FORT McMURRAY — The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s 911 Dispatch Centre has earned its second international accreditation, returning the local emergency medical dispatch service to a select group of fewer than 100 agencies worldwide holding the credential.
The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch announced the accreditation in June. The designation recognizes agencies meeting international standards for emergency medical dispatch and public safety communications.
The Regional Emergency Services dispatch centre initially received emergency medical dispatch accreditation in 2019.
Emergency medical services dispatching was removed from Wood Buffalo two years later as part of the Alberta government’s centralization of EMS dispatch services.
Local advocacy and negotiations led to EMS dispatch services returning to Wood Buffalo in 2021.
Regional Fire Chief Jody Butz said regaining the accreditation was an important goal for Regional Emergency Services and its dispatchers.
“This accreditation is a testament to the ongoing commitment and hard work demonstrated by our local dispatchers,” Butz said. “We are proud to have met these rigorous standards and are pleased to see the dispatch team rejoin a select group of agencies that have achieved this level of accreditation.”
Mayor Sandy Bowman said the quality of local emergency dispatch services was among the reasons the municipality advocated for their return.
“Congratulations to everyone responsible for this well-deserved honour recognizing that we live in a region with some of the best emergency services in the world,” Bowman said.
The dispatch centre provides services for fire and EMS operations and employs 12 full-time dispatchers supported by on-call dispatchers and other staff.
The centre was accredited as an Emergency Fire Dispatch Centre last year.
In 2025, the RMWB dispatch centre answered 22,647 911 calls and responded to more than 5,577 emergency medical events.
The emergency medical dispatch accreditation is valid for three years, during which the centre must continue meeting the required standards.
The municipality will receive a commemorative plaque recognizing the achievement.
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