Emergency Information

Information on this page is designed to help you and your loved ones in the event of an emergency. As an added precaution, we urge residents to familiarize themselves with the Town evacuation plan and to prepare car and home emergency supply kits.

If you have any questions, please contact the Annapolis Royal Town Hall:

Street Address: 285 St. George Street, Annapolis Royal, NS
Mailing Address: Box 310, Annapolis Royal, NS B0S 1A0
Phone: (902) 532-2043
Fax: (902) 532-7443

General e-mail: admin@annapolisroyal.com

Comfort Station: (902) 532-0556
NOTE: This telephone is answered only in the event that a decision is made to set up a comfort station to deal with an emergency situation.

Types of Emergencies

Hurricane / Windstorm / Snow
During the winter months, severe weather conditions often occur in this area including heavy snowfalls, ice storms, and severe winds. Long-term power outages resulting from these conditions can cause severe hardship.

During the hurricane season, Nova Scotia often receives the tail end of these furies. The procession of hurricanes up the Atlantic coast in the summer of 1995 demonstrates how helpless we are to the whims of nature.

Flood
Damage by wind and snow can be complicated by the action of our local tides. During flooding, the low areas are the most vunerable and can result in houses being completely destroyed and basements requiring extensive repairs due to damage by salt water.

Fire
The Annapolis Royal Fire Department responds to approximately 80 calls a year. The majority of these alarms are considered minor, i.e. chimney and grass fires. However, there is potential for a large-scale fire in the downtown core and in other large buildings located in the Town. Some of these buildings, if not physically connected, are in close proximity to each other. Many of these buildings are older, and their construction (wood frame) makes for easy fire-spread.

Explosion
Some restaurants in Annapolis Royal use propane gas as their principal means of food preparation. Though the use of propane under normal circumstances is safe, accidents can rupture storage tanks, valves, or feed lines. An out-of-control vehicle in the back lanes of Annapolis Royal could cause an explosion. An accident involving a propane delivery truck could prove catastrophic.

Construction Accident
Heavy snowfalls, frequent changes in occupancy, and building fatigue might place undue stress on buildings and contribute to their collapse. Other disastrous occurrences, such as, flood, fire, or explosion might jeopardize the stability of any structure.

Transportation Accidents Involving Hazardous Materials / Road
Annapolis Royal is quite a distance from a major highway, but this does not mean that the Town would be unaffected if there was a major accident involving dangerous substances. Uncontrolled, these substances may pose a serious threat to public health and safety.

Transportation / Water
A spill in the Bay of Fundy from a marine disaster could wash into the Annapolis Basin and area, creating an environmental problem. Dangerous cargo (i.e. hazardous goods) on a ship in distress could threaten the Town with a toxic cloud since the prevailing winds generally blow into Town from this direction. Fortunately, we are not on the world's major shipping lanes, therefore the chance of this event is slight.

Transportation / Air
Although there are no major airports in the area, but it can been seen that there are a number of planes in the skies over the Town on any given day. There are also many personal aircraft in the area, and in recent years some of these planes have had problems and one has made a crash landing.

Power Failure
There are many situations that might result in the cessation of power, including an act of terrorism. However severe winds or a winter ice storm are more likely causes. Power outages can last several days or even weeks. In cold weather this would cause considerable hardship to the community.

Epidemic
With the weakening effects of antibiotics on bacteria, and the ease with which disease can be carried throughout the world by air travel, the potential for an epidemic increases daily. The near release of Ebola-Zaire into the environment at Reston, Virginia, in 1989 shows how vulnerable we really are; this virus was transmitted as an airborne agent, similar to the Influenza Epidemic of 1918-19 (20 million deaths), or Asian Flu of 1968-69. Fortunately, the Reston Strain only affected monkeys. Even more recently (Summer 1995), the Ebola Virus in Zaire caused public health concern worldwide.

Emergency Kits

You probably have most of the items for the kit handy. The kit should include the following items:
  • "Special needs" items for any member of your household (infant formula or items for people with disabilities or older people);
  • First aid supplies (bandages, adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic towellets, assorted safety pins, cleansing agent or soap, cold pack, eyewash solution, cotton swabs, disposable gloves and face shield, gauze pads, hydrogen peroxide, lip balm, and prescription medications);
  • A change of clothing for each household member (footwear as well);
  • Candles and matches or lighter;
  • A sleeping bag or bedroll for each member;
  • Flashlight and batteries;
  • Battery-powered radio or television and extra batteries;
  • Duct tape;
  • Non-perishable food (this should be replaced every year);
  • Bottled water;
  • Whistle;
  • Playing cards or games;
  • Toilet paper and other personal care supplies;
  • Basic tools (hammer, pliers/wrench, screwdriver set, assortment of fasteners, work gloves);
  • Extra car and house keys;
  • Some cash/ traveler's cheques and copies of important family documents (birth certificates, passports and licenses).
  • Copies of essential documents - such as powers of attorney, birth and marriage certificates, insurance policies, life insurance beneficiary designations and a copy of your will - should also be kept in a safe location outside your home. Keeping these in a safe deposit box or the home of a friend or family member who lives out of Town is a good idea.
Emergency equipment you should have in your car
  • Shovel Ice scraper and brush
  • Sand, salt or kitty litter; traction mats
  • Booster cables
  • Tow chain
  • Methyl hydrate (for fuel line and windshield de-icing)
  • First-aid kit
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Flashlight
  • Road maps
  • Warning light or road flares
  • Emergency food pack
  • Extra clothing and Footwear
  • Cloth or roll of paper towels
  • Axe or hatchet
  • Compass
  • Matches and a "survival" candle in a deep can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
  • Blanket (special "survival" blankets)