Volunteer firefighter in Quebec: training, pay and tax credit

A volunteer firefighter in Quebec is a firefighter who works on call for the fire department of their municipality, most often on top of another job. Volunteer firefighters are paid by the hour: the MRC de La Matapédia advertises $19.28 to $28.56 an hour depending on training. They must obtain the Firefighter I certificate, a 255-hour training, within 48 months after hiring. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

Volunteer, part-time or on-call firefighter

Section 37 of the Fire Safety Act (chapter S-3.4) provides for three statuses: the service is provided by full-time firefighters, by part-time firefighters or by volunteer firefighters. Québec.ca, in its page updated on June 8, 2026, distinguishes them as follows.

• The volunteer firefighter works on call, usually holds another job and may be called to respond at any time
• The part-time firefighter may replace permanent firefighters for short periods, do on-duty periods at the fire station and be paid for on-duty periods at the fire station or in the territory

The required training: Firefighter I

Section 3 of 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 June 1, 2026, sets the required certificate according to the population served.

Source: LégisQuébec, chapter S-3.4, r. 1, section 3. The DEP (Diploma of Vocational Studies) in Fire Safety Intervention is accepted everywhere.

The training takes place after hiring. The same section allows a person to act as an apprentice, under the supervision of a qualified firefighter, for no more than 48 consecutive months from the date of hiring.

The École nationale des pompiers du Québec (ENPQ), Quebec's firefighter training school, states that the Firefighter I program lasts 255 hours in total. To be admitted, candidates must have a minimum reading ability. Québec.ca specifies that firefighters may receive some pay during this training.

A volunteer firefighter's pay

Québec.ca writes that volunteer firefighters are paid for the hours they work. Here are two rates published by municipal employers.

Sources: recruitment page of the MRC de La Matapédia and job posting published by the Municipality of Kinnear's Mills, consulted on October 11, 2026. Neither document is dated.

Neither document gives a fixed amount per call or an annual income.

The tax credit for volunteer firefighters

Two non-refundable tax credits exist, one in Quebec and one at the federal level. Both require at least 200 hours of eligible services in the year. The published amounts are for the 2025 taxation year.

• Revenu Québec, line 390: a credit of $756.56, or 14% of an amount of $5,404
• Canada Revenue Agency, line 31220: an amount of $6,000 to enter on the federal return

Emergency responses, being available to respond, department meetings and mandatory training count toward the hours. Revenu Québec excludes a person who replaces permanent firefighters for short periods, a person who does on-duty periods at the fire station and a person who is paid for on-duty periods in the territory.

At the federal level, the volunteer firefighter may instead choose an income exemption of $1,000 per eligible employer. They cannot claim both. In Quebec, the non-taxable pay shown in box L-2 of the RL-1 slip, which can reach $1,380, must be included in income to be entitled to the credit.

The main job is protected by law

Section 154 of the Fire Safety Act, up to date as of August 12, 2026, targets an employer who prevents an employee from acting as a firefighter called on an occasional basis, or who punishes them for having done so. The section names, among other things, reprisals, suspension and dismissal. An employer at fault is liable to a fine of $200 to $1,000, unless it proves a good and sufficient reason.

This protection has two conditions. The firefighter must have informed the employer of their duties and must notify the employer when a call forces them to leave work or prevents them from reporting to work. A person who believes they are the victim of such a measure may bring a claim before the Tribunal administratif du travail.

This text summarizes public documents. It is neither legal advice, tax advice nor union advice.

How to apply in your municipality

Québec.ca states that fire departments post their openings on their website and social media. You can also contact your local department directly. The Saint-Jacques-de-Leeds and Kinnear's Mills posting gives an example.

• Live in the territory or within 10 kilometres of the fire station
• Hold a class 4A driver's licence or commit to obtaining one within 3 months after hiring
• Have no judicial impediment related to the job
• Pass an interview, then a medical test

Further reading

• Working as a firefighter in Quebec: all the employers
• Firefighter jobs in Quebec: where to apply and how hiring works
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec (ENPQ): Firefighter I, registration, exams and Mon dossier
• Firefighter salary in Quebec: the Quebec City and Montreal pay scales

Frequently asked questions

What does a volunteer firefighter earn in Quebec?

Volunteer firefighters are paid by the hour, at their municipality's rate. The MRC de La Matapédia advertises $19.28 to $28.56 an hour depending on training level. Saint-Jacques-de-Leeds and Kinnear's Mills offer $24.66 an hour.

What are the requirements to become a volunteer firefighter?

The regulation requires the Firefighter I certificate in a department serving fewer than 25,000 people, and recruits have 48 months after hiring to obtain it. Each municipality adds its own conditions, such as place of residence, a class 4A licence and a medical test.

How does a volunteer firefighter work?

According to Québec.ca, volunteer firefighters work on call and usually hold another job. The MRC de La Matapédia specifies that its firefighters do not have to answer every call, but they must meet a percentage of attendance at emergency responses and training.

What are the benefits of being a volunteer firefighter?

Volunteer firefighters are paid for their hours and trained on the job. With 200 hours of eligible services in the year, they are entitled to a credit of $756.56 in Quebec and a federal amount of $6,000, according to the 2025 figures. Section 154 of the Fire Safety Act protects their main job.

How is a volunteer firefighter paid?

They are paid by the hour by the municipality, MRC or intermunicipal board that employs them. At the MRC de La Matapédia, the pay covers calls and other work done for the department, and conditions are governed by the collective agreement.

Can you become a firefighter without a diploma?

Yes, in a department serving 200,000 people or fewer. The regulation allows you to be hired as an apprentice, then obtain the required certificate within 48 months. The Firefighter I program requires a minimum reading ability.

How do you become a volunteer firefighter in Quebec?

You apply to your municipality's fire department, which posts its openings on its website. Once hired, you take the 255-hour Firefighter I program.

Sources

• LégisQuébec, Règlement sur les conditions pour exercer au sein d'un service de sécurité incendie municipal, chapter S-3.4, r. 1, section 3, up to date as of June 1, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Fire Safety Act, chapter S-3.4, sections 37 and 154, up to date as of August 12, 2026
• Gouvernement du Québec, Devenir pompière ou pompier au Québec, up to date as of June 8, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Pompier I, program description, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Revenu Québec, Ligne 390, Crédit d'impôt pour pompier volontaire et pour volontaire participant à des opérations de recherche et de sauvetage, 2025 taxation year, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Canada Revenue Agency, Montant pour les pompiers volontaires et Montant pour les volontaires en recherche et sauvetage, 2025 taxation year, consulted on October 11, 2026
• MRC de La Matapédia, Recrutement, Pompiers et pompières à temps partiel, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Municipality of Kinnear's Mills, Offre d'emploi, Pompier(ère) à temps partiel, municipalities of Saint-Jacques-de-Leeds and Kinnear's Mills, undated document, consulted on October 11, 2026