This page has been developed to answer some Frequently Asked Questions. If you have a question that is not answered on this page, send us an e-mail so we can post it and answer it for all to see.
What can I expect when a piece of apparatus responds to an emergency?
When we receive a 911 call, firefighters will respond to the fire hall as quickly and as safely as possible without breaking the law. We have an expectation that our firefighters will be in full gear and have the back wheels of their apparatus out the door in approximately 60 seconds. The location and type of emergency will be used to determine whether the apparatus will use their lights and sirens and also which direction they will be travelling in. When an apparatus returns from an emergency, the firefighters immediately prepare the truck to respond to another emergency (i.e. used hoses are washed and hung to dry and the truck is restocked; SCBA bottles are filled; etc).
How often are sirens used?
All apparatus are required to use their lights and sirens when responding to emergencies as per the Alberta Traffic Safety Act and also the Fire Departments Policies. However, the St. Paul Fire Department urges discretion in the use of sirens and air horns during late evening and early morning hours in respect of the public. If it is a safety concern when responding during those times, then sirens and air horns will be used.
How many firefighters does St. Paul have?
Our fire department trys to maintain a roster of 36 professional volunteers firefighters, one fulltime Chief & one full time Deputy Chief. We do not have a set schedule that we follow for responding to a fire call. When we receive a 911 call, the volunteers that are around and available will respond to the fire hall, and then to the call. During the summer months we do have on-call weekends that start the first weekend of July and runs till the Sept long weekend. Each firefighter will be on-call for a min of 1 weekend through the summer, and must be within a 7 minute response time to the fire hall.
As a building or business owner, how frequently should I review my Fire Safety Plan?
The plan should be reviewed yearly or if any alterations to the site plan and floor plans have been made before that.
Can I arrange a tour of the fire hall?
Yes. The department provides tours and can provide fire safety presentations for small groups with adequate notice. These can be arranged by calling the fire hall main number and making a request with the Chief.
Who do I contact for information on fire code and fire prevention issues?
The Fire Chief is responsible for Fire Prevention; Fire Code and investigation issues. The Chief can be contact at the main number on the home page of the website.
I want to become a volunteer firefighter, what is the next step?
Stop in at the Fire Hall and pick-up the volunteer firefighter application form, or if you see a firefighter out in the public you can speak with them directly. Normally, a recruitment drive is announced when we are taking on new members with an article in the paper.
I need a fire and life safety inspection, who do I contact?
These can be arranged by calling the fire hall main number and making a request with the Chief.
Should I ever change my smoke alarm? What about the battery? When do I change that?
It is recommended that you change up your smoke alarms every ten years as they have a tendency to wear out and become a problem. You can also refer to the manufactures information on when they should be changed out. To extend the life of your alarm, you can vacuum them to get rid of accumulated dust, this makes them work better and lessens false alarms.
The rule of thumb for changing batteries is when you change your clock back in the fall change your smoke alarm battery, so once a year.
What are the requirements for a fire pit in my backyard?
Click on the Guidelines to open attachment with the details.
"Guidelines"