Fire services are provided to Lethbridge County through contracts with local emergency services departments. Use the menu below to learn more.
What's the big deal with false alarms?
The County’s contracted fire departments respond to many false alarms at homes, businesses, and farms.
What is a false alarm?
These happen when a fire alarm system is not working properly and sends an alert to 911. The fire department is dispatched to respond. When they arrive, firefighters will inspect the property to determine if there is a fire.
In Lethbridge County, fire departments respond to all false alarms. This is to ensure the safety of everyone on the property.
Why are false alarms harmful?
Emergency responders must treat every call as genuine. They prioritize their response, regardless of the nature of the call. When fire departments respond to false alarms, it puts themselves and the public at increased risk, as equipment and personnel urgently respond. False alarms also cause firefighters and their equipment to be unavailable for legitimate calls. And, because our contracted fire departments bill the County for attending calls, false alarms can also be costly.
For businesses, repeated false alarms put employees and customers at risk. If these are a regular occurrence, complacency can build, delaying response and evacuation in the event of a real emergency. They can also affect efficiency and profitability, as operations are paused while firefighters search the building to check for fire or smoke.
What happens if there is a false alarm on a property in the County?
To reduce the frequency of false alarms, the County has implemented a procedure for fire departments to follow. On the first false alarm, firefighters will educate the property owner or building manager on the importance of having a properly maintained fire alarm system. For subsequent false alarms, the property owner may be billed for the response.
How can I prevent false alarms on my property?
Most false alarms can be prevented by understanding your fire alarm system and maintaining it. If you are unsure how to do this, visit the GetPrepared website or call your closest fire department on their direct line (not 911) for guidance.
Fewer false alarms reduce risks to businesses, residents, and firefighters by improving available response for other emergency calls. It is important that everyone takes time to prevent false alarms as they are costly and add unnecessary risk. The County thanks the public for their cooperation in keeping our community safe.
Fire Departments
Click the links to learn more about the fire departments that operate within Lethbridge County:
Fire Bans
Please visit https://www.lethcounty.ca/p/fire-bans for information on the current fire ban status.
Learn more about how the County determines when a Fire Ban, Restriction, or Advisory should be implemented:
Fire Inspections
Regular fire inspections are an important aspect of ensuring public safety in non-residential and specified residential buildings in Lethbridge County. If you are the owner or business operator of this type of building, you will receive an inspection by a qualified Fire Safety Codes Officer who is authorized in Lethbridge County.
All industrial, commercial, and public assembly buildings will be inspected. Single-family dwellings and buildings identified as “Farm Buildings” in accordance with the Alberta Building Code are exempt.
If your building requires an inspection, you will be contacted by a Safety Codes Officer to arrange the inspection. Once it is complete, the Officer will work with you to help resolve any non-compliant items and ensure your building meets the Alberta Fire Code. Cooperation between business owners and the Safety Codes Officer is essential to ensure buildings are safe for occupants, the public, and emergency responders.
To help prepare for your inspection, we have created a pre-inspection checklist that may identify any areas of non-compliance that can be addressed.
- Click to view: Fire Pre-Inspection Checklist
Fire Prevention
- FireSmart: learn how to protect your home and property with simple fire prevention steps
- Sparky.org: interactive fire prevention activities and games for children