Despite a lower number of fires, County of Grande Prairie Regional fire service did see an increase in call volumes last year. Fire chief Everett Cooke attributes that to more medical co-response and motor vehicle collision calls. In his year end report to County council, Cooke said there was also a slight decrease in the number of fire permits issued last year.
“We did see over 16 hundred new permits issued for new types of burning. Â So that would be for anything from recreational fire pits through to burning hand piled brush piles for example. Â Another 14 hundred permits last year were also phoned in and renewed.”
Cooke says 2013 was also a good year for recruitment, adding they now have over 130 trained, paid on call fire fighters across their five rural stations.
