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Since May 1, 2025, 15 cancers have been presumed to be linked to firefighter work in Quebec, under Schedule A of the Regulation respecting occupational diseases, up to date as of July 1, 2026. The link with the job is then presumed: a firefighter who meets the conditions of the regulation does not have to prove it.

This text applies to all firefighters, women and men. Employers and job types are covered in our page on working as a firefighter.

The occupational disease presumption

Section 29 of the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (chapter A-3.001) creates this presumption for a disease listed by regulation. On the day of the diagnosis, the worker must meet the special conditions tied to that disease.

For firefighters, Schedule A of the regulation sets these conditions.

• Exposure to fire gas and smoke during operations to control the fire, during clearing or during the investigation after the fire is out
• Being or having been a full-time or part-time operational firefighter employed by a city or a municipality
• A diagnosis made after a minimum length of employment that varies by cancer, except for non-pulmonary mesothelioma
• For lung cancer and cancer of the larynx, not having smoked in the 10 years before the diagnosis

The 15 cancers and the years of service required

Source: Regulation respecting occupational diseases, Schedule A, Division VIII, up to date as of July 1, 2026.

According to document DC100-2226-3B of the CNESST (Quebec's labour standards and workplace safety board), the presumption applies to claims received after October 6, 2021 for the first nine cancers in the table. For the last six, it is after May 1, 2025.

A cancer that is not on the list

A firefighter who does not meet these conditions can still file a claim. Under section 30 of the Act, the firefighter must show the CNESST that the disease is characteristic of the work or directly related to its particular risks.

The difference is the burden of proof. Without the presumption, the worker must establish the link.

Filing a claim with the CNESST

The CNESST page Quoi faire si vous êtes atteint d'une maladie professionnelle? describes four steps.

• See a health professional, who provides the medical certificate
• Notify the employer quickly and give them a copy of the certificate
• Fill out the Réclamation du travailleur (worker's claim) and the schedule that matches the medical situation, online in MonEspace CNESST, then give a copy to the employer
• Attend the medical examinations requested

Deadlines

Section 272 gives six months to file the claim. The deadline runs from the moment the worker learns that they have an occupational disease.

According to the CNESST, it starts when the diagnosis is made and the worker realizes the probable link between the disease and the work.

Section 31.1 adds a limit. If the claim is filed more than three years after the diagnosis, the date the disease appeared and the date the worker became unable to work are deemed to be the date the claim was filed, for calculating certain benefits. The CNESST can extend a deadline if the person shows a reasonable motive (section 352).

Contesting a decision

A review of a CNESST decision must be requested within 30 days of being notified of the decision (section 358). The review decision can be contested before the Tribunal administratif du travail within 60 days of being notified (section 359).

Benefits at a glance

If the firefighter is still employed and becomes unable to work, the employer pays 90% of their net salary for each day they would have worked, for the 14 full days that follow (section 60). After that, the Act provides:

• The income replacement indemnity, equal to 90% of the weighted net income the worker derives annually from the employment (section 45). It ends, among other cases, on the worker's 68th birthday, or four years after the start of the inability if the injury occurs at age 64 or older (section 57)
• Health services tied to the injury (section 189)
• An indemnity for bodily injury in case of permanent impairment (section 83)
• In case of death, a lump sum and a pension to the spouse equal to 55% of the income replacement indemnity (sections 98 and 101)

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

Frequently asked questions

Is cancer an occupational disease?

Yes, in some cases. A cancer is an occupational disease if the regulation presumes it or if the worker shows its link with the work. For firefighters, 15 cancers have had the presumption since May 1, 2025.

Which cancers are recognized for firefighters?

The regulation names 15: lung or pulmonary mesothelioma, non-pulmonary mesothelioma, kidney, bladder, larynx, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanoma, prostate, brain, colorectal, leukemia, esophagus, breast and testicle. Their minimum lengths of employment go up to 20 years.

What is the occupational disease table for cancer?

In Quebec, it is Division VIII of Schedule A of the Regulation respecting occupational diseases, reproduced in the table above.

Which occupational diseases are recognized in Quebec?

Schedule A of the regulation groups them in eight divisions, including diseases caused by chemical agents, skin diseases, mental disorders and oncological diseases. A disease that is not on the list can also be recognized.

What are the cancer risks for firefighters?

According to the CNESST, exposure to fire gas and smoke is the main cause of cancer among firefighters. It writes that these substances settle on turnout gear.

What are your rights at work if you have cancer?

If the cancer is recognized, section 32 of the Act prohibits the employer from dismissing, suspending or penalizing the worker for that reason. The worker is also entitled to the indemnities and health services set out in the Act.

