ASAgent Santé#hospital ADSQAgent de sécurité QuébecThe security guard's notebook AAAgent Ambulancier#paramedic APAgent Policier#police
Firefighter at the City of Québec: $52,114 to $101,587 a year in 2026Lieutenant at the City of Québec: $111,744 in 2026Captain at the City of Québec: $121,903 in 2026Firefighter in Montreal: $50,808 to $88,367 a year (2023)Lieutenant in Montreal: $97,202 (2023)Captain in Montreal: $106,041 (2023)SOPFEU forest firefighter: $27.16 an hour in the first yearFirefighter in Quebec, median wage: $40.17 an hourPart-time firefighter in L'Assomption: $24.88 an hour (2025)Part-time firefighter in La Matapédia: $19.28 to $28.56 an hourFirefighter at the City of Québec: $52,114 to $101,587 a year in 2026Lieutenant at the City of Québec: $111,744 in 2026Captain at the City of Québec: $121,903 in 2026Firefighter in Montreal: $50,808 to $88,367 a year (2023)Lieutenant in Montreal: $97,202 (2023)Captain in Montreal: $106,041 (2023)SOPFEU forest firefighter: $27.16 an hour in the first yearFirefighter in Quebec, median wage: $40.17 an hourPart-time firefighter in L'Assomption: $24.88 an hour (2025)Part-time firefighter in La Matapédia: $19.28 to $28.56 an hour
Training

Firefighter DEP: length, admission and schools for the Fire Safety Intervention program

The firefighter DEP lasts 1,185 hours. Where it is taught, how to get in for 2027 and what the regulation requires depending on the size of the city.

· Lire en français

The firefighter training DEP in Quebec is called Fire Safety Intervention (Intervention en sécurité incendie). It is program 5322 of the Ministère de l'Éducation. It lasts 1,185 hours and is worth 79 credits according to Inforoute FPT. Two public centres appear in the Inforoute FPT list: the Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec (IPIQ), in Laval, and the Centre de formation professionnelle de Neufchâtel, in Quebec City. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

The program in numbers

The Inforoute FPT profile places the program in sector 07, Buildings and Public Works. It was approved in 2007 and amended in 2009. It has 25 competencies, from 30 to 75 hours each.

ItemWhat the source says
Total length1,185 hours
Credits79
Length according to Inforoute FPTAbout 15 months
Length according to the IPIQ, in Laval10 months, full time
Length according to the CFP de Neufchâtel11 months, with a 2-week internship

Sources consulted on October 11, 2026.

The IPIQ writes that the training is 56% hands-on learning and 44% theory.

Admission requirements

Inforoute FPT gives four ways in. Only one is needed.

  • Hold a high school diploma, its recognized equivalent or a higher education diploma
  • Be at least 16 years old on September 30 of the school year in which the training starts, and have Secondary IV credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics
  • Be at least 18 years old at the start of the training, have passed the general development test and hold the program's specific prerequisites
  • Have Secondary III credits in these three subjects and continue general education at the same time as the DEP

The IPIQ adds its own requirements. The candidate holds a SAAQ driver's licence, probationary or class 5, before September 30 of the year the training starts. The candidate holds a pleasure craft operator card on the first day of training, in mid-August.

Where the DEP is taught

The Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec is an institution of the Centre de services scolaire de Laval. Its main building is at 1740, montée Masson. The CFP de Neufchâtel is part of the Centre de services scolaire de la Capitale. It is at 3400, avenue Chauveau, in Quebec City. Its 2026-2027 brochure states that the training is offered there in partnership with the IPIQ.

Only one application for admission is allowed, for Laval or for Neufchâtel. The Inforoute FPT list also names private institutions, in Capitale-Nationale and in the Laurentides. This article does not cover them.

Limited enrolment and admission tests

The IPIQ announces a new admission process for the 2027-2028 school year. Training starts in August 2027. The process has three steps.

  • Registration, from Monday, February 1, 2027 at 8 a.m. to Friday, February 5, 2027 at 4 p.m., through the AdmissionFP file or in person at the IPIQ office
  • Physical tests and a collaborative workshop, on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11, 2027 in Laval
  • Psychometric tests, online, in May 2027 on a date to be confirmed

In Laval, no more than 1,200 complete and compliant applications move on to the second step. Above that number, the IPIQ holds a random draw.

For the Neufchâtel building, the page says "Details to come" at each step.

Fees

No amount is published for the August 2027 cohort. On October 11, 2026, the IPIQ group profile on Inforoute FPT leaves the "Cost (including materials)" field blank. The IPIQ page gives no amount. It states that the training is eligible for student financial assistance.

What the DEP allows

Section 3 of the Règlement sur les conditions pour exercer au sein d'un service de sécurité incendie municipal sets the firefighter's basic training. The text, up to date as of June 1, 2026, provides for three qualifications.

Population served by the fire departmentQualification required
Fewer than 25,000 peopleFirefighter I certificate from the École nationale des pompiers du Québec, or the DEP
From 25,000 to 200,000 peopleFirefighter II certificate from the École, or the DEP
More than 200,000 peopleThe DEP, the attestation of vocational specialization in Fire Intervention (Intervention en cas d'incendie) or a recognized equivalent

Source: LégisQuébec, chapter S-3.4, r. 1, section 3.

So the DEP is not required from 25,000 inhabitants. At that threshold, the regulation asks for the Firefighter II certificate. The DEP becomes the required path when the fire department serves more than 200,000 people.

In fire departments of 200,000 people or fewer, a person may act as an apprentice for no more than 48 consecutive months after hiring, while obtaining the qualification. This period does not exist above 200,000 people.

Sections 4, 5 and 6 exempt the DEP holder from three certificates of the École: Pumper Operator, Aerial Apparatus Operator and Extrication.

This text summarizes public documents. It is not legal advice or union advice.

Further reading

Did you like this article?

Share this article

Facebook LinkedIn Reddit X Email

Frequently asked questions

Where is the firefighter DEP taught?

Inforoute FPT names two public centres: the Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, of the Centre de services scolaire de Laval, and the CFP de Neufchâtel, of the Centre de services scolaire de la Capitale, in Quebec City.

What studies are needed to become a firefighter in Quebec?

Regulation S-3.4, r. 1 asks for the Firefighter I certificate in a fire department serving fewer than 25,000 people and the Firefighter II certificate from 25,000 to 200,000 people. The DEP in Fire Safety Intervention replaces these two certificates. It is required above 200,000 people.

How long is the DEP to become a firefighter in Montreal?

The DEP lasts 1,185 hours, whatever the city where the graduate will work. The public centre for the Montreal area is the IPIQ, in Laval, which spreads these hours over 10 months full time.

How long does firefighter training take?

Program 5322 has 1,185 hours and 79 credits. The IPIQ offers it in 10 months in Laval and the CFP de Neufchâtel advertises it over 11 months, with a 2-week internship.

What is the average salary of a firefighter in Quebec?

The program profile on Inforoute FPT shows an average salary of $40.00 for the firefighter occupation, on October 11, 2026. It specifies neither the period nor the unit of this amount.

What does "dep sécurité" mean?

DEP stands for diplôme d'études professionnelles, a Diploma of Vocational Studies. For firefighters, it is the DEP in Fire Safety Intervention, program 5322, of 1,185 hours.

Did you like this article?

Share this article

Facebook LinkedIn Reddit X Email

Sources

Read also