FAQs about EMS

Emergency Health Services - Alberta (EHS), informed the City of Lethbridge that, in order to negotiate a new EMS contract, the City would have to agree, in advance, to fund anything above the EHS benchmark cost. City Council has chosen not to accept this condition due the financial impact on Lethbridge taxpayers. EHS has now moved to a procurement process to secure an EMS provider and the City of Lethbridge is preparing a bid. 

Operationally, our system is solid. Our integrated Fire & EMS teams consistently provide excellent care for our community. Where it is broken is on the side of financial sustainability. As the contractor of the service, we cannot continue to get less funding from the Province and absorb the rising operating costs. Changes need to be made to make the system viable.  

The communities that have accepted 2.5 year extensions have also agreed to pay for everything above the EHS benchmark rate after the extension ends. 

That is not a sustainable solution for the City of Lethbridge which is why we are now entering a procurement process in an effort to secure a new long-term contract. 

• The communities that have accepted 2.5 year extensions have also agreed to pay for everything above the EHS benchmark rate after the extension ends. 
• That is not a sustainable solution for the City of Lethbridge which is why we are now entering the procurement process. 

City Council is still committed to maintaining integrated Fire & Emergency Services. Individuals across the organization are now working hard to put together a strong bid to the EHS procurement process. This work is all in an effort to maintain EMS within the City's integrated Fire & Emergency Services model.

If a new EMS provider is procured, they would not be integrated with the Fire and the City would transition to a Fire-only service. 

When regional health authorities merged into Alberta Health Services (AHS) in 2009, EMS moved from a municipal to provincial responsibility. Since that time, the City has been contracted by EHS (formerly AHS) to provide EMS in Lethbridge.

In addition to funding from the provincial EMS contract, local taxpayers contribute $3.5 million each year to maintain an integrated fire and EMS service. Proposed funding changes from EHS could have a significant impact on Lethbridge taxpayers, adding $3.7 million in local costs in 2027, a 1.8 per cent tax increase. That cost is expected to grow to $4.2 million in 2028 and $4.6 million by 2029.

On the flipside, if the City were to move to a fire-only service, there would still be an additional $1.1 million tax pressure. This is because there are many share costs between fire and EMS like building costs, supplies and training that will still need to be funded in a fire-only model. There would also be an estimated $600,000 in one-time costs to transition out of the integrated service. 

If the City were to accept the EHS contract conditions, the average Lethbridge homeowner ($389,600) would see the following tax increases for EMS.

If the City were to accept the EHS contract conditions, a homeowner with a $500,000 property would see the following tax increases for EMS:

No. The cost of EMS on its own might seem manageable but when compounded with other known tax pressures, the increase felt by residents becomes quite significant. Factoring in EMS and other know costs coming to the City, it is estimated a homeowner with the average house price of $389,600 will pay close to $800 more in taxes over the next three years.

No, the City of Lethbridge is one of seven integrated services across the province. With the exception of the Municipality of Wood Buffalo, all were given the same contract notification from EHS.

The communities of Leduc, Spruce Grove and Lethbridge have not accepted the additional costs. 

The communities of Red Deer, Strathcona County and St. Albert have accepted the additional costs.

Since 2009, when EMS moved under provincial jurisdiction, contracts have been reached through collaborative negotiations..

The City's contract with EHS ended September 30, 2026 but services have not been impacted. Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services will continue to provide transition services until and new contract or service provider is in place. The community will not be without EMS.

Integrated Fire/EMS Services is a public safety service delivery model in which fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), rescue, and related emergency response functions are provided through a single, unified organization. Personnel are cross-trained and resources are shared, allowing for coordinated command, deployment, and response to both fire and medical emergencies from the same stations under a common governance and operational structure.

Lethbridge currently provides an integrated Fire and EMS service which allows for enhanced coordination of emergency response. 

• All LFES ambulances are Advanced Life Support (ALS) units, meaning they can provide a higher level of care than Basic Life Support (BLS) units. – See FAQ on the difference in ALS and BLS.
• LFES’ integrated service provides an enhanced hazmat response when compared to fire-only departments. 
• A Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) unit works with Lethbridge Police Service to embed paramedics in high-risk incidents to provide immediate medical care to injured civilians or officers.

In Alberta, ambulances are either Advanced Life Support (ALS) or Basic Life Support (BLS). ALS ambulances are staffed by highly trained paramedics and can provide advanced medical care, including medications and life‑saving treatments, before reaching the hospital. BLS ambulances provide essential care such as CPR, oxygen and patient stabilization, but do not offer the same level of advanced treatment. In Lethbridge all ambulances are ALS.