wandering river fire department

Athabasca County Fire Services consists of seven volunteer departments as well as services provided through partnerships with The Village of Boyle and Town of Athabasca volunteer fire departments. In addition, the County maintains mutual aid agreements with surrounding municipalities. Different departments in the County provide different services including fire suppression, road rescue, wildland urban interface response, and limited wildland suppression capabilities.

Athabasca County Fire Services is managed by the Regional Fire Chief who provides training, leadership, procurement, investigation and other forms of support to departments within the County.

If you have an emergency , dial 9-1-1 to be connected with police, fire, or ambulance services. Please take note of your location if you are calling via mobile device as dispatch will not be able to pinpoint where you are. False alarms are becoming a problem for Emergency Services everywhere because they take valuable resources away from actual emergencies, click here to find out what you can do to help minimize them.

Fire Departments

ATHABASCA FIRE RESCUE

Located within the Town of Athabasca: 4707 50 St. Athabasca, AB.

Provides fire and rescue services to the town and surrounding County area.

Fire Chief: Jason Sturrock

BAPTISTE LAKE FIRE

Hall 1 – located in the Summer Village of West Baptiste SE 33-66-24.

Hall 2 – located Baptiste Lake Emergency Service Zone (TWP Road 674 and Hwy 2).

Provides fire protection to the Summer Villages of Baptiste and Island Lake and Division 9 of Athabasca County within the Baptiste Lake Emergency Service Zone.

Fire Chief: Robert Laackmann

BOYLE FIRE RESCUE

Located in the Village of Boyle: 5122 2 St. Boyle, AB.

Provides fire and rescue services to the village and surrounding  area of Division 3 and road rescue service on Highway #63, 831, 663.

Fire Chief:  Darren Hill

CASLAN FIRE RESCUE

Located in the Hamlet of Caslan SE 21-65-17.

Provides fire and rescue services to the hamlet and the east half of Division 3 of the County and road rescue service on Hwy #663 and Hwy #855.

Fire Chief:  Jim Henson

COLINTON FIRE RESCUE

Located in the Hamlet of Colinton SW 15-65-22.

Provides fire and rescue services to the hamlet and parts of Division 1, 2, and 3 in the County and road rescue service on Highway #2.

Fire Chief:  Bruce Bretzlaff

GRASSLAND FIRE RESCUE

Located in the Hamlet of Grassland SW 28-67-18.

Provides fire and rescue services to the hamlet and parts of Division 6 and 7 in the County and road rescue service on Hwy #63 & Hwy #55.

Fire Chief:  Tim McEvoy

RICHMOND PARK FIRE

Located within Athabasca County  NE 24-68-22.

Provides fire protection to Division 9 in the County.

Fire Chief:  Mike Krawec

ROCHESTER FIRE

Located in the Hamlet of Rochester SE 24-62-24.

Provides fire and rescue services to the hamlet and Division 1 in the County.

Fire Chief:  Darren Siemens

WANDERING RIVER FIRE

Located in the Hamlet of Wandering River NE 36-71-17.

Provides fire protection to the hamlet and Division 6 in the County.

Fire Chief:  Andy Snegirev

Want to be a firefighter?

Volunteer firefighters are an important part of the community, as well as providing an important service, they attend community events to promote fire prevention and safety. Volunteers are on call (according to availability) and arrive at their fire hall before leaving to respond to emergencies.

Training covers a wide variety of subjects, including first aid, equipment maintenance, and structural firefighting. Athabasca County also maintains a fire training centre at the Athabasca Regional Airport where members train to respond to structure fires in an environment that can be adapted to a wide variety of scenarios. If you’re up to the challenge, start by completing and submitting the application below.

ACFS Application

Regional Emergency Response Plan

Athabasca County’s Regional Emergency Response Plan engages all community stakeholders, from the Town of Athabasca, Village of Boyle, the summer villages, emergency services, local industries, and government agencies. The plan was developed in consultation with Emergency Response Management Consulting and is an “all hazards” approach.

The Emergency Planning Committee manages and maintains the plan to keep pace with changes in the region.

View the   Emergency Response Plan .

Wildfire Prevention

Athabasca County works closely with Alberta Forestry’s Wildfire Management Department to manage and mitigate wildfire risks. We use the strategies below to help manage wildfire risks in The County:

• Mutual aid agreements with neighbouring municipalities, the province, and industrial fire departments.
• Including wildfire management in our Regional Emergency Response Plan .
• Ensuring our fire permit program complies with the provincial Fire Permit Guidelines Manual. This means that residents and businesses must obtain permission from County officials before any controlled burning is allowed.
• Maintaining a FireSmart program to educate residents about the risks of Wildfires and how to prevent them.
• Ensuring that senior members of County fire departments complete provincially endorsed coursework in wildfire management.
• Using a ground infrared scanning system for the detection and response to hold-over winter burning.

