<sod >" According to the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association, 80 per cent of firefighters in the province are volunteers.< eod>< sod > " According to the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association, 80 per cent of firefighters in the province are volunteers.  There are about 450 volunteer fire departments in Alberta, representing nearly 97 per cent of all fire halls in the province.  Many career firefighters employed by large municipal departments also serve as volunteers in their own communities, Evans said.  "It's the dedication -- many small-town Canada fire departments are made up of families," Evans said. "That's when the firefighting family really comes out -- when something tragic like this happens, we're there for everybody.< eod>