{"id":15157,"date":"2025-02-05T04:17:09","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T04:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/05\/edmonton-fire-rescue-services-new-chief-steps-into-the-role-edmonton\/"},"modified":"2025-02-05T04:17:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T04:17:09","slug":"edmonton-fire-rescue-services-new-chief-steps-into-the-role-edmonton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/05\/edmonton-fire-rescue-services-new-chief-steps-into-the-role-edmonton\/","title":{"rendered":"Edmonton Fire Rescue Services\u2019 new chief steps into the role – Edmonton"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Edmonton Fire Rescue Services<\/a> (EFRS) has seen the volume of calls for service grow in recent years. A majority of those calls are for medical incidents.<\/p>\n

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This is a challenge the city\u2019s new fire chief, David Lazenby<\/a>, is trying to navigate, all while making sure the service keeps up with city growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got over a million people to protect and we want to do it to the best of our abilities. We\u2019re very proud of what we do and we need to give our people what they need,\u201d said Lazenby.<\/p>\n

Lazenby replaced former chief Joe Zatylny, who announced his resignation in May 2024 after nearly four years as Edmonton\u2019s fire chief. Lazenby was the interim chief after Zatylny left the role, before stepping into the permanent role on Jan. 2, 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve worked in six fire services in my career and this is the most challenging city for someone to be a first responder in, for a whole variety of reasons. I have the utmost respect for all our first responders here,\u201d said Lazenby.<\/p>\n

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Lazenby is now in charge of nearly 1,200 firefighters and 30 stations in our city. He says since 2020, the service\u2019s call volume has gone up 60 per cent.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFirefighters do so much and I think the big thing to understand, when people don\u2019t know who to call, they call us,\u201d Lazenby said.<\/p>\n

On top of their normal fire calls, firefighters also respond to a broad scope of incidents. Calls include ice and water rescue, medical incidents and more.<\/p>\n

Lazenby says overdose calls have increased by 270 per cent in the past four years.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can imagine the toll that takes, both in terms of responding to all the extra calls. But also the impact to the human beings that are responding to those calls, seeing the tragedy and the loss they\u2019re seeing on a daily basis,\u201d said Lazenby.<\/p>\n