Project History
In July 2018, the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA) initiated the “Alberta Fire Services Toolkit – Planning and Emergency Response” project to support Alberta’s Fire Services. As part of this project, the AFCA, through their consultant Transitional Solutions Inc. (TSI), engaged all fire departments in communities of less than 20,000 people to assess the current levels of fire service throughout the province.
TSI reached out to gather feedback from Fire Chiefs and Training Officers in Alberta through in-person meetings, telephone interviews, and web-based surveys.
These interviews and engagement efforts allowed for the collection of important information regarding Alberta’s Fire Services, which was then used to develop a guidance framework with recommendations for service levels and training standards in the province. The final document was presented to the AFCA membership at the AGM in May 2019.
Since then, the tool has continued to evolve, adding extended services each year to address emerging needs. It has also consistently updated its standards to ensure they remain in line with current best practices, further supporting Alberta’s Fire Services.
Your support was vital to producing a guidance framework that not only provides an accurate picture of Alberta’s Fire Services today but prepares them for the emergencies of tomorrow!
PROJECT GOALS
Capture the present levels of service in municipalities of less than 20,000 people.
Understand the current challenges in fire service delivery.
Outline how levels of service are defined and how departments staff and train to meet the service commitment.
Determine if training levels are meeting or exceeding the actual need and if there are challenges in delivering training.
AREAS OF DISCUSSION
Department Profile
Staffing
Fire Department Organization
Level of Service and Budget
Standard Operating Guidelines
Training and Certification
Apparatus and Equipment
Where have we been?
