Grande Prairie Fire Department Services

911 Services

Dialing 911 on your telephone is the fastest way you can get help for yourself or someone else in an emergency.

Only call 9-1-1 for emergencies.

Emergencies:

An event that involves an immediate threat to a person or property; screams, attacks, gunshots, fires, car accident with injuries or any other medical emergency
A substantive, in-progress crime. This includes fights, break and enters (if there is a suspect on scene) or a report of an impaired driver
A serious crime that has just occurred (e.g., sexual assault or robbery)
A suspicious circumstance that may indicate an imminent criminal act (e.g., prowler, vandal)

Non Emergencies:

(Contact your local RCMP detachment)

Reporting a crime with no suspect (e.g., theft of a license plate)
Reporting a crime with suspect, but suspect is not on the scene (e.g., stolen vehicle, fraud)
Reporting a serious crime with suspect, but with a lengthy delay (e.g., assault that occurred last night at a bar)
Non-emergency in-progress (e.g., noisy party, drug use)
On-going crime issues or crimes that are not in-progress (e.g., graffiti or ongoing drug dealing with no suspect on scene)
A suspicious circumstance that may indicate an ongoing criminal activity (e.g., marijuana grow operation)

911 Services

Grande Prairie 911 Dispatch Centre

Grande Prairie 911 (GP911) is the primary service answer point for most of

Northwestern Alberta (see the map to the right). This is an area covering 286,875 square kilometres, or 43% of the total land mass of the province.

When you call 9-1-1 from anywhere inside this area, your call is answered in Grande Prairie!

The dispatchers transfer calls to the appropriate agencies and they dispatch

over 60 Fire Departments.

What Happens When Someone Calls 9-1-1

When a 9-1-1 call is placed within our service area, a dispatcher at GP911 answers, “9-1-1 what is the address of your emergency? What is the phone number you are calling from? Okay, Tell me exactly what happened."
If a fire response is required, the dispatcher gathers important information from the caller and dispatches the required Fire Department.
If any other emergency response is required (for example an emergency requiring police or ambulance services), the dispatcher forwards them to the appropriate dispatching agency.

What Information Does an Emergency Services Dispatcher See When You Call?

1. From a landline:

The address and telephone number you are calling from
Your location on a map
If and when you have called 9-1-1 in the past

2. From a cell phone:

The telephone number you are calling from
GPS coordinates approximating your location (Varying degrees of Accuracy)

Why Do Dispatchers Ask the Location of Your Emergency?

Even though dispatchers can see the location information of where you’re calling from, sometimes the caller is not at the location of the emergency. That’s why dispatchers will always ask you to confirm the location. Emergency Crews have a much quicker response time if they have the proper information.

In addition, dispatchers will ask for a description of the situation. This is to ensure that adequate resources are responding to the emergency. The Dispatcher will also provide important instructions to ensure the safety of callers.

Other Emergency Services

Emergency & Medical Co-Response

Emergency Response

Time is critical when the fire department is called on to respond to an emergency. Although firefighters may contravene traffic regulations for emergency response, driving quickly to an emergency is very dangerous.

Our truck operator's are responsible to get to the scene safely but it is difficult to quickly bring our large equipment to a stop. Our trucks are LARGE, our lights are bright, and our sirens are loud; but many, many drivers don't yield for emergency traffic.

Public can really help by smoothly pulling over to the right and coming to a stop.

Most of our responses involve multiple emergency vehicles, so check carefully that we are clear. It may be your emergency that we are going to!

Hazmat

Hazmat - Hazardous Materials

Firefighters are trained to deal with situations involving dangerous goods and hazardous materials. Our goals are to preserve life, preserve property, contain the material, stabilize the material, and possibly assisting in returning the scene to normal. One of the tools that we use to protect ourselves is a fully encapsulated suit like the one shown.

Water & Ice Rescue

History

The Grande Prairie Fire Department has been providing Water Rescue Service since 1977.

Our response area includes many large lakes and rivers enjoyed by recreation enthusiasts. GPFD provides service anywhere within 90 minutes of our Water Rescue Station.

Responding to an emergency can take up to 60 minutes while rescues can take up to 30 minutes.

Training

The Grande Prairie Fire Department has responded to many, in need of assistance. We currently have approximately 60 staff certified as Swift Water and Ice Rescue Technicians. As a minimum swimming level requirement, each member of the GPFD is certified in Bronze Medallion.

Equipment

Boat 14” Zodiac with a 40hp outboard jet
Oceanid inflatable rescue rafts
We use two types of dry suits: Mustang and NRS

Training

Training is on-going at GPFD and occurs in the classroom and

working with equipment. "Rookies" are trained in all areas to pass level evaluations, and firefighters are trained on procedures to maintain skill levels.

New technology and services that we provide constantly require ongoing training. Some examples of this include using GPS, water rescue (and swimming lessons), and using thermal imaging cameras for fireground searches.

Training is an integral part of any fire department. Proper equipment

and facilities assist in firefighters maintaining essential skills required for their job. In the spring of 2009 an idea to build a training building for the Grande Prairie fire fighters to train on basic fire fighter tasks was given to Fire Administration. Funds were found to purchase the materials required to build the structure. Donations by the business community and labour hours by the firefighters themselves completed the structure in 2010.

The fire fighters use the building for search and rescue, laddering and vertical ventilation, ladder rescues, entrapment drills, wall breaching, thermal imaging training, hose placement and attic drills. The department has a smoke machine that can completely obscure the interior in about 8-9 minutes. There is a second floor and a tunnel in the structure. Furniture has accumulated to include couches, chairs, stove, lamps and a T.V.

The firefighters have had many opportunities to use buildings to practice a variety of rescue techniques prior to the demolition date. Here they are practicing skills in the Wapiti Community Dorm prior to it being taken down.

Grande Prairie Fire Department Services

911 Services

Emergencies:

Non Emergencies:

911 Services

Other Emergency Services

History

Training

Equipment

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