The Town of Morinville has signed a Fire Services Agreement with Sturgeon County, and a Mutual Aid Agreement with Alexander First Nation.
The agreements were signed during the town council's meeting on Wednesday (May 24) and serve to provide the area with a high level of emergency services to the residents of Morinville and the surrounding area.
Fire chief Brad Boddez said that the town previously had an agreement with Sturgeon County that ended in 2020.
"We've been working on it for a couple years, and we finally got it all finalized there last month, so that's great," said Boddez, who added that there is little difference in their agreement now than there was with their previous agreement.
As for the Mutual Aid Agreement with Alexander First Nation, it serves a very similar purpose to the agreement with Sturgeon County.
"This is the first time we've had a contract with Alexander First Nation. Before it was just more of an on-demand kind of thing, so this helps us move a little more formalized," stated Boddez. "It doesn't really change the operations. We've been providing mutual aid support with Sturgeon for many years, so it's part of our dynamic."
"Collaborating with other departments is very effective and beneficial. It's always nice to get those extra hands and extra resources available to help combat any type of emergency we may have."
The agreement with Sturgeon County ends on New Year's Eve 2026, while the agreement with Alexander First Nation has no expiration date.