By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Mirror Fire Department on its last breath

Jun 29, 2018 | 4:30 PM

The Mirror Fire Department could be shutting down in the very near future.

Lacombe County revealed on Friday that the department has failed to see any increase in volunteers over the last 18 months.

A public meeting will be held as one final revitalization effort on July 25. There, residents will hear about the options and ramifications of closing the fire department altogether.

“We have to meet the minimum standards to make this department viable and to perform the duties of a fire department safely, we need to comply with regulations,” explained Lacombe County Fire Chief Drayton Bussiere. “At the end of the day, we need the community to understand the importance of these minimum standards, as well as how it will affect their service levels and potential impacts to insurance if the Fire Department is not revitalized.”

Currently, the community has five volunteer firefighters; best practice requires a minimum of 12. 

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The Alix Fire Department has been supporting its colleagues in Mirror and will continue to do so if the Mirror department cannot be revitalized.

“We not only require 12 committed individuals to join this department, but they also need to complete adequate training to be able to safely respond to calls,” said Bussiere. “Currently, the Mirror Fire Department’s training is limited and we rely heavily on Alix to provide the manpower needed to safely and efficiently fight fires or to respond to motor vehicle accidents.” 

The July 25 meeting is at the Mirror Community Hall and starts at 7 p.m.