Public Safety The following indicators relate to the City’s emergency response efforts.Section Indicators Reporting frequency: Quarterly Last updated: Q1, 2026 View fullscreen
Comments In Q1 2026, the City received 3,586 911 calls compared to 3,772 calls in Q1 2025. This represents a decrease of 186 calls or approximately 5 per cent.
Overall, 911 call volumes remain generally consistent with recent years with modest quarter-to-quarter variation reflecting changes in emergency call patterns and community service demand.
Crime Severity Index The crime severity index is calculated by Statistics Canada and measures percentage changes in the level of severity of crime in St. Albert from year to year (current year over last year).
All crimes have been split between violent and non-violent crimes. More serious crimes are assigned higher weights, and less serious offences are assigned lower weights. As a result, more serious offences have a greater impact on changes in the index.
Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2024 View fullscreen
Comments St. Albert’s Overall Crime Severity Index (CSI) decreased slightly to 59.36 in 2024, down from 63.70 in 2023. The Non-Violent Crime Index also declined to 61.18, while the Violent Crime Index remained relatively stable at 56.06. Overall, crime severity in St. Albert remains lower than provincial and national averages, despite moderate year-to-year fluctuations.
Note: Crime Severity Index data for 2025 will be updated in 2026 following its release by Statistics Canada.
EMS Calls This indicator measures the total number of calls responded to by the two ambulances staffed by St. Albert Fire Services. These ambulances primarily serve the city but because Alberta operates a borderless dispatch system, they may also respond to calls outside St. Albert when dispatched through the provincial system.
Reporting frequency: Quarterly Last updated: Q1, 2026 View fullscreen
Comments EMS call volumes remained elevated in Q1 2026 with the City’s two ambulances responding to 926 calls. This is higher than 680 calls in Q1 2025, representing an increase of 246 calls or approximately 36 per cent.
While Q1 2026 was slightly lower than Q4 2025 (948 calls), volumes remain high following the increase seen in the second half of 2025. Because these ambulances operate within Alberta’s borderless dispatch system, total call volumes may reflect responses both within and outside St. Albert.
Fire Response Times Fire Calls refer to any call where there is a confirmed fire. These can include structure fires, outdoor and wildland fires, and vehicle fires.
Medical First Response refers to medical calls attended by Fire Services using Advanced Life Support (ALS) equipped fire engines.
Response times are reported using the 90th percentile, meaning that 90 per cent of all responses occur within this time or less, while only 10 per cent take longer. This method provides a clearer picture of service performance than an average by showing how quickly Fire Services respond to the majority of calls.
Reporting frequency: Quarterly Last updated: Q1, 2026 View fullscreen
Comments In Q1 2026, the 90th percentile response time for Fire Calls was 10 minutes 24 seconds compared with 8 minutes 40 seconds in Q1 2025. The 90th percentile response time for Medical First Response was 8 minutes 18 seconds compared with 7 minutes 40 seconds in Q1 2025.
Both response times increased year over year but remain within the range seen in recent quarters. Medical first-response times continue to be relatively stable, while fire response times show greater quarter-to-quarter variation because confirmed fire incidents occur less frequently, meaning a smaller number of events can have a larger impact on quarterly performance.
Overall, response times for both fire and medical incidents remain consistent with recent years, reflecting stable service delivery across the community.
Fire Responses to Motor Vehicle Collisions This indicator measures the number of motor vehicle collision incidents attended by St. Albert Fire Services. It reflects only those collisions where Fire Services responded and is not a count of all motor vehicle collisions occurring in St. Albert.
Reporting frequency: Quarterly Last updated: Q1, 2026 View fullscreen
Comments In Q1 2026, Fire Services responded to 27 motor vehicle collisions compared with 38 in Q1 2025. This represents a decrease of 11 incidents or approximately 29 per cent.
Overall, motor vehicle collision responses remain relatively consistent over the reporting period with some quarter-to-quarter variation. Motor vehicle collision responses tend to follow a seasonal pattern with volumes often higher in winter quarters when weather and road conditions can contribute to increased collision risk. Therefore, the data suggests a cyclical trend rather than a sustained increase or decrease over time.
Fire Incidents This indicator measures the number of confirmed fire incidents attended by St. Albert Fire Services. It includes structure fires, outdoor and wildland fires, and vehicle fires.
Reporting frequency: Quarterly Last updated: Q1, 2026 View fullscreen
Comments Fire incidents continue to show quarter-to-quarter variation, with higher volumes typically occurring in Q2 as outdoor and wildland fire activity increases. In Q1 2026, St. Albert Fire Services responded to 21 fire incidents compared to 9 incidents in Q1 2025, an increase of 12 incidents.
While this is a notable increase from the same quarter last year, fire incident volumes can vary due to the timing and nature of confirmed fire events. Overall, the data continues to suggest a cyclical pattern rather than a sustained long-term increase.
Fire Inspections & Investigations Fire inspections are conducted in accordance with the St. Albert Quality Management Plan and the Safety Codes Act. Inspections help determine compliance with applicable fire and life safety codes and provide education to property owners and occupants on fire prevention and safety practices.
In Alberta, a Safety Codes Officer (Fire Discipline) is also responsible for investigating the cause, origin and circumstances of fires within their jurisdiction when a person is injured or killed or when property is damaged or destroyed.
Reporting frequency: Quarterly Last updated: Q1, 2026 View fullscreen
Comments In Q1 2026, Fire Services completed 179 inspections compared with 73 inspections in Q1 2025, reflecting a significant increase in fire prevention activity. This higher inspection volume continues the trend that began in the second half of 2025 and is largely attributable to the addition of Fire Prevention Officers, which expanded the City’s inspection capacity.
The number of fire investigations remained relatively stable, with 5 investigations in Q1 2026 compared with 4 in Q1 2025. Investigations typically remain consistent over time as they depend on the number and nature of fire incidents requiring formal review.
Last edited: May 14, 2026
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