To check out more about FireSmart, check out their  website and Facebook page , or visit them on Twitter  @FireSmart Canada . To learn about world class wildfire research going on in Alberta, check out FP Innovations . Click on the image below to learn more about Alberta’s wildfire prevention and management initiatives. You can also check them out on Twitter @AlbertaWildfire and on Facebook .

You can also check our Safe Burning information page if you have a planned burn scheduled.

Regional Fire Training Centre

Athabasca County’s Regional Fire Training Centre gives firefighters in the region an opportunity to hone their skills in a controlled environment. The facility was built in 2015, at the Athabasca Regional Airport and enables training with building searches, ventilation, and interior attack. The two-story, modular structure is unique because the interior walls and doors can be easily moved into a variety of configurations allowing instructors to provide new challenges to members as they train.

False Alarms

Silencing the panel is not enough.

False alarms are not only a drain on resources and personnel but they can take personnel away from a real emergency.

Security and Fire alarm systems are becoming a more popular item for homeowners to protect their homes, businesses, and belongings. When used correctly these systems are a valuable tool for protecting your property.

Remember that Police, Fire and EMS must treat all alarm calls as a genuine emergency until proven otherwise.  False alarms are not only a drain on resources and personnel but they also may take personnel away from real emergencies.

Should your alarm system go off when there is no emergency, remember that turning off or silencing the system at the control panel only stops the alarm from going off at your property. A chain of events has already been set in motion.

Police, fire, or ambulance have been notified and may already be on their way to your location. Any time an emergency response vehicle is travelling with lights and sirens there is an element of risk to the responders and the public.

In most cases, after silencing the alarm panel, you must call your alarm company to advise them that you have had a false alarm. The alarm company will then contact first responders through appropriate channels to advise them of the false alarm.

By doing your part to reduce false alarm calls you are helping reduce the burden on our first responders.

Fire Services Statistics

Click on image to enlarge it.

Fire Services Review

The Athabasca County Fire Services Review expects to provide guidance and ensure that the area’s fire service providers are well positioned to achieve a service that meets the community’s expectations. That goal is achievable using modern methods, policy development, sound business & financial practices, and cooperative implementation and service efforts from all parties.

Read the Fire Services Review here.

Fire services masterplan.

Athabasca County Fire Services delivers an essential public service, helping make Athabasca County a safer place to live, work, and play. The services provided by Athabasca County Fire Services are essential in responding to fire, rescue, and emergency situations, fire prevention, public education, and in responding to life threatening emergency medical situations in an assistance role. The role and expectations placed on Athabasca County Fire Service has also evolved to include responding to disasters when requested and fostering increased positive partnerships both inside and outside of our County borders.

The Fire Services Masterplan contains key recommendations that were determined through the Fire Services Review.

The Fire Services Masterplan can be read here.

Apply for a Permit

Main Office: 780-675-2273   |   Toll Free: 1-844-662-2273

County Office: 3602 – 48th Avenue, Athabasca, AB T9S 1M8

Staff Resources Sitemap Privacy Statement

Visit the link for updates on the Jackfish/Camping Lake Fire Click Here

Wandering River Fire Department

• Edit source
• 1.1 Fire Station - 5006 53rd Street
• 2 External Links
• 3 Station Map

Apparatus Roster [ ]

Fire station - 5006 53rd street [ ].

• Rescue 6-1 (671) - 2007 GMC C5500 4x4 / Pierce walk-around (Ex-?)
• (603) - 1990 GMC brush
• (605) - 1991 GMC TopKick / Superior pumper (625 front-mount/1000) (SN#SE 1200)
• (606) - 1994 Ford F-700 / Wabash tanker
• (655) - 2015 Ford F-350 command/wildland
• (672) - 2006 Spartan Gladiator Classic LFD / Superior pumper (1250 top-mount enclosed/500/30A/CAFS) (SN#SE3630?) (Ex- Calgary Fire Department )
• 2001 Ford F-550XL SD 4x4 4-dr / Profire walk-around rescue (Ex- Elkford Fire Department ; purchased October 27, 2021 from City auction)

External Links [ ]

• Friends of Wandering River Fire Department Facebook page

Station Map [ ]

• Friends of Wandering River Fire Department
• Wandering River, AB

2024 Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment 🔥🧯🚒 Wandering Friends department is recruiting Volunteer Firefighters to help serve our community & highways. 👩🏼‍🚒 👨🏼‍🚒

Happy New Year From Your Wandering River Fire Department. 🚒 Have a safe & healthy 2024.

