Honoured to serve the community for 65 years

Strathcona County is celebrating Emergency Services staff and commemorating the department’s 65 anniversary, with a video highlighting the high level of care and excellent service that keeps the community safe.

The anniversary comes as Emergency Services develops a 10-year master plan with service standards and a risk assessment for the community. And, while reflecting on the progress over the last 65 years, Strathcona County Council recognizes there are also current challenges particularly those related to emergency medical services.

“We are very proud of our first responders. We recognize they are working under challenging circumstances that must be addressed, and we are advocating for them,” says Mayor Rod Frank. “While the overall system is under strain, we also need to ensure our local service level is considered. Our responders should be available, in our community, when there’s a call for fire or medical emergency support. Council has a strong desire to work with other elected officials and levels of government to deliver the best level of service for our residents and ensure continuous care and attention towards programs that support our staff.”

Strathcona County Emergency Services has a strong, rich history that started in 1956. Sherwood Park's first fire brigade began with dedicated men and women volunteers. What started out as responding from Chief Wayne Stanyer’s two-car garage has grown into a sophisticated and fully integrated service department operating out of four full-time stations and two part-time stations. 

Strathcona County Emergency Services has 245 staff including 153 full-time firefighter/paramedics; 29 part-time firefighters; 14 full-time and six part-time emergency communication staff; and 43 administrative/headquarters staff.

The County’s integrated service means all its firefighters are also paramedics. The dually trained members provide a more efficient response and can work seamlessly together on calls. Fire trucks are also advanced life support, which means they can provide an advanced level of patient care to our residents. However, there is risk with an increased reliance on medical fire response that they are not available for fire and rescue response.

In addition to response and dispatch, Emergency Services plays a significant role in community safety including fire prevention, investigation and education. It leads the Emergency Management Agency on behalf of the County to coordinate the response to large scale disasters, the pandemic and preparedness.

Watch the 65 anniversary video: https://www.strathcona.ca/council-county/history-and-heritage/themes/emergency-services-history/

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Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595