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(File Photo/paNOW Staff)
Busy Year

P.A. Fire Department responded to record number of calls in 2023

Jan 2, 2024 | 5:00 PM

Last year was a record-breaking one for the Prince Albert Fire Department (PAFD).

Crews ended up responding to 1,827 calls which comes out to just over five a day. It beat the previous record of 1,700 calls set in 2022.

Deputy Fire Chief Alex Paul told paNOW it’s not uncommon for both of their firetrucks to be out at the same time.

“We’re being dispatched almost simultaneously or within a minute or two… 20 years ago, it was very, very rare to see,” he said.

Paul explained this causes quite a bit of anxiety because there’s a chance that a third call could come in.

It gets more concerning imagining an emergency where crews are late because they were responding to another call. However, Paul noted this has not happened and hopes it never does.

He also believes there’s a good chance 2024 will have even more calls. This is because the city continues to expand.

“With more people and more buildings, we’re gonna see more calls and that’s just going to continue to grow,” Paul said.

Meanwhile, Paul believes 2023’s numbers prove that more fire stations are needed.

While the current station houses two teams, having at least another one would improve their overall response time.

“We should have a drive time from the station to our call within four minutes,” said Paul.

According to the PAFD, they have the land, the staff, and most of the equipment needed to outfit two additional stations.

Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow