The Alberta Fire Chiefs Association, along with the Alberta Motor Association is voicing its frustration and disappointment after the province's announcement regarding the changing of traffic safety laws. 

Earlier this week, during a press conference with Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, it was unveiled that the new traffic safety laws, which will take effect in a few weeks, will require drivers in the lane closest to any roadside worker vehicle stopped at the side of the road with its lights flashing to slow down to 60 km/h, a departure of what was originally enumerated on in Bill 5 (The Traffic Safety Amendment Act).

AFCA President, Randy Schroeder said that both the AFCA and AMA were strongly in favour of the original stipulations which required motorists in all lanes travelling in the same direction on multi-lane highways would have to slow to 60 km/h when passing roadside vehicles as well as slowing down to 60 km/h when travelling in either direction on single lane highways. 

"The modifications and changes that were announced by the Minister on Tuesday, essentially don't change anything. The existing legislation already has the requirement to slow to 60 kilometres per hour in the lane immediately adjacent to or closest to the incidents," President Schroeder said.

He added that the requirement to move over to another lane when appropriate and safe to do so is not new.

"That piece of legislation has been in existence for many years and we have seen on the ground where that particular piece is confusing to Alberta motorists. It's confusing even to first responders as to exactly what is actually happening."

President Schroeder, like the AMA, also underlined that the changes that were enacted and then subsequently announced were not run by stakeholders, like the AFCA.

"To the best of our knowledge, there was no reach out by anyone [from Alberta Transportation] with respect to the process of discovery and to where they got to. We are asking the Minister for a meeting and we're asking the Minister to produce the data that supports his contention that the original bill as proposed, is actually unsafe for Alberta motorists; that it actually increases the risk of collision, if all [vehicles] slowed down to a standardized speed."

Airdrie's City Fire Chief, Mike Pirie, also expressed profound disappointment at the province's legislation.

"We have crews working on roadways; the debris doesn't confine itself to a single lane and we already know from our past, what happens when a firefighter gets hit by a vehicle."

Fire Chief Pirie alluded to the collision that occurred involving Crossfield firefighter Brian Baker in November 2000. Baker was struck by a vehicle while he was escorting a woman to her vehicle during a snowstorm.

"When the tow truck arrived to pull the woman's car away from the median, Firefighter Baker volunteered to escort her from his rescue van at the side of the four-lane highway back to her abandoned vehicle. With visibility hampered by the blizzard, he feared for the woman's safety and instructed her to hold onto his arm. They were halfway across the road when they found themselves directly in the path of a car travelling through the snow squall at excessive speed for the road conditions. Without hesitation and regard for his own safety, Mr. Baker pushed the woman out of harm's way. In a split second, he took the full impact and was thrown several metres. As a result of his efforts, Mr. Baker suffered multiple serious injuries," states an excerpt from The Governor General of Canada's website, which lists Baker as having been awarded the Medal of Bravery.

Chief Pirie said that while most individuals will imagine highways, such as the QEII as being the standard of highway across the province - that is not the case.

"You have to remember that most highways in Alberta are actually single-lane, non-divided roads. A big benefit of that previous bill was to be able to have vehicles slowing down in both directions [as] they're in close proximity to our workers. I'm disappointed there was no consultation, and I look forward to seeing what the facts are that drove it."

Chief Pirie concluded that the fire departments as employers have an obligation to protect their staff, the public and other services present on the scene such as EMS from the dangers of high-speed traffic.

Although Bill 5 was passed in Alberta's legislature in 2022 and was meant to take effect in the Spring of 2023, it was halted for several months in March 2023, when the province said that it needed more time to allow for thorough public engagement, including working with industry partners.

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