Sources

• LégisQuébec, Regulation respecting occupational diseases, chapter A-3.001, r. 8.1, sections 1 and 2 and Schedule A, up to date as of July 1, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases, chapter A-3.001, sections 29, 30, 31.1, 32, 45, 57, 60, 83, 98, 101, 189, 272, 352, 358 and 359, up to date as of October 15, 2026
• CNESST, Admissibilité d'une réclamation attribuable à certains cancers chez les pompiers, DC100-2226-3B, July 2025, published September 3, 2025, consulted on November 10, 2026
• CNESST, Quoi faire si vous êtes atteint d'une maladie professionnelle?, undated page, consulted on November 10, 2026
• CNESST, Luttons contre le cancer chez les pompières et pompiers, undated page, consulted on November 10, 2026

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.

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%.

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.

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.

Sources

• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Rapport des activités 2025, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Conditions générales d'embauche, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Les étapes préalables à l'embauche, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Nous joindre, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Carte des casernes, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Ville de Montréal, Convention collective entre la Ville de Montréal et l'Association des pompiers de Montréal inc., 1er janvier 2018 au 31 décembre 2024, paragraphs 2.01 and 4.01, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Données Québec, Ville de Montréal, Casernes de pompiers sur l'île de Montréal, consulted on November 6, 2026
• 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 July 1, 2026
• Compétences Québec, Inforoute FPT, Intervention en sécurité incendie (DEP 5322), consulted on November 6, 2026
• Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank, Pompiers/pompières au Canada, updated November 19, 2025, consulted on November 6, 2026

A sound wave fire extinguisher puts out a flame with low-frequency waves instead of water or powder. The idea made two George Mason University students known in 2015. It is back today with Sonic Fire Tech, a company selling an infrasound-based home protection system. Here is what the primary sources say, without the promises of the videos.

How sound can put out a flame

Sound is a pressure wave. Air is compressed then released, dozens of times per second. US patent US10569115B2 describes this back-and-forth motion as a way to move the air around a fire. The wave thins and disperses the narrow layer where fuel meets oxygen. Without that mix, the flame cannot hold.

Low frequencies do the work. The two George Mason students first thought big high-frequency speakers would be enough. They found the opposite, the university reports. The patent covers a range of about 20 to 160 Hz.

The George Mason prototype in 2015

Viet Tran and Seth Robertson were senior electrical and computer engineering students at George Mason University, in Virginia. Their senior design project was a 20-pound extinguisher, about 9 kg. They paid US$600 out of their own pockets. The university presented it on February 5, 2015.

The two students saw the device on a drone above a forest fire, in an urban fire or in space. It leaves no chemicals and no water damage. The resulting patent was granted on February 25, 2020. It belongs to the company Force SV and uses isopropyl alcohol flames in its examples.

Sonic Fire Tech, the home system

Sonic Fire Tech describes itself as a company founded by former NASA acoustics engineers. Its home defense system pairs UL-certified infrared sensors with infrasound emitters, sounds too low for human or pet ears. According to the company, the waves break the chemical chain reaction of combustion and keep embers from reigniting. The system uses no water. It is installed by professionals.

The company website publishes no test report. It gives no frequency, no maximum fire size and no certification as a suppression system.

What it changes for firefighters

Nothing for now. In Quebec, water, foam and the portable extinguisher remain the recognized tools. For the home, Québec.ca recommends a dry chemical extinguisher rated at least 2A 10B C. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are still required by the Safety Code. What to buy and install is in fire prevention at home.

Sound has physical limits. It pushes air without cooling the fuel. A hot ember can reignite. Published tests involve small flames. A building fire is another matter.

Further reading

• Fire extinguisher for the home
• Smoke detector: what the law requires in Quebec

Frequently asked questions

Can you put out a fire with sound?

A small flame, yes. The George Mason students showed it in 2015 with low-frequency waves. No public test shows a room fire put out by sound alone.

What frequency puts out a fire?

Low frequencies. Patent US10569115B2 covers about 20 to 160 Hz. Sonic Fire Tech says it uses infrasound, below the threshold of human hearing.

Does a sound wave extinguisher replace a regular one?

No. No sound wave extinguisher carries a rating like 2A 10B C. Québec.ca still recommends a dry chemical extinguisher for the home.

