The County of Grande Prairie and the Horse Lake First Nation have had an emergency response mutual aid agreement in place for the past 23 years, and it got stronger Monday. An expanded deal means the County no longer has to wait for a request for support, and the closest station can now respond immediately.
County Reeve Leanne Beaupre says while they’ve always worked together with surrounding communities, they’ve been working on formalizing those relationships.
“So that we each know when to respond and how to respond. The residents of the County of Grande Prairie – regardless of what boundaries you live in or what municipality you live in – really do appreciate the fact that when the fire department is needed, they are there for you.”
Hythe, Beaverlodge, and LaGlace are the closest County fire departments that can respond.
A training agreement between the two parties is still in place, and 13 residents are reportedly learning safety and suppression skills.