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Montreal firefighter: the SIM, hiring and fire stations

Montreal has 2,406 firefighters in 2025. Hiring requirements, the 2023 salary scale, fire stations and how to contact the SIM.

November 6, 2026 · By the Agent Pompier editorial team · Lire en français

Jobs

The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM), Montreal's fire department, has 2,406 firefighters and 66 fire stations in 2025, according to its 2025 activity report. To become a Montreal firefighter, you need a DEP (Diploma of Vocational Studies) and a DEC (college diploma) in fire safety, plus a class 4A driver's licence. The full path to become a firefighter in Quebec is in our main page. This text applies to women and men firefighters in Montreal alike.

The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal at a glance

The SIM protects the Montreal agglomeration, a territory of 498 km². It serves 2,172,000 people in 2025, according to the report. The 66 fire stations are joined by a summer service point on Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame.

Indicator	2025
Firefighters	2,406
Total staff	2,803
Fire stations	66, plus 1 summer service point
Budget	$408.6 million
Interventions	140,406
Of which first responder calls	82,846

Source: Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Rapport des activités 2025, tables 1 to 3.

Becoming a firefighter in Montreal

The SIM's general hiring conditions have two requirements. The first is three years of integrated fire safety training: a one-year DEP in Fire Safety Intervention and a two-year DEC in Fire Safety Techniques. The second is a valid class 4A driver's licence.

The Règlement sur les conditions pour exercer au sein d'un service de sécurité incendie municipal (chapter S-3.4, r. 1), up to date as of July 1, 2026, sets the minimum. Its section 3 requires the DEP in Fire Safety Intervention or its equivalent. The École nationale des pompiers du Québec (ENPQ) certificates Firefighter I and Firefighter II only apply to a fire department that serves fewer than 200,000 people. The SIM serves more than 2 million people. The DEP, program 5322, has 1,185 hours and 79 units according to Inforoute FPT. See the article firefighter DEP.

The hiring process

The SIM's page « Les étapes préalables à l'embauche » (steps before hiring) describes six steps.

Submitting the application, only during the posting period of a recruitment competition
The psychometric test, which eliminates candidates who fail it
The skills interview, which eliminates candidates who fail it
The physical aptitude test, in two elimination parts: cardiovascular capacity and a timed course
Pre-employment checks: criminal record, medical exam, driver's licence, authenticity of diplomas and references
The overall review of the file

The SIM writes that passing every step does not guarantee a job offer.

A Montreal firefighter's salary

The most recent published scale is the one in the 2018-2024 collective agreement between the City of Montreal and the Association des pompiers de Montréal. It runs from $50,808 a year (about $23.18 an hour) to $88,367 a year (about $40.32 an hour) on January 1, 2023. The agreement provides that from January 1, 2024, rates rise with the Montreal consumer price index, by at least 1.5% and at most 2.15%.

Firefighter class	Annual salary on January 1, 2023	Hourly rate
Firefighter 5A, 0 to 12 months	$50,808	$23.18
Firefighter 5B, 13 to 18 months	$53,020	$24.19
Firefighter 4, 19 to 30 months	$61,856	$28.22
Firefighter 3, 31 to 42 months	$70,694	$32.26
Firefighter 2, 43 to 54 months	$79,531	$36.29
Firefighter 1, more than 54 months	$88,367	$40.32

Source: City of Montreal, collective agreement for firefighters 2018-2024, paragraph 2.01. Annual salaries on the scale, before premiums. The hourly rate is a calculation by the editorial team: the annual salary divided by 42 hours a week multiplied by 52.18 weeks.

The City of Montreal's human resources department confirmed in writing on November 2, 2026 that a new collective agreement is about to be ratified. The new scales are not yet available. Our page firefighter salary in Quebec has the scales of Quebec City, Longueuil and other cities.

A Montreal firefighter's schedule

The agreement sets the work week at 42 hours on average, over a 4-week cycle and four platoons. The work day lasts 24 hours and starts at 7 a.m. The details are in the article firefighter schedule.

Montreal's fire stations

The SIM has 66 fire stations in 2025. Two places list them. The SIM's fire station map offers a postal code search and a list mode. The data set Casernes de pompiers sur l'île de Montréal, published by the City of Montreal under a CC-BY 4.0 licence, holds the fire station coordinates in CSV and GeoJSON. Données Québec showed it as modified on November 5, 2026.

Contacting the SIM

For any emergency, dial 9-1-1. The page Nous joindre gives 514 872-3800 for general information, reports and inspections. Calls are taken Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Association des pompiers de Montréal

The Association des pompiers de Montréal is the union of the SIM's firefighters. It is the other party to the 2018-2024 collective agreement with the City of Montreal. This text summarizes public documents. It is neither legal advice nor union advice.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a firefighter's salary in Montreal?

The most recent published scale runs from $50,808 to $88,367 a year on January 1, 2023, or about $23.18 to $40.32 an hour on 42 hours a week. The new scales are not yet available.

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

The DEP in Fire Safety Intervention has 1,185 hours and 79 units. Inforoute FPT gives an approximate length of 15 months. The SIM asks for this one-year DEP, then the two-year DEC in Fire Safety Techniques.

What studies are needed to become a firefighter?

Regulation S-3.4, r. 1 requires the DEP in Fire Safety Intervention or its equivalent. In Montreal, the SIM asks for the DEP and the DEC, which is three years of training.

What is a Canadian firefighter's salary?

Job Bank gives a median wage of $45.79 an hour for firefighters in Canada, with a low of $29.00 and a high of $61.40, for 2023-2024. That is about $95,573 a year on 40 hours a week, a calculation by the editorial team.

How many fire stations are there in Montreal?

The SIM's 2025 activity report counts 66 fire stations and one summer service point.

What is the phone number of the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal?

The number for general information, reports and inspections is 514 872-3800, Monday to Friday. For an emergency, dial 9-1-1.

Do Montreal firefighters work 24 hours?

Yes. The collective agreement provides for a 24-hour work day that starts at 7 a.m. The average week is 42 hours, over a 4-week cycle.