Sources

• George Mason University, College of Engineering and Computing, Pump Up the Bass To Douse a Blaze: Mason Students' Invention Fights Fires, February 5, 2015
• Google Patents, US10569115B2, Methods and systems for disrupting phenomena with waves, granted February 25, 2020, accessed October 28, 2026
• Sonic Fire Tech, How it Works, undated page, accessed October 28, 2026
• Government of Quebec, Extincteur d'incendie pour la maison, updated October 10, 2025

The Académie des pompiers, a private firefighter school in Mirabel, lists tuition of $23,250 for its 1,185-hour firefighter DEP, according to its admission page consulted on October 27, 2026. The full path to become a firefighter, from training to hiring, is in our main page. The program itself is detailed in the article firefighter DEP. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

What the Académie des pompiers is

The Académie des pompiers is a private institution. Its history page traces it back to 1979. It became private in 1997 and writes that it received the Ministry of Education's approval in 2001 to deliver the DEP (Diploma of Vocational Studies) in Fire Safety Intervention.

Inforoute FPT lists it under « Établissements privés » (private institutions), in the Laurentides region. The list for program 5322 also includes an entry « Académie des pompiers, campus Targe ». The administrative offices are at 9401, Côte des Saints, in Mirabel. The training fire station is at 9577, rue Saint-Vincent.

The information in this text comes from the school's own website. It is the school's own data, not that of a public body.

Programs offered

Source: Académie des pompiers, pages « Programme DEP » and « Formations municipales », consulted on October 27, 2026.

The DEP

The DEP has 25 competencies and 79 credits, the school writes. It adds more than 100 hours of workplace internship to the training. Inforoute FPT gives the same length of 1,185 hours and 79 units. It puts the length at about 15 months, while the school announces 10 months. The program is given in French.

Municipal training

The municipal training page names, among others, height rescue, confined space rescue, first responders (RIC 1-2-3), water rescue and hazardous materials. It gives neither a length nor a price.

Fees

The admission page lists these amounts for a Canadian citizen.

Source: Académie des pompiers, admission page, consulted on October 27, 2026. Our editorial team adds these five items up to $25,512, with taxes extra on the uniform only.

Tuition is paid in two instalments of $11,625: on the first day of school, then five months after the start. The school refers to the Government of Quebec's student financial assistance and gives its institution code and the program code 05322. That assistance depends on each person's file.

The school also houses students. Its student residences page announces 44 places at $450 a month in double occupancy, with a $450 security deposit and a 9-month lease.

Admission requirements

The school asks for four things.

• A secondary school diploma, in progress or the equivalent, with a pass in Secondary 4 French, English and mathematics
• A valid driver's licence, learner's and probationary licences accepted
• Being at least 16 years old at the start of the school year
• The pleasure craft operator card, to have in hand at the start of classes

The file also includes the large-format birth certificate, a résumé, a declaration of good health and an optometrist's report from the past year. Everything is uploaded to the admission platform. The school refuses documents sent by mail or email.

Applicants then take tests with an estimated length of 4 hours. They include a physical course, a height comfort test on a ladder at 40 feet and an interview. The school writes that acceptance rests on the overall score of the tests.

The page lists an admission period from January 20, 2026, at 3 p.m. to May 14, 2026, at 8 a.m., with tests spread between May 15 and 31, 2026. On October 27, 2026, it gives no date for the next cohort. Check the page before submitting an application.

Frequently asked questions

Quel est le prix d'une inscription à l'Académie des pompiers ? (What does registration at the Académie des pompiers cost?)

The admission fee is $50 and the registration fee is $200, both non-refundable. Tuition is added, at $23,250, with the uniform at $1,100 and the equipment at $912. These amounts come from the school's admission page, consulted on October 27, 2026.

Quelle est la durée du DEP pour devenir pompier ? (How long is the DEP to become a firefighter?)

The DEP in Fire Safety Intervention is 1,185 hours. The Académie des pompiers announces 10 months, with more than 100 hours of internship. Inforoute FPT gives an approximate length of 15 months for the program.

Quel est le prix d'une formation de pompier ? (How much does firefighter training cost?)

At the Académie des pompiers, DEP tuition is $23,250 as of October 27, 2026. The total of the five listed items reaches $25,512 by our calculation. The prices of other schools can be checked on their own pages.

Quel est le salaire d'un pompier ? (What is a firefighter's salary?)

The Job Bank puts the median hourly wage of Quebec firefighters at $40.17 for 2023-2024, updated on November 19, 2025. Its low wage is $20.83 and its high wage $50.00. City pay scales are in our page firefighter salary.

Quel est le salaire moyen d'un pompier au Québec ? (What is the average firefighter salary in Quebec?)

The Job Bank does not publish an average, only a median wage of $40.17 an hour for Quebec in 2023-2024. A firefighter's pay depends on the city and the step.

Where is the Académie des pompiers?

The offices are at 9401, Côte des Saints, in Mirabel (J7N 2X4). The training fire station is at 9577, rue Saint-Vincent, in Mirabel (J7N 2V6), telephone 450 258-4460. The student residences are less than a kilometre from the training fire station, the school writes.

