in their yards and vestibules? Businesses that literally can't offer seating or washrooms to customers? The addicts themselves, who require gigantic civic expenditure and misallocation of resources- on the front (injection site) and back (narcan so they can continue to use the injection site) ends?

The 'harm mitigation' strategy of providing a byzantine and expensive set of parallel bespoke services to enable constant injection drug use until death is not working in anyone's best interest. It's killing people, ruining already-rough neighbourhoods, and taxing all emergency services to the limit. Everyone involved deserves better.

As one of the overly taxed emergency workers, I would have to disagree with some of your points.

People who chose drugs to escape or cope or whatever are going to use drugs. They will use them regardless of whether there is a clean needle available or a used one. They will use in an abandoned building or a semi-sterile safe injection site. The long term costs of Hebetitis/HIV/AIDs far outweigh that of even frequent Narcan doses, and responder's time.

Safe injections sites do not make more addicts, it only concentrates them in an area, and makes the issue more visible. They were there before. What they did not have before was the access to information and treatment that you are regularly presented with when accessing a safe consumption site. Arresting these users only delays the next dose.

I am not immune to the frustration that comes with "another one of these calls" but I have to remind myself that a couple wrong turns in life and I could be right there with them.

https://ensemblegm.ca/services/#:~:text=...,Staff%20supervised%20injection%20booths

[BeeTeeOH]

Originally Posted by Bishop2047

As one of the overly taxed emergency workers, I would have to disagree with some of your points.

People who chose drugs to escape or cope or whatever are going to use drugs. They will use them regardless of whether there is a clean needle available or a used one. They will use in an abandoned building or a semi-sterile safe injection site. The long term costs of Hebetitis/HIV/AIDs far outweigh that of even frequent Narcan doses, and responder's time.

Safe injections sites do not make more addicts, it only concentrates them in an area, and makes the issue more visible. They were there before. What they did not have before was the access to information and treatment that you are regularly presented with when accessing a safe consumption site. Arresting these users only delays the next dose.

I am not immune to the frustration that comes with "another one of these calls" but I have to remind myself that a couple wrong turns in life and I could be right there with them.

https://ensemblegm.ca/services/#:~:text=...,Staff%20supervised%20injection%20booths

This is one of the most informed, and realistic responses to this "debate" I have seen in ages. Everyone wants to be an armchair Addiction Counsellor, but it's great to hear from some of the people out there doing the good work.

My wife may have seen you giving chest compressions on St. George the other day, and thanks for that. I pray that we can create a more just province where your services won't be needed, but until then I am glad you're there.

It is a shame that our urban landscapes have changed in some ways that are 'unsightly' - but any development demands that we look long and hard at one another and understand that every human being in our community is worthy of empathy and care. That's what strong communities are built on. That's the foundation we need to lay if we want to see development.

[adamuptownsj]

I can't wrap my head around how letting people spend their entire lives fried on meth screaming at people in the median, intervening only to resuscitate, sometimes multiple times a day, is caring or empathetic. Serious direct intervention is needed- not needles. Not programs. They need to be taken off the streets before they die or hurt other people.

Not knocking first responders, but this is not a tenable solution in the short term, even. Open a long term provincial psychiatric facility. Give it to whichever of Grand Lake and Woodstock doesn't get the prison.

[Mattyyy]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

I can't wrap my head around how letting people spend their entire lives fried on meth screaming at people in the median, intervening only to resuscitate, sometimes multiple times a day, is caring or empathetic. Serious direct intervention is needed- not needles. Not programs. They need to be taken off the streets before they die or hurt other people.

Not knocking first responders, but this is not a tenable solution in the short term, even. Open a long term provincial psychiatric facility. Give it to whichever of Grand Lake and Woodstock doesn't get the prison.

I couldn't agree with this more. There is a lot of sensitivity around this issue. I think the time has come for tough love and forcing people into treatment centers to deal with these issues - it is likely the only way to overcome it. Leaving them on the streets with safe injection sites may take care of risks associated with drug using, but it doesn't help with solving their addiction. While I don't disagree with the first responder above regarding safe injection and I think this could provide help in the short term - it is not a long term solution.

