Lloydminster property owners may soon face new requirements around lockboxes and carbon monoxide detectors under a modernized fire bylaw that received first reading at the May 25 council meeting.
Bylaw 08-2026 updates the city’s Fire Rescue Services framework to reflect current legislation, operational practices, and industry standards. Chief Bill Heesing said the approach throughout is education first, enforcement second.
“If we go straight to enforcement, we know we get resistance,” Heesing said. “We want to build up relationships.”
Lockboxes
The bylaw maintains a requirement for lockbox installation on applicable properties, allowing fire crews immediate access without waiting for a key holder or forcing entry. The penalty for non-compliance drops from $1,000 to $500 – a change administration said better reflects the actual cost of installation.
Heesing put that cost at roughly $300, with installation varying by company. Two local vendors – City Locksmith and Lloyd Lock and Key – are the city’s recommended contacts.
Carbon monoxide detectors
The bylaw aligns Lloydminster with Henry’s Law, a Saskatchewan regulation requiring carbon monoxide alarms in all residential suites, including units within multi-unit residential buildings, by Nov. 1, 2026.
New provisions also extend CO detector requirements to service rooms and office administration areas in commercial properties.
Councillor David Lopez raised the practical challenge of enforcement in condominiums and multi-family buildings, where residents sometimes remove detectors.
“I just don’t want to blame or punish everyone because you’ve got one,” Lopez said.
Heesing said the department’s response is to contact the property owner directly when a problem is found during a call.
“In a rental situation there’s education for the renter, but then there’s education for the owner,” Heesing said. “If we go in to a place for a call and we see that the smoke detectors are covered, monoxides are pulled, we can educate them – but it’s important that we reach out to that property owner or property rep.”
Councillor Diachuk noted that carbon monoxide detectors can be purchased for as little as $40.
“It just seems perplexing that people wouldn’t want to have that additional protection for their homes,” Diachuk said.
Heesing said a new assistant chief of inspections and prevention, in place since January, has made the education piece a priority.
“We’re in the schools with the kids at the little ages, but we need to share that with other user groups and community groups and emphasize fire prevention and safety messages,” Heesing said.
False alarms
The bylaw keeps a graduated penalty approach for false alarms regardless of whether the property is residential or commercial. A separate penalty of up to $1,000 exists for neglect to maintain alarm systems, with no time limitation.
Councillor Michele Charles Gustafson said reading the service level policy and the bylaw together gave her confidence the two documents are aligned.
“Keeping the education portion at the forefront of the service is something that’s really important,” Charles Gustafson said. “The bylaw now aligns right with that intention – it’s structured enough that you have places where you can create operational efficiency, but also fluid enough to keep that education portion right to the front.”
Second and third readings are expected at a future council meeting.
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