Safe and Secure City – Emergency Services always ready
Red Deer Emergency Services plays a pivotal role in The City of Red Deer’s Strategic Plan initiatives related to Safe & Secure City outcome. By investing in people, equipment and technology, RDES is here to provide emergency response and keep Red Deer safe.
Lifesaving Rescue
On a bitterly cold day in October 2023, with temperatures hovering around -20 degrees Celsius, two workers found themselves suspended beneath the Gaetz Avenue bridge, trapped in the bucket of their truck. What was supposed to be a routine infrastructure inspection turned into an emergency situation when the machinery failed due to the freezing weather. After a futile attempt to repair the malfunction, they made the call to 911.
RDES crews rushed to the scene and first attempted reaching the workers with their own aerial apparatus but due to their positioning, the ladder was unable to reach them. Time was ticking and the freezing temperatures were becoming more dangerous by the minute. The team quickly regrouped, deploying a technical rope rescue system. Sixteen responders, including the water rescue team, rope rescue technicians, and medic unit, coordinated with expert precision to carefully lower a line to connect the workers to the ladder truck, provide additional assistance from the airboat below, and support the rescue team. After almost two hours of being stranded in life-threatening conditions, the workers were finally brought to safety. Medics immediately assessed them for weather-related injuries; despite the ordeal, they were in stable condition.
This was just one of the 27,000 calls made to RDES in 2023. And while not every call requires a complex, high-stakes rescue, the skill and teamwork of Red Deer Emergency Services are always on-hand to ensure Red Deerians remain safe and secure.
Learn more about how we are achieving this outcome on our dashboard.