Fire Services

Westlock County Fire Services exists to provide fire protection with five individual volunteer fire departments located around the County. The Fire Services Department has one full-time County Fire Chief, five District Chiefs and over 90 volunteer fire fighters. The members are continually training to improve their skills. Westlock County emergency services are delivered within the county border serving all ratepayers. In the event of an emergency, please call 911 for dispatch of our nearest fire department listed below.

Hall 1 – Fawcett Fire Department

Hall 2 – Jarvie Fire Department

Hall 4 – Clyde Rural Fire Department

Hall 5 – Pickardville Fire Department

Hall 6 – Busby Fire Department

The County funds the entire operation with assistance in the way of fund raising by the volunteers within their departments, donations; each department has a fire hall, fire unit(s) and equipment. Westlock County Fire Services strives to provide our residents with safety education; including fire prevention information and fire smart training. We are proud of our child education program, which offers the traveling “Glenn Latimer” fire safety house that travels to schools and different events within the County.

Fire Services Key Contacts

John Biro

Manager of Protective Services

780-307-0530

Email John

Faye Doblanko

Protective Services Coordinator

780-307-0579

Email Faye

Emergency: 911

Westlock County Fire 780-349-3346

For more information, view the Fire Protection Bylaw

Recruitment

Join our team!! If you want to help people, work well with others, enjoy learning and are physically fit, you may be an ideal candidate as a volunteer with the Westlock County Fire Services.

Minimum Requirements

Must possess a valid class 5 Driver’s License and submit a current driver’s abstract with application.
Must obtain a security clearance including vulnerable sector check from the RCMP.
Must be able to perform physical duties as part of fire fighting.
Must be able to obtain the required levels of training when courses are available.
Must be available for 75% of practices
Must be able to obtain a cell phone

Please contact the Westlock County Office for more information and to apply.

Fire Advisory Notice

Watch the Alberta Fire Bans website for information on fire restrictions.

Always know your location and Dial 911 for any emergency!

NOTICE: FIRE RESTRICTION IN EFFECT JULY 11, 2024.

July 11, 2024 Update

A fire restriction is in effect for Westlock County Fire Protection Area, due to hot and dry conditions.

Under this advisory:

- All existing fire permits remain valid.

- No new fire permits will be issued.

Permitted:

- Safe wood campfires in managed campground within county jurisdiction.

- Backyard fire pits

- Portable propane fire pits

- Gas or propane stoves and barbecues

- Catalytic or infrared style heaters

Prohibited:

- Any burning without a valid fire permit, other than a campfire.

- No person shall light an outdoor fire or charcoal briquettes on public land, including land in the backcountry .

- Fireworks and Exploding Target.

- Burn Barrels.

Supervise and extinguish all fires during hot dry conditions. If you are burning you SHALL have water, and extinguishing equipment handy and ready. It is recommended that all burn permits that were previously issued be checked, to ensure that they are out and not cause a spring grass fire.

Westlock County urges everyone to use extreme caution when working or driving in grassy areas, be mindful of hot exhaust and keep vehicles clean and free of debris as smoldering debris can fall off and start fires.

Fire Restrictions will remain in effect until conditions improve.

Always know your location and Dial 911 for any emergency!

Fire Restriction Map

Fire Permit Application

The Fire Permit Program allows the Westlock County Fire Services to take a proactive approach to fire safety and education.

All residents must have a fire permit before lighting any fires (please see Fire Protection Bylaws for more information).
You must either come to the County Office or contact the Fire Guardian closest to the potential burn site as listed below.
An application for approval to conduct open burning will need to be completed by the registered property owner for insurance purpose before contacting the Fire Guardian.
Fire permits are issued year round within our county with the exception of ‘Fire Season’ when Westlock County Protection Services may have restrictions or bans in effect.

In the northern region of Westlock County we have a Forest Protection Area (as outlined in Gold or referred to as the Golden Zone) and permits must be obtained by contacting Lac la Biche Forest Area at 780-623-5388 following Provincial Bylaws and Regulations.

Online Fire Permit Application available here!

Fire Protection Bylaw 06-2020

Other Permit Applications

Fireworks Application

In addition to the Online Fire Permit application, before you purchase Fireworks, you must complete a Purchase and Discharge Application Form available here or at Westlock County Office BEFORE you contact the Fire Guardians and they will co-ordinate the best time to inspect site allowing time for you to complete the checklist and advise neighbours of the time and date.

NOTE: Low Hazard Family Fireworks are prohibited without permits and will not be issued in populated areas, due to disturbance and safety (Community Events are Exempt with Special Previsions).

Fireworks Safety Tips - Canada Safety Council

Purchase and Discharge Application Form

Peat Burning Application

An application for a Fire Permit for burning Peat must be made on or before March 31st in a given calendar year. Fire Permits authorizing Peat burning shall only be issued between July 1st and August 31st. A Permit for burning Peat will be issued for 30 days and may be extended for a maximum of an additional 21 days with approval from the County Fire Chief.

Peat Burning Application

Fire Guardians

Free FireSmart Assessments

County residents and businesses are invited to sign up for a free FireSmart Assessment.

FireSmart Assessments reduce the risk of wildfires on private property and the surrounding community and are available spring through fall.

As part of the assessment process, a member of Regional Fire Services:

Visits your property checking for wildfire hazards on the exterior of buildings and your surrounding property,
Provides a customized, detailed report with findings from the assessment,
Provides practical tips to make your property safer from the risk of wildfires

Assessments could take up to two hours to complete, depending on area and the property owner is recommended to be present during the assessment.

Once the property owner completes mitigation work on their property, they can schedule to have a follow-up assessment completed by Regional Fire Service.

Yield to Green Lights

Seconds Count for First Responders

For those of us in rural and smaller urban areas, we receive our fire protection from volunteers, who often respond to emergencies in their own private vehicles. Seconds count in a fire or rescue situation and time lost enroute from a traffic congestion can make the difference.

Please Yield to Green Lights Flashing

When you see the GREEN LIGHT, please be courteous and yield the right-of-way and let them through. The Green Light gives the firefighters no special privileges when responding to an emergency. It is used only as an identifier to the drivers of other vehicles so that they may give up their right-of-way and allow the firefighter to get to the emergency unimpeded.

Fire Safety Resources

Most fires and fire deaths in Canadian homes are caused by cooking or smoking:

Seniors aged 75 years and older have the highest risk of dying in home fires.
Thirty per cent of all fires involved homes and 67 per cent of all fire deaths happened in homes.
Most home fires occur in one- and two-family dwellings, and this partly reflects their higher proportion in the housing stock.
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home-fire injuries.
Kitchens are the leading area of origin for home fires (22 per cent) and civilian home fire injuries (29 per cent).
Just eight per cent of home fires started in the living room/family room; these fires caused 33 per cent of home fire deaths and 17 per cent of home fire injuries.
Nine per cent of reported home fires started in the bedroom. These fires caused 20 per cent of home fire deaths and 21 per cent of home-fire injuries.
Smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths.

Information source: http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/statisticsbysubject/Demography/PopulationEstimates.aspx