People. Purpose. Progress.

At Emergency Services Academy (ESA), our Strategic Solutions Division works alongside fire departments, EMS services, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and industry clients across Canada.

We provide customized training solutions, strategic advisory services, and leadership development programs designed to strengthen the organizations we work with and support the people within those organizations.

Whether you’re building successful training and competency management programs, ensuring your organization meets required standards, navigating operational change, planning for the future, or developing your next generation of leaders, ESA is your trusted partner in progress.
 

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WHAT WE DO

Custom Training Solutions

Your organization. Your priorities. Your training.

ESA designs and delivers flexible, best practice based and certified training that fits your operational needs and local context. Whether you're maintaining existing standards, adding new competencies to enhance services levels, building officer capacity, or customizing content for a specific risk environment, we’ll work with you every step of the way.

Solutions include:
 

• Accredited training to all NFPA standards available in Alberta, including fire officer, firefighter, technical rescue, hazmat, wildland, fire instructor, inspector, and investigator
• Accredited emergency medical training, including Primary Care Paramedic (PCP), Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Medical First Responder (MFR)
• Officer development and promotional readiness programs
• Curriculum development and course mapping for in-house training
• Online, blended, and in-person delivery formats
• Training needs assessments and implementation support

Strategic Advisory & Consulting Services

Navigate complexity with confidence.

We provide clear, practical support to help fire and EMS services, municipal leaders, industrial emergency services departments, and Indigenous communities make smart, sustainable decisions. We tailor every engagement to your goals—whether you're assessing risk, refining governance, or rethinking your service delivery model.

Services include:
 

• Training needs assessments and program reviews
• Comprehensive training program development, including curriculum design and implementation support
• Policy development, specializing in SOPs and SOG's supporting training and professional development
• Succession planning reviews and proactive program development
• Labour relations insight and executive-level advising
• Change management and internal communication program design and implementation support

Leadership Development

Strong leadership builds strong organizations.

We help current and future leaders develop and strengthen their ability to lead teams, communicate effectively, and make sound decisions under pressure.

Programs include:
 

• Leadership Workshops (in-person on campus, in-person at your location)
• Labour Relations Workshops (in-person on campus, in-person at your location)
• On-line personality and leadership assessments
• One-on-one coaching and mentorship (in-person or online)
• Group facilitation and leadership team development (in-person on campus, in-person at your location)

 

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WHO WE SERVE

We’re proud to work with a wide range of emergency service organizations across Canada, including:

• Municipal fire and EMS services
• Provincial and Territorial organizations
• Indigenous communities
• Industrial and private-sector emergency services
• Municipalities and public safety leaders

ESA understands the operational realities and cultural contexts that shape emergency services—and we build our solutions to match.
 

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LED BY EXPERIENCE. DRIVEN BY PURPOSE.

The Strategic Solutions Division is led by seasoned fire and EMS professionals with decades of frontline, command, and executive-level experience. Our team brings credibility, compassion, and clarity to every partnership. We understand what it takes to lead in today's environment—and we're here to help others do the same.
 

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LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT

If you're ready to invest in your people, shape your strategy, or create custom training that works for your service—let’s start the conversation. Contact us today to learn more about how ESA’s Strategic Solutions Division can support your organization.
 

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DARRELL REID

Darrell Reid, President of Emergency Services Academy, brings over 35 years of public service and entrepreneurial experience to his role, with a strong emphasis on leadership. His extensive background includes serving as Chief Administrative Officer of Strathcona County, Fire Chief of Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, Deputy Fire Chief of Toronto Fire Services, CEO of Heart & Stroke Ontario, Fire Chief of Strathcona County Emergency Services, and President of IAFF Local 2461.

Darrell has also contributed his expertise to numerous boards, including as Chair of the Heart & Stroke Foundation Board of BC & Yukon and as a Board Director of EMS Global. Rising through the fire service ranks, he began his career as a firefighter paramedic and later served as a flight paramedic with STARS air ambulance. Currently, he is also the Vice President of Strategy for Darkhorse Emergency, an international leader in public safety analytics.

Darrell holds an MBA from the University of Alberta, an Executive Fire Officer designation, and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Community Preparedness and Disaster Management program. He is known for his ability to build and lead high-performance organizations, foster industry-leading staff engagement, and successfully integrate analytics into emergency services decision-making.
 

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