fire truck

Fire personnel are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to emergencies. Several areas provide support including training, equipment, technology, mapping, data and analytics, and accreditation.

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is 1 of only 9 internationally accredited fire departments in Canada as of March 2020. Our world-class services include:

  • Emergency response communications
  • Fire suppression
  • Technical rescues 
  • Responses to life-threatening medical situations
  • Hazardous materials response
  • Watercraft response on the river
  • Fire prevention programs and public education initiatives
  • Emergency management and planning

Join our Team

With one of the best training programs in the country, we ensure our personnel are equipped with the skills they need to succeed throughout their careers. Do you want to be part of an innovative, caring, committed, community-minded team? Join our team and help make Edmonton one of Canada's most livable and safe cities!

Fire Rescue Operations

Fire Rescue Operations

Fire Rescue Operations provides front-line firefighting response to a range of emergency events, including:

  • All fire events (structure, non-structure, industrial, vehicle and wildland interface)
  • Life threatening medical events in support of Alberta Health Services
  • Motor vehicle collisions, technical rescues, industrial rescues, river response calls, static ice calls, citizen assist calls, animal rescues and regional mutual aid
  • High hazard rail, industrial and commercial emergency events while administering the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) program

After leaving the fire station, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services first responders are targeted to be on scene within 4 minutes travel time to initiate emergency medical or fire rescue services. In the case of a fire, a crew of 16 firefighters is targeted to be on scene within 8 minutes travel time.

Hazardous Materials Team

The Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT) responds to any release that poses a hazard to people (life), property or the environment. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Biological agent releases
  • Compressed cylinder failures including propane, acetylene and Chlorine
  • Cargo tank truck rollovers
  • Chemical spills and leaks at industrial sites
  • Radiological and explosion events
  • Second alarm fires to measure and monitor air quality

The team responds out of Fire Station 10, where specialty trucks and equipment (including a self-sufficient, mobile decontamination unit) are available.

Current training is customized to meet the vast needs of the region and industries surrounding it, and exceeds National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) specifications.

HAZMAT also supports central and northern Alberta and Northwest Territories by responding to incidents, providing expertise and technical equipment as requested by individual municipalities, and is supported by all levels of government.

Water Rescue

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services has specialized water and ice rescue teams. Water Rescue training is provided to personnel to safely and effectively perform rescues in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers in all environmental conditions, including ice rescues.

The North Saskatchewan River is serviced with a specialized watercraft and supports rescues when ice and ice floes are not present.

Technical Rescue Team

Edmonton Fire Rescue Services' Technical Rescue Team (TRT) operates out of Fire Station 3. In addition to their regular fire crew duties, the team also serves to respond to TRT-related events where they act in a support or specialty role. They are generally dispatched to trench collapse, confined space and heavy lifting events.

The team currently operates within 8 distinct disciplines, including:

  • Confined space
  • Embankment rescue
  • Heavy lifting
  • Highlines and offsets
  • Pick-off rescues
  • Rope access
  • Structural collapse
  • Trench rescue

The TRT also supports other Alberta municipalities (when requested) by responding to incidents, providing expertise and technical equipment as requested.

Technical Services

Technical Services manages all Emergency Response Communications, call evaluations, dispatch services, public safety technology and mapping, as well as continuous improvement processes including fire accreditation and data analytics.

All 911 calls forwarded to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services are coordinated by the Emergency Communications Specialists at the Emergency Response Communications Centre (ERCC), commonly referred to as Dispatch Services.

ERCC's target is to evaluate a call within 60 seconds and dispatch fire crews within 30 seconds, 90% of the time.

Public Safety

Fire Prevention employees in Public Safety are responsible for providing services and implementing programs that help reduce the number of fires that occur in Edmonton.

Fire Investigations

Any fire or explosion that results in property damage, injury or death (as well as those considered to have been deliberately set) is thoroughly investigated by the Fire Investigation team to determine the origin, cause and circumstance(s).

When required, Fire Investigators will consult experts from other city departments, government agencies and private organizations to determine the cause of fires.

Some of the duties performed by Fire Investigations include:

  • Examining and photographing the area of the fire, preserving valuable evidence
  • Working with specially trained fire dog Grover to search the fire scene for the presence of accelerants
  • Interviewing building owners and occupants, witnesses and responding rescue crews for any information relating to the fire
  • Working with the Emergency Support Response Team (ESRT) to assist displaced persons or families
  • Liaising with insurance adjusters
  • Assisting the Edmonton Police Service whenever Fire Investigations determine that criminal activity has occurred

Learn more about how to prevent arson and what to do after a fire.

Fire Inspections

Through the City's Quality Management Plan (QMP), Fire Prevention Officers are charged with conducting an average of 16,000 inspections each year to ensure buildings in Edmonton comply with the National Fire Code (Alberta Edition), reference standards and bylaws.

The QMP also includes all other requests for services such as shut-off notices, fire drills, business licenses, occupant load calculations and Fire Safety Plan reviews.

Engineering Learning and Innovation

Engineering Learning and Innovation (ELI) strives for technical and operational innovation by providing expert opinions, engineering analysis, education, and recommendations for constant improvement for both Public Safety and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services.

Reporting to the Deputy Fire Chief of Public Safety, ELI is broken into 2 disciplines:

  1. Engineering application
  2. Learning/education

The group consists of 3 Fire Protection Engineers and 2 Safety Codes Officers who are responsible for the development, planning and coordination of technical training for Public Safety staff and partner agencies. They are also responsible for the review and application of fire and life safety standards throughout the entire development process of the City.

Public Education

Knowledge sharing is a valuable tool in enhancing fire prevention. Through lectures, Fire Prevention Officers educate the public on fire safety, arson prevention and the dangers of neglecting fire hazards. Lecture requests are reviewed by these officers to best determine if the requests meet current criteria.

Special Events

These Fire Prevention Officers assist City of Edmonton event staff in ensuring all events within the City limits meet Fire Safety Regulations.

Office of Emergency Management

The Office of Emergency Management ensures the City is prepared for, can respond to, and can recover from major emergencies. Services include:

  • Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)
  • Emergency management planning
  • Emergency management training
  • Emergency Support Response Team (ESRT)
  • Community engagement
  • Corporate business continuity planning

Training and Logistics

Services provided by Training and Logistics include:

  • Training and e-Learning
  • Fire Rescue facilities
  • Fire Rescue fleet and equipment
  • Logistical planning
  • Mental health and peer support programming
  • Physical health and wellness programming

Contact Us

Emergency

Telephone 911
TTY 780-425-1231

General Emergency Services Contacts

Telephone 311
TTY 780-944-5555
Email efrsinfo@edmonton.ca

Fire Prevention Office