Carstairs

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services made a stop north of Airdrie on Thursday to announce that $4.3 million in funding has been invested in the Alberta Sheriffs to fight rural crime.  

Minister Ellis made the announcement in Carstairs alongside Mayor, Lance Colby, saying that the investment supported the establishment of two plainclothes teams – one in northern Alberta and one in southern Alberta – to support police in carrying out surveillance on criminal targets in rural areas.

Alberta Mounties have provided an update on an incident that occurred late last month involving the exchange of gunfire between police and a suspect near Carstairs.

According to Mounties, as a result of the investigation by the Southern Alberta District General Investigation Section and Calgary Police Service into the incidents leading up to the officer-involved shooting, charges have been pursued against a 34-year-old Calgary resident, Stefan Service. 

Today around 2:10 p.m., the Carstairs Fire Department was dispatched to a grass fire in the east ditch of the QEII northbound lanes, between Township Road 293 and 294. 

The fire is believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette. Thankfully, the fire was contained quickly.

With the Airdrie area under a heat warning, the ditches, and all other areas, are extremely dry right now. By throwing a cigarette out your window, you are risking property damage, and the lives of those around and the first responders who have to deal with the fires.

The Calgary Police Service has issued a statement regarding an officer-related shooting that occurred north of Airdrie late on Friday night.

According to CPS, a Calgary police officer discharged their firearm during the police incident east of Carstairs. 

Alberta RCMP has released details on a police incident that occurred late on Friday night and into Saturday morning which shut down a portion of the QEII north of Airdrie, near Carstairs.

NB QEII btwn TwpRd 310 & Hwy581, east of Carstairs - police incident & investigation is clear. NB lanes have been reopened. (10:58am) #ABRoads

An earlier police incident that occurred east of Carstairs has since been cleared and both the northbound and southbound lanes of the QEII near Township Road 301 and Highway 581 are re-opened to traffic. 

Earlier on Saturday, Alberta RCMP had advised that Southbound traffic on the QEII was open after the police incident, though northbound traffic was still being detoured earlier this morning.  

Didsbury Mounties said that just before noon on Friday, they received a call reporting a semi-tractor trailer unit on fire on the QEII Highway near Township Road 294.

"The driver of the semi was able to detach his load; however, the tractor unit was a complete loss. Fire departments from Carstairs and Crossfield responded to the fire, and we were able to extinguish the blaze," police stated.

There were no injuries reported.

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The Carstairs Fire Department now has a new piece of life-saving equipment.

Thanks to $10,000 from TC Energy and $11,000 from Alberta Health Services, the fire department was able to purchase a Lucas device.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed automatically by the Lucas device. When a patient is experiencing cardiac arrest, it will help Carstairs Fire do high quality, rhythmic, depth CPR.

Last week the Carstairs Fire Department had a visit from a few four-legged friends, but this opportunity was unique in several ways.

Carstairs Fire Chief, Jordan Schaffer, explained that the service dogs came as part of the Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society. The Society, which is a charitable organization was founded in 1996 and has since expanded to offer a program of Autism Service Dogs for children. 

Chief Schaffer said that the firefighters were acquainted with how the service dogs operate when they're working.