[adamuptownsj]

Originally Posted by Mattyyy

I couldn't agree with this more. There is a lot of sensitivity around this issue. I think the time has come for tough love and forcing people into treatment centers to deal with these issues - it is likely the only way to overcome it. Leaving them on the streets with safe injection sites may take care of risks associated with drug using, but it doesn't help with solving their addiction. While I don't disagree with the first responder above regarding safe injection and I think this could provide help in the short term - it is not a long term solution.

It's also cruel to the poor, who have to live among this. And crazy expensive- the amount of money spent by all levels of government plus NGOs to, basically, enable the current set up, must be in the billions. There's probably one 'support worker' employed for every five people on the streets. Homelessess is a business, in a sense.

No one should have to suffer a 'safe injection' site next door to their home or business. No one should have to tolerate druggies stealing their barbecue or bike. No one should be provided expansive infrastructure to do drugs all day, either.

[BlackYear]

Read a US news article a couple weeks back where some major cities are now offering free public transportation. Seems to be a trending thing. Experts were discussing the pros & cons.

Kinda wondering, what is Moncton's Codiac Transpo annual budget vs how much they collect in revenues.

Would a free year round public transportation work in Moncton? Seeing what the city growth has occurred in the past 5 years and where the city is headed in the next 5 years. Plus there was recent talk about a summer season Codiac Transpo service from Moncton to Shediac.

[MonctonRad]

Both of the greater Moncton federal cabinet ministers (Dominic LeBlanc & Ginette Pettipas-Taylor) have been recalled to Ottawa pending a federal cabinet shuffle. It will be interesting to see where they end up next.

[MonctonRad]

T&T article states that a total value of $99.1M in building permits were issued by the city of Moncton in the first six months of this year. Not that much more than Shediac ($76M), but, historically there are often more building permits issued in the fall than the spring, so it will be interesting to see the year end totals.

[Aging Hipster]

Originally Posted by BlackYear

Read a US news article a couple weeks back where some major cities are now offering free public transportation. Seems to be a trending thing. Experts were discussing the pros & cons.

Kinda wondering, what is Moncton's Codiac Transpo annual budget vs how much they collect in revenues.

Would a free year round public transportation work in Moncton? Seeing what the city growth has occurred in the past 5 years and where the city is headed in the next 5 years. Plus there was recent talk about a summer season Codiac Transpo service from Moncton to Shediac.

The good thing about free fares is that it makes getting onboard the bus really fast and easy. The downside is that it leads to people using the bus as just a place to get out of the weather. I don't think the current fare is keeping many people off the bus. It's already an excellent value compared to the true cost of running a car. I do think that fare collection could be made simpler, perhaps with a fare box that can read contactless debit and credit cards, like Toronto and New York are doing. There could be a lot more casual bus riders if the system is easier to use.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by Aging Hipster

The good thing about free fares is that it makes getting onboard the bus really fast and easy. The downside is that it leads to people using the bus as just a place to get out of the weather. I don't think the current fare is keeping many people off the bus. It's already an excellent value compared to the true cost of running a car. I do think that fare collection could be made simpler, perhaps with a fare box that can read contactless debit and credit cards, like Toronto and New York are doing. There could be a lot more casual bus riders if the system is easier to use.

I believe the Fredericton bus offers contactless pay now.

I'd argue that if you want to make the bus system more accessible give out free passes to those users that really need them and use the income from fares and passes to improve the system.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

T&T article states that a total value of $99.1M in building permits were issued by the city of Moncton in the first six months of this year. Not that much more than Shediac ($76M), but, historically there are often more building permits issued in the fall than the spring, so it will be interesting to see the year end totals.

Surprising that Moncton trails Fredericton. I'm sure that will change at some point as we approach the end of the year though.

[MonctonRad]

Moncton to consider requiring electric vehicle chargers in new developments, homes
Availability of chargers a barrier for some apartment dwellers

Sam Farley · CBC News · Posted: Aug 08, 2023 5:55 PM ADT | Last Updated: August 8
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-bruns...ic-vehicle-chargers-apartments-1.6930729

I for one think that this is a reasonable move (for new construction). In only about a dozen years time, new ICE vehicles will no longer be sold in Canada. It is time to get prepared.