Please be safe this New Year's Eve! 🎆

Please join the WRFD in wishing Deputy Fire Chief Charlie a very Happy Birthday! Thank you for your years of service to the community!

Merry Christmas from your WRFD! May everyone have a safe & happy holiday! 🎅🏻 🧑‍🚒

Merry Christmas Eve! We hope everyone stays safe over the holidays. 🎅🏻 👨🏼‍🚒

As you deck the halls this holiday season, be firesmart. A small fire that spreads to a Christmas tree can grow large very quickly. Follow these safety tips and more at nfpa.org/holiday

Please be advised that emergency crews currently have a portion of Highway 663 closed West of Highway 63 due to a vehicle collision.

Please stay safe on the ice!

Some information to consider before making your way out on the ice.

Please join us in wishing WRFD Chief Andy Snegirev a very Happy Birthday! 🎂 🥳

Heads up!! ⚠️

This Thursday, Dec. 7, motorists should be prepared for delays travelling northbound on Highway 63. A large piece of industrial equipment weighing 483,000 kilograms and carried by a trailer with 352 wheels is being moved north. Due to its large size and weight, it will only travel at 60 km/h and will use the entire width of the highway, including the shoulder. For the most up-to-date road information and traffic delays call 511. Read the provincial news release for more: https://ow.ly/iwkV50QfjBE

Did you know that many smoke detectors come with a built-in, non-replaceable 10-year battery? If your alarm beeps to signal a low battery, it's time for a new smoke detector. Stay safe this !

FYI- This is for travelers, as I'm sure all of our resident's have already noticed. Wandering River / Breynat/ plamondon & areas currently has no power. ⚠️ ⚠️

(UPDATE: The affected area has opened up to single lane traffic for an undetermined amount of time.) Please be advised that Highway 63 at Township Road 674 is currently closed due to an accident on the road. Crews are currently on scene.

⚠️ Vehicle accident hwy 63 near to km 66. No further information at this time. Roads are slick. Please drive with caution. ⚠️

⚠️ Vehicle accident northbound near to km 66. Emergency Services are enroute. ⚠️

We would like to remind everyone that winter is upon us. That white stuff falling from the sky is going to make the roads wet & slippery! Please remember that when your driving. Use care. Caution and that little extra time that's required so Emergency Services don't have to come and hangout with you. Keep safe out there! ❄️

Do you know what to do if you see a flashing green light? The lights are meant to signal to other motorists that this is a volunteer firefighter, who is responding to an emergency. By pulling over, you allow the firefighter to get to the station/emergency quicker so that they can help someone in need.

⚠️ Vehicle accident hwy 63 NB near to km 74. Please give emergency Services room to work and slow down. ⚠️

⚠️ Emergency Services on scene at a vehicle rollover. Hwy 63 SB near km15. Please keep slow and to the left when passing. ⚠️

The WRFD has send a huge shout out to their friends at Boyle Fire Rescue for putting on a STARS Ambulance training course for first responders! And another thanks for the great food you provided! These partnerships are what keep us all safe!

School is back in session tomorrow morning! We want to make sure that all of students have a safe and happy return to class, so if you're driving, please make sure to slow down in school zones, and watch carefully for pedestrians. See you tomorrow!

The WRFD was very happy to be invited to the parade today at the Riverbank Golf & RV Park as well as Mountain Creek Estates! A huge shout out for the pancake breakfast given to the volunteer firefighters today! Wishing everyone a incredible and safe Canada Day! 🇨🇦

Have A Safe & Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦

Join us in wishing a very Happy Birthday to WRFD firefighter #616 (RS). Thanks for your dedication and service to our community!

"Smoke is causing poor air quality and reduced visibility at times throughout the day. Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour. Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations. Continue to take actions to protect your health and reduce exposure to smoke."

Current values and forecast maximums

(Fire Hall Interstate Located At) 5006 53rd Street Wandering River, Athabasca County Wandering River , AB T0A

facebook.com

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Friends of Wandering River Fire Department posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe

• Contact The Business

Send a message to Friends of Wandering River Fire Department:

WRFD would like to thank the 2 good Samaritans (Daniel was the one name we got) who stopped and helped put out the fire out along hwy 63 NB by km68. Without these two great people this fire would have quickly moved into the trees. Remember that cigarette butts are dangerous especially this time of year, please put yout butts out properly! Be safe out there !

WRFD would like to remind motorists that passing emergency vehicles with emergency equipment is illegal. These responders know what and where they are going. This truck was traveling to conditions at the posted speed limit or slightly above and there was no need to pass. Please show the respect. You don't know if there is a collision just over the next rise that you may barrel into!

