The Lacombe Firefighters Ball is on October 27th, with the funds raised going to all the non-profit groups and charities the fire department regularly supports, such as the Legacy Place Society.  

The black tie event will feature live dueling pianos, as well as a silent and live auction going on throughout the night.

Captain with the Lacombe Fire Department Ryan Fauria says it's the most important fundraiser for the department.

“This year our main goal for raising funds is to send members to extra training, on top of what we already do in the department. Every year, we try to send four members down to the Lethbridge conference, to train on new techniques, and new studies and stuff like that. In the past we have sent members to FDIC (Fire Departments Instructors Conference), which is down in Indianapolis”.

Members have attended training conferences and seminars all over the world, along with their regular trips down to Paraguay to donate used equipment and help train departments down there.

They are celebrating 110 years this year, and since their inception in 1907, the Lacombe Firefighters Association has been volunteer based.

The Village of Lacombe was incorporated in 1896, but it took a major fire in the community a decade later for Lacombe residents realized they needed their own fire department, remembers Fauria.

“In 1906, which is the photo that’s on our poster (for the ball), that is the Pederson block fire. It happened in 1906, there had been multiple fires before that, but that was the first that really said, well maybe we should start a fire department.”

For more information and how to get tickets, you can check out the 110 Year Anniversary Firefighters Ball Facebook page.

 

(Photo courtesy of the Lacombe and District Historical Society)