On March 24, 2026, the Red Deer City Council voted to ask the provincial government for more time and information before making changes to local ambulance services in Red Deer, Alberta. This move comes as the city tries to protect a service model that has been in place for over 60 years.
Alberta’s Emergency Health Services originally gave the city less than three weeks to decide whether to keep its current system or move to a new funding plan. After the city raised concerns, the province extended the deadline for this decision from March 31 to April 30, 2026.
Currently, about 194 city firefighters are also trained as paramedics and can work on both fire trucks and ambulances. If the City of Red Deer stops providing its own ambulance service, around 70 jobs could be lost and local funding for other city operations would be reduced.
Council members passed a resolution for Mayor Cindy Jefferies to join leaders from seven other Alberta communities to ask the province for clear financial information. The province claims it can provide these services for less money, but the city says it has not yet seen the data to back up those claims.
The city has until September 30, 2026, to reach a new agreement before the current contract for ambulance services expires.
