A new boat for the Dieppe Fire Department to assist with Petitcodiac River rescues.

The 14-foot Zodiac was recently purchased for around $16, 000.

Deputy Chief Julian Boudreau says their previous watercraft needed to be replaced due to age, “Our new boat is is very similar in configuration to the one that was taken out of service. Our goal when buying that boat was to keep it small and light to enhance our overall water-based emergency capabilities. The reason we need it small and light is that accessing the Petitcodiac River through the mud is probably our biggest challenge when it comes to water rescue incidents. So the newer boat technology that we’ve purchased allows us to have a faster and more manoeuvrable boat with increased capacity, while at the same time maintaining its low weight to enable us to quickly deploy the boat in an emergency.”

The Dieppe Fire Department works closely with Moncton and Riverview Fire Departments if calls for reported water rescues come in.

“The boats they have are a little bit bigger than what we have. That means we are able to work well together in terms of having different capabilities. The Petitcodiac River is becoming more and more of a recreational place for people to do activities like surfing, boating, and paddling. Because of that, we need to be prepared,” Boudreau adds.

Dieppe firefighters were out on the River last week practicing and doing further training for water rescues on the Petitcodiac River.

(Photo: Contributed by Dieppe Fire Department)