Alberta RCMP are reminding residents there are better numbers to dial than 911 for most wildfire-related calls.
“We are getting an influx on those types of calls. It’s not unmanageable, but it does put a strain on our system,” Supt. Terry McLachlan said on Friday.
McLachlan said many of these calls tend to come from people who have been evacuated, leading to a chaotic, unfamiliar situation where they may not know where to call to get the information they need.
“It’s always good to reinforce those messages, in whatever medium we can, so that there is a constant reminder for them in case they may have missed it for whatever reason.”
Residents who need assistance with the following information are asked to not call 911, and call the numbers below, instead.
- For concerns about highway closures or road conditions due to smoke, contact Alberta 511 511.Alberta.ca or call 511 from any landline or mobile phone.
- For information regarding evacuation centres, look up Alberta.ca/emergency.
- Currently there are five evacuation centres in operation: The Slave Lake Legacy Centre, The Misery Mountain Ski Hill in Peace River, La Crete Heritage Centre, Grande Prairie Regional College and Fort Vermillion Community Cultural Complex. All evacuees are asked to check in with a reception centre, even if they’ve found accommodations.
- For information regarding pets, residents can call High Level Animal Control at 780-926-2201. Evacuees within the Wabasca, Alta., area are asked to fill out an online form on the Alberta Animal Disaster Response Facebook group, or text 403-869-4964 and provide your name, contact number, number of animals missing, address they were last seen at and a brief description of your pet.
- For anyone with questions about livestock, evacuees are asked to note that the County of Northern Lights is providing temporary access hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for residents to enter the property to handle livestock care. Residents must register for a temporary access pass at the County Office.
- For information about when evacuees can return home, residents are encouraged to listen to local media and to follow the government of Alberta’s Twitter page and the hashtags #ABFire and #ABemerg
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In 2018, Alberta RCMP received more than 910,217 calls for service with 220,608 of those coming from 911. Of those, only 2,609 were generated as high priority or urgent police requests.
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