On the evening of March 25, 2026, emergency crews in Red Deer, Alberta, quickly put out a fire at a building in the north part of the city. Firefighters and medical teams from Red Deer Emergency Services responded to the call in the area served by Station 3. No injuries were reported from the scene, and the crews were able to bring the situation under control shortly after arriving.
The response included several fire trucks and an ambulance unit from the station located at 100 Lees Street. This station was built in 2017 and is equipped with specialized tools like a ladder truck and a rescue unit to serve the local community. The department aims to reach emergencies within 10 minutes and usually sends 17 people to help at every building fire.
This incident occurred while the city continues to use a long-standing system where firefighters are also trained as paramedics. Members of the Red Deer Firefighters Association have provided both fire and medical care in the city since 1962. The city recently reached a new contract with these workers that increased staffing levels and provided a 12.1 percent wage increase over three years.
The City Council is currently working to protect this combined service as the provincial government reviews how ambulances are managed across Alberta. Local leaders have until the end of April 2026 to decide if they will keep the current system or change how they provide medical response. On March 24, 2026, council members voted to work with other cities to ask the province to keep the combined fire and medical teams in place.
