Summary#

Calgary City Council approved the 2025 Emergency Management & Community Safety annual report on April 28, 2026, and received it for the Corporate Record. This was an information item, not approval of new services, spending, or rules.

• The report covers five City divisions: Calgary 9-1-1, Emergency Management, Community Standards, Public Vehicle Standards, and Business Performance & Strategy.
• City staff report rising demand and complexity, including more than 1 million calls to 9-1-1 and 185,000 calls for peace officers in 2025.
• The report outlines areas staff say need attention, including 9-1-1 capacity, emergency readiness, traffic enforcement, transit safety, and staff wellbeing.
• Council adopted the item on the consent agenda, without debate, in a 15–0 vote.

What it means for you#

• Calgarians: The decision itself does not change how you access public safety services or create a new service. The report describes 2025 activities, such as animal services, emergency response coordination, and transit safety.
• Transit riders and road users: City staff say they plan to focus on transit safety and traffic enforcement in 2026 and beyond. Receiving the report does not itself approve those actions or set their timelines.
• Taxpayers: The decision does not approve new spending. The report says future service capacity may require investment.

Money#

The report says there is no anticipated financial impact from this item.

• It gives no cost estimate for the future staffing, technology, equipment, or facility investments it says may be needed.
• Council’s decision to receive the report does not authorize those investments.

What is unclear#

• The report does not set amounts, timelines, or funding sources for the future actions it describes.
• It does not say how many additional staff or officers may be needed.
• Public engagement was not required for this annual report, so it does not include public feedback on its findings or priorities.

Case for#

• City staff say including Emergency Management & Community Safety in annual reporting gives Council a fuller view of public safety, alongside annual reports from Calgary Police Service and Calgary Fire Department.
• The report gives Council information about service demand and risks, including increased 9-1-1 call volume and pressure on animal services capacity.
• Receiving the report puts its 2025 activities and stated future priorities on the City’s Corporate Record.

Case against#

• The report identifies growing demand and risks, but Council’s decision only received it; it did not approve added capacity or set a plan for funding it.
• City staff warn that pressure on staffing, recruitment, retention, and worker wellbeing could create service and financial risks if capacity does not keep pace with demand. The report does not quantify what resources would address those risks.