July 9, 2021
EDSON — A safe, FireSmart buffer around the Edson Healthcare Centre will be strengthened as Alberta Health Services begins a vegetation management project at the site on July 12.
FireSmart is an Alberta Agriculture and Forestry program that uses preventative measures to reduce the risk and mitigate potential damage caused by wildfires.
The project will include the removal of trees located 10 to 300 metres from the facility, as well as thinning of underbrush and removal of deadwood in the surrounding forested area. Trees and shrubs will be mulched on site and left to decompose naturally.
The work is expected to take up to four weeks, weather permitting, and will have no impact on parking or traffic flow at the Edson Healthcare Centre. Noise levels will also be monitored to ensure there is little to no impact for patients and continuing care residents.
The $180,000 project aims to mitigate risk to the healthcare centre in the event of a wildfire in the Edson forest area.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
