Ten municipalities on both sides of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border are joining forces to better prepare for emergency events before disaster strikes.
The regional emergency management collective was formed in 2024, and consists of towns, villages, and rural municipalities from both provinces, including the City of Lloydminster.
Director of public safety for the city, Andrew DeGruchy, is heading up the initiative as the regional director of emergency management for the collective. He said the need for collaboration between communities is becoming more and more evident.
"We're seeing an increase year after year in the frequency and severity of hazards that are occurring throughout Western Canada," DeGruchy told CBC News during the city's ninth annual Bordering on Disaster emergency management conference last week.
"You hear the one off's that happen once every decade and it doesn't really hit home," he added.
"Now when you hear that your neighbouring community is going through an instance... it starts to resonate a little more with communities."
More than a year after its formation, the collective is now working on building a comprehensive emergency response plan designed to handle all matter of potential threats and disasters that could occur within member communities, like the village of Kitscoty.
What would happen if we had a train derailment tomorrow? Honestly, we would scramble.
Jason Olson is the chief administrative officer for the village, which lies alongside Highway 16 about 30 kilometres west of Lloydminster. The village -- population 959 according to 2024 provincial data -- is also dissected by an active rail line.
Although the proximity to the highway and train tracks are a part of everyday life for residents, Olson said these factors pose potential threats that exceed the village's capacity.
"What would happen if we had a train derailment tomorrow? Honestly, we would scramble because we do not have that management plan in place," said Olson.
"My first phone call would be Alberta Emergency Management. My second phone call is probably going to Andrew."
DeGruchy said a contractor has been hired to create the multi-municipality emergency response plan, and costs are expected to be fully covered by a $150,000 Alberta Community Partnership grant.
The plan is expected to be complete by March 2026, and in the meantime, DeGruchy said a review of all collective member's own emergency response bylaws will be conducted to ensure they meet provincial requirements.
But the work doesn't stop there.
The collective has also launched a public awareness campaign to ensure residents are up to speed on best practices for preparing for and responding to emergency events.
DeGruchy said risk and readiness information is being shared with locals in all 10 member municipalities through community and school based sessions. Tips and tricks, like how to prepare a pet evacuation plan, are also shared through social media.
"It was something that was a strong value for our regional partners," said DeGruchy in a follow-up interview.
"How do we get homeowners more prepared to have some self-resiliency so that we don't have to take the full burden of providing resources when a hazard happens?"