Fire Department

What are Paid On-Call Firefighters (POCF)?

POCFs get alerted to emergencies and when available, go to the station to get dressed in protective gear and then respond in our emergency vehicles to provide emergency response services.

POCFs participate in local Community activities and Fire Prevention Programs.

All POCFs receive compensation for regular weekly practices and responding to emergency incidents. POCFs train very hard, receive NFPA Level training at no cost and perform routine checks of emergency response vehicles.

When you become a member of Vegreville Fire Services, you’re not only part of a team, but a family. A family built on 100 years of trust and honour to the department and each other. Our families are as much a part of the department as the members themselves.  Members and their families take part in social activities that are essential to the comradery of any organization, but also being local citizens, these social activities are to recognize the important contributions that our members and families play in offering a Fire and Rescue capability to the local community. Members of VES work very closely with other emergency responders to ensure the highest standard of care and protection.

If you have a love for your community, a desire to commit yourself to a higher calling, and compassion to help others who are in need, you are who we are looking for.  

Applicant Requirements

• At least 18 years of age
• Live within 8-12 minutes of the station
• Can meet the minimum training requirements of 1 evening per week, and some weekends throughout the year
• Ability to respond to a minimum requirement of the emergency calls we receive
• Possession of a valid Alberta Drivers’ License and satisfactory driving record; and 
• A clear criminal record check
• Regular attendance at weekly fire practices (Wednesday evenings)
• Satisfactory Emergency Incident  attendance
• Attendance at additional training events (evenings and weekends as offered)
• Ability to wear heavy gear and masks
• Able to effectively communicate in stressful/emergency situations

What We Do

• Property and wildland fires in the town and county
• Extrication of people trapped in vehicles, machinery, trenches and buildings
• High/Low-angle and confined space incidents
• Medical assistance with Provincial EMS Services
• Hazardous materials spills

Training & Specializations

• International/pro-board firefighter certification training– NFPA 1001 including HAZMAT, vehicle extrication, and interior structural attack
• Standard First Aid (higher level may be offered periodically)
• Public education specialist experience and training
• Fire Investigation
• Safety Codes Officer (business compliance)
• High/Low Angle Rope Rescue
• Confined Space Entry

How To Apply

For more information on the process or to apply for an Intake Package, contact the Vegreville Emergency Services Building at 780-632-2254 or email us at vfd@vegreville.com.

 

Mission

We are a highly skilled Emergency Services Team protecting life, property and the environment, ensuring the safety and well-being of the citizens of Vegreville and surrounding region.  

Vision

In 2020, the citizens of this diverse and ever-expanding region are confident that our model Emergency Services Team will protect life, property and environmental needs. 

Core Values

Vegreville Emergency Services believes:

• That an inclusive community can be realized through mutual respect; 
• That individual and collective integrity are the cornerstones in a solid foundation of community confidence in our abilities; 
• That compassion is the foremost human quality driving our response efforts; 
• That the foundation of our organization is the trust we have in ourselves and others; 
• That professionalism is the key to building a strong and unified team. 

The Public Education and Fire Prevention Branch of Vegreville Emergency Services operates out of Station #1, 5100-60 Street, and consists of a Public Education Captain and 12 Safety Codes Officers. 

We offer: 

• Fire and Life Safety education to schools, businesses, seniors and general public home inspection 
• Fire inspection services for business license purposes 
• Home and business fire planning education 
• Fire extinguisher training 
• "After the Fire" guidance 

For more information, please contact 780-632-2254 or via email at vfd@vegreville.com. 

Babysitter's Guide to Fire Safety

Farm Safety

Fire Safety for Seniors

Fire Escape Planning for Apartments

Vegreville Fire Department Fire Safety Brochure 2021

With the Alberta Traffic Safety Act and Bylaw No. 08-2022 -  the Green Light Bylaw- in place by the Town of Vegreville, Fire Service members are allowed to display a flashing green light when responding to emergencies. 

The main purpose of the flashing green light is to help other drivers recognize a firefighter en route to an emergency. The use of these flashing green lights on or in vehicles is restricted to the fire members only.

Flashing red lights on a police car, ambulance, or fire truck are familiar to drivers who understand that an emergency vehicle is on its way to an emergency call. Flashing green lights, on the other hand, aren't quite as well known, but carry with them the same urgency as the flashing red lights.

Beyond the difference in colour of the light, the volunteers are not given the same benefits as emergency vehicles. 

The green lights do not give our paid on-call firefighters any special powers and they still have to obey all the rules of the road. The green lights are placed on the dashboard or in the windshield of the volunteer's vehicle and if you should see one in your rearview mirror, you're asked to pull over out of courtesy (if it is safe to do so) and let the firefighters get to the call as soon as they possibly can.

Be sure to look before you re-enter the roadways as there may be more than one firefighter vehicle following each other. Drivers are not obligated to pull over or stop for a paid on-call firefighter vehicle but are encouraged to do so.

Remember, the emergency the firefighter is responding to may be yours!