The Town of Diamond Valley will be partnering with Cochrane and the MD of Bighorn for an emergency management project after being awarded $200,000 from the provincial government through the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) grant program.
The funds will be directed to the Unified Response Project, an initiative aimed at enhancing inter-municipal emergency preparedness and management across the three municipalities.
Diamond Valley deputy Fire Chief Logan Sabourin explained the grant is a major step towards better-coordinated and resilient first response framework.
“By aligning training, resources and response strategies, we ensure our communities are better prepared for large-scale emergencies,” said Sabourin, the town's director of emergency management.
From March 31, 2025 to March 31, 2026, the project will unite resources and specialists to create a municipal emergency management plan.
It will also look to improve emergency response coordination at the regional level by standardizing emergency management training and procedures, enhancing resource sharing, creating a regional emergency coordination and communication strategy, giving municipalities better tools to bolster preparedness and response, and conducting joint training sessions and regional disaster simulations to improve readiness.
Jay Judin, director of community safety for Cochrane, said the town is excited to collaborate with the neighbouring municipalities to enhance emergency preparedness in the area.
“This initiative will strengthen our collective ability to respond to emergencies and ensure the safety of our communities,” Judin said.
Diamond Valley will be overseeing the project administration, while Cochrane and the MD of Bighorn will contribute to planning, resource sharing and training.
