The union representing firefighter-paramedics in Lethbridge, Alberta, is warning that provincial pressure to change how ambulance services are run could put public safety at risk. In a statement published on March 23, 2026, IAFF Local 237 stated that a potential move to end the city-run service model could be a matter of “life or death” for residents. The city currently employs 253 workers in roles that cover firefighting, medical response, and dispatch.
Since 1912, the city has used a system where the fire department also operates the ambulance service. This combined approach began when the fire department took over duties from the Galt Hospital more than a century ago. The union is concerned that recent provincial decisions might force the city to change or abandon this established way of working.
The warning comes as the provincial government informed municipalities they may soon be billed for the costs of using integrated firefighter-paramedics. Union president Brent Nunweiler says that changing this service could impact the quality of care in the community. This follows a new contract approved in December 2025 that was meant to improve safety and staffing for the workers who serve the city.
In recent years, local emergency services have faced other changes, including when the province moved ambulance dispatching to provincial centres in 2021. The union previously called that change a “huge blow” to the city because it moved local control to outside dispatchers. Residents and officials are now watching to see how these potential funding and service changes will affect emergency response times in the future.
