Red Deer County is taking over the Delburne fire department.
The move, requested by the village, is designed to take some of the administrative load off the volunteer fire department.
County manager Curtis Herzberg said the county has full-time administrative staff in place that can handle the paperwork and other organizational tasks that previously fell on volunteers.
“They know, with working with us over the years, we’re not trying to usurp or take over in ways they are not involved with,” said Herzberg.
The county has provided more than $122,000 in operational funding to the department from 2014 to 2016. Three of the four vehicles used by the department are owned by the county.
Most of the vehicle collisions and fires the department responded to over the last three years have been in the county, which is then billed.
Ric Henderson, county community and protective services director, said the change will not have any financial impact on the county.
For Delburne volunteer firefighters, their compensation will be brought in line with what other volunteers get.
Mayor Jim Wood said a similar deal was made with Bowden and volunteer firefighters have offered “nothing but compliments” on how it worked out.