Lakeland College students and staff are now part of Alberta’s emergency response system, helping to fight wildfires and gain real-world experience.
Shawn McKerry, dean of the Emergency Training Centre, said the college has sent teams to major wildfires across the province over the past three years.
Read more: Lakeland learns from Jasper wildfire
“In 2023, we went to Parkland County, then Jasper in 2024. This year, we were able to go to Sturgeon County,” he said.
“Outside of Edmonton and Calgary, I believe we have the largest fleet of fire engines in the province of Alberta. They just sit here for us to use in training.”
McKerry also credited the college for keeping the fleet up to date.
“The college has been great to make sure we have a good solid fleet. We’re a great resource that’s been kind of untapped, until now.”
Lakeland is also exploring a possible partnership with Alberta Wildfire to test water buckets and other wildfire suppression tools at the college’s Vermilion campus.
“We’d love that opportunity,” said McKerry.
Read more: Lakeland lands funding for research
