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Preamble:
WHEREAS Fire services in rural municipalities across Alberta are experiencing increasing demands related to fire suppression, rescue, medical response, and emergency management; and
WHEREAS many rural fire departments depend on paid on-call (POC) firefighters, whose recruitment, retention, and competency rely on accessible and consistent training opportunities; and
WHEREAS the Fire Service Training Program (FSTP) grant provides essential funding for training but is limited in both overall funding levels and eligible expenditures; and
WHEREAS current grant guidelines do not permit funding for POC firefighter wages during training or for full-time instructor wages, despite these being critical components of effective training delivery; and
WHEREAS compensating firefighters and instructors for training time is essential to maintaining operational readiness, safety, and compliance with provincial standards;
Operative Clause:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) advocate to the Government of Alberta (GOA) to increase funding for the Fire Service Training Program grant to better reflect the growing scope, frequency, and cost of fire service training;
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the RMA advocate to the GOA to amend the grant eligibility guidelines to include wages for paid on-call firefighters attending approved training, and wages for full-time fire service instructors delivering approved training.
Member Background:
Rural fire departments face unique challenges in maintaining training standards due to geographic distance, limited staffing, and increasing service demands. Many fire departments rely heavily on Paid On-Call personnel who must often forego other employment income to attend training. Without compensation, participation in training can be a barrier to recruitment and retention.
In addition, high-quality training requires qualified instructors, whose time and expertise represent a significant cost. Full-time instructor wages are currently not supported under existing Fire Service Training Program (FSTP) grant guidelines. This limits departments’ ability to fund consistent and standardized training aligned with provincial expectations.
Enhancing both the funding levels and eligible expenditures under the FSTP would directly improve training accessibility, firefighter competency, and overall emergency response capability in rural Alberta.
Alberta’s municipalities rely on local fire services to deliver critical emergency response. Ensuring that fire departments are properly trained is essential to public safety, responder safety, and effective incident management.
Previous advocacy efforts have highlighted funding gaps in fire services, particularly in rural and volunteer/paid on-call based departments. Expanding the FSTP would align provincial support with the operational realities of modern fire service delivery and support sustainable emergency services across Alberta.
References
Government of Alberta Website – Emergency preparedness, disaster response and public safety – Emergency Responders
RMA Background:
1-24S: Declining Fire Department Services Across Rural Alberta
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate to the Government of Alberta to collaborate with the Government of Canada and Fire Underwriters Survey to assist municipalities to retain fire services by recruiting firefighters and addressing the declining fire department services across rural Alberta.
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