THE ROLLING BARRAGE PTSD AWARENESS

Thanks for coming to our town! We got your 6!

The Rolling Barrage leaving Wandering River!! Thank you for stoping in our community & thank you for making an awareness! #therollingbarrage #wanderingriveralberta

The Rolling Barrage for PTSD arriving into Wandering River 🏍 #therollingbarrage #wanderingriveralberta

Do not pass

Can't believe we have to say this, but please DO NOT PASS EMERGENCY VEHICLES that are driving to a call. There is a reason they aren't doing 130kph!!

Southern Ab structure Fire

WRFD sends good wishes to the Airdrie & Crossfield Fire Departments as they are currently battling a large structure Fire at the Highline Mushroom farm in Crossfield. Be safe! Hope all the employees got out and their jobs can be saved!

WRFD in action

A little video compilation from some recent calls & activities! Your WRFD is always working hard for you! We are currently opening two (2) spots for new members! Come and join our team! PERFECT way to give back to the community!

WRFD attending the duck race at the Riverbank Golf & RV Park ⛳ 🏌️‍♂️

We tested the Air raid siren at the Father’s Day breakfast!

• Claim ownership or report listing

Want your business to be the top-listed Government Service in Wandering River?

•  Fire station

Nearby government services

Wandering River Library

Other Wandering River government services

• Best of Town&Country: Vote Now!
• Join Our Newsletters
• Post a Listing
• Your Listings
• Your Profile
• Your Subscriptions
• Your Business
• Payment History
• Sign up for Daily Headlines
• Sign up for Notifications

New fire chief for Wandering River

• Share by Email
• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share via Text Message

ATHABASCA – Despite an attempt to have it removed from the agenda beforehand, Athabasca County made the appointment of Maureen Kirby to fire chief of the Wandering River Fire Department official at its March 31 council meeting. 

Before the agenda for the meeting was approved, Coun. Tracy Holland requested the removal of that particular item but was defeated in a 4-5 vote, after it was called to question. Later in the meeting when that item came up Holland expressed concerns about the process and length of the appointment, wondering where it is specified that it is a temporary appointment. 

“I'm pretty confused about this and wondering, is this not something that normally the crew, the volunteers, would choose who their chief should be, and did that take place?” she said. 

Interim CAO Dawn Phillips, who is also director of agriculture and community services which oversees the county’s fire services, clarified the deputy chief had been asked to fill in when Gary Cromwell, who is now a county councillor stepped away from the position, but he declined. At that point a vote among the members of the fire hall took place, and Kirby was selected to fill in. 

“Administration does recommend that we have a chief in place,” she said. “The deputy chief may be away and we'd like to have a chief or deputy chief on scene, just for liability and accountability and to have somebody in charge … It was stated that it could be for several months, we feel that we need to have a chief in place, so as the director of ag and community services, my recommendation is that council ratify this and appoint her and if it needs to change, if it needs further discussion down the road, we would bring it back.” 

Reeve Brian Hall noted the appointment of the new fire chief was the ratification of a request from the fire hall, as per their election, not a selection by council. 

“I guess I would like to see that in writing from the hall,” Holland replied. 

“I could print out the e-mail if you're doubting whether or not I followed through as director of my department,” Phillips said. “I find it a little insulting honestly.” 

“I think we have to trust administration when they tell us they’ve received instruction from the fire hall,” said Hall. 

Holland replied she didn’t mean to be insulting but intends to do her due diligence as a councillor. 

“We're asked to do something that is supposed to have been a temporary situation, we're given limited information, and it’s our due diligence to ensure that everything is in place. It shouldn't be taken as an insult. It should be commended that we're actually meeting to make sure that we're doing everything according to what they want in their writing,” Holland said. 

Philips reiterated she had reached out to the hall as their supervisor and said she would find the e-mail. 

A motion to appoint Kirby to the position of Wandering River fire chief was carried with a similar 5-4 vote. 

[email protected]

This has been shared 0 times

This story was important to me or our community: view results >.

• Oldest Newest

More Local News

• See a typo/mistake?
• Have a story/tip?

Sign up for our FREE Daily Headlines Newsletter

• Vote for Lakeland's BEST 2024
• Join Our Newsletters
• Post a Listing
• Your Listings
• Your Profile
• Your Subscriptions
• Your Business
• Payment History
• Sign up for Daily Headlines
• Sign up for Notifications
• Lac La Biche News

Wandering River gets funding help

• Share by Email
• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share via Text Message

About the Author: Rob McKinley

This has been shared 0 times

This story was important to me or our community: view results >, more lac la biche news.

• See a typo/mistake?
• Have a story/tip?

Sign up for our FREE Daily Headlines Newsletter