Protective Services in the County of Vermilion River had a full and demanding year in 2025, responding to hundreds of calls while continuing training, emergency planning and community engagement across the region.

Figures released by the County’s Protective Services department highlight the scope of work handled by fire services, peace officers, bylaw enforcement and emergency management teams throughout the year.

Fire Services Respond to 500 Calls

County of Vermilion River fire services responded to 500 calls for service in 2025. These figures reflect calls within the County and do not include responses within the Town of Vermilion or the Villages of Kitscoty, Marwayne and Paradise Valley.

Fire-related calls included:

• 115 medical calls

• 108 motor vehicle collisions

• 58 outside fires

• 68 mutual aid responses

• 46 assistance calls

• 36 alarm responses

• 13 rescues

• 10 structure fires

• 5 hazardous materials incidents

• 5 smoke investigations

• 5 air or rail incidents

• 3 electrical hazards

• 1 vehicle fire

Fire services also issued 949 fire permits during the year, reflecting continued activity across rural and agricultural areas.

Fire protection across the County is supported by multiple departments, including Blackfoot Fire and Rescue, Dewberry Fire & Rescue, Kitscoty Fire Department, Paradise Valley Fire Department and the Vermilion Fire & Rescue Society.

Public Safety Handles Nearly 300 Calls

Public Safety services, which include Peace Officers and Bylaw Officers, responded to 297 calls for service in 2025. These figures do not include routine patrols, traffic warnings or infrastructure protection duties.

Public Safety call breakdown included:

• 83 municipal bylaw matters

• 51 Traffic Safety Act-related calls

• 43 provincial matters

• 36 requests for public assistance

• 21 animal control calls

• 16 school bus and school zone patrols

• 14 Commissioner of Oaths services

• 9 assists to other agencies

• 8 parks and recreation issues

• 5 joint force operations

• 4 wildlife-related calls

• 3 crime prevention activities

• 2 off-highway vehicle incidents

• 2 local election-related duties

Emergency Management Monitors 131 Events

Emergency Management teams monitored 131 events throughout 2025, supporting coordination and response during a wide range of situations.

Those events included:

• 40 transportation-related incidents

• 27 extreme weather events

• 19 health-related events

• 16 communication-related incidents

• 14 other events

• 6 RCMP alerts

• 6 utility-related incidents

• 2 agricultural events

• 1 infrastructure-related incident

Emergency Management also works closely with Alberta Emergency Alert to ensure timely information reaches residents when needed.

County officials note that behind the numbers are countless hours of preparation, training, and collaboration, all aimed at keeping residents safe and informed throughout the year.