The County of Stettler has approved an interim fire services agreement with neighbouring municipalities as work continues on a regional governance model.
At its Nov. 12 meeting, the County adopted the 2026 joint fire services agreement with the summer villages of Rochon Sands & White Sands, as well as the villages of Big Valley & Donalda.
The move follows concerns raised at an Oct. 30 meeting of the municipalities, where officials noted the tight timelines involved in setting up the Heartland Regional Fire Commission.
The interim agreement extends current service terms through the end of 2026. The County will operate as Heartland Regional Fire until the commission is fully formed.
County administration worked with the CAO’s from Rochon Sands and White Sands on updated 2026 agreements.
Key changes include clarification of authority between the Incident Commander & County CAO.
Under the proposed 2026 fee schedule, each summer village would pay $112.22 per parcel, plus $300 per unit per hour for incident response.
Big Valley and Donalda would contribute $25,000 each and be billed under the County’s emergency-response fee bylaw.
The previous fire agreement between the Town of Stettler, the County & the summer villages was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2025.
Earlier this year, the County of Stettler withdrew from the 2018 fire services agreement, resulting in the move towards independent fire departments.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