What training do you need to become a firefighter?

Section 3 of the Règlement sur les conditions pour exercer au sein d'un service de sécurité incendie municipal, up to date as of July 1, 2026, requires the DEP in Fire Safety Intervention or its recognized equivalent. In a department serving fewer than 25,000 people, the Firefighter I certificate is enough. Between 25,000 and 200,000 people, the Firefighter II certificate is enough. Both certificates come from the École nationale des pompiers du Québec (ENPQ), Quebec's firefighter training school.

This text summarizes public documents. It is neither legal advice nor union advice. It recommends no school and ranks none.

Sources

• Académie des pompiers (private school), Admission, 2026 admission period and fees, consulted on October 27, 2026
• Académie des pompiers, Programme DEP, consulted on October 27, 2026
• Académie des pompiers, Formations municipales, consulted on October 27, 2026
• Académie des pompiers, Histoire, consulted on October 27, 2026
• Académie des pompiers, Prêts et bourses, consulted on October 27, 2026
• Académie des pompiers, Résidences étudiantes, consulted on October 27, 2026
• Compétences Québec, Inforoute FPT, Intervention en sécurité incendie (DEP 5322), consulted on October 27, 2026
• Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank, Pompiers/pompières au Québec, updated November 19, 2025, consulted on October 27, 2026
• 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 July 1, 2026

The IPIQ, the Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, is the public firefighter school in Laval. It accepts applications to its firefighter DEP from February 1 to 5, 2027, and at most 1,200 applications move on to the tests, according to its program page consulted on October 20, 2026. It belongs to the Centre de services scolaire de Laval. The full path to become a firefighter, from Firefighter I to the hiring process, is in our page become a firefighter. The program itself is detailed in the article firefighter DEP. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

What the IPIQ is

The Institute is a vocational training centre of the Centre de services scolaire de Laval. Inforoute FPT lists it under that school service centre, under the name « C.F.P.(IPIQ) ». It is not a private school.

Its 50th anniversary article, dated November 28, 2025, places its creation in 1976 in Laval. The current building, at 1740, montée Masson, dates from 2007. The Neufchâtel training hub, in Quebec City, opened in 2005. Inforoute FPT attaches the Centre de formation professionnelle de Neufchâtel to the Centre de services scolaire de la Capitale.

Programs offered

Source: ipiqlaval.com and macarrieresedessine.com, sites of the Centre de services scolaire de Laval, consulted on October 20, 2026.

The DEP in Fire Safety Intervention

The DEP has 25 competencies, for 1,185 hours and 79 credits, according to the program profile on Inforoute FPT. The IPIQ delivers it in 10 months full time, with a workplace internship. The training is 56% hands-on and 44% theory, writes the Institute. It is eligible for student financial assistance. The IPIQ publishes no fee amount for the August 2027 cohort.

Recognition of prior learning

A part-time or volunteer firefighter can obtain DEP 5322 through recognition of prior learning and competencies, without redoing the whole program. The support service is free, writes the IPIQ. The application goes through AdmissionFP. On October 20, 2026, the page states that no RAC group is offered for now. The page names six regions where cohorts are given part time, evenings and weekends, including Laval, Quebec City, the Outaouais and the Bas-Saint-Laurent. Part-time firefighters are covered in the article volunteer firefighter.

Continuing education

The IPIQ offers continuing education with Formation Korpus, the business services arm of the Centre de services scolaire de Laval. On October 20, 2026, its list has 39 courses. It includes First Responder 1, 2 and 3 (Premier répondant), Extrication (Désincarcération) and a pre-employment physical aptitude test.

DEP admission requirements

The applicant meets one of the academic conditions of the program profile: a secondary school diploma or its equivalent, or age 16 by September 30 with Secondary IV credits in French, English and mathematics, or age 18 with the general development test and the prerequisites. The IPIQ adds four requirements.

• A SAAQ driver's licence, probationary or class 5, before September 30 of the year the training starts
• The pleasure craft operator card, on the first day of training, in mid-August
• Physical tests, a collaborative exercise and psychometric tests
• The required documents, submitted on time

Only one application is allowed, for Laval or for Neufchâtel.

2027-2028 admission calendar

Source: IPIQ, DEP in Fire Safety Intervention page, consulted on October 20, 2026. For Neufchâtel, the page says « Détails à venir » (details to come).

The application is made in the AdmissionFP file or in person at the office. The IPIQ refuses applications by mail or email. An incomplete or illegible application is not processed. If more than 1,200 complete and compliant applications arrive in Laval, a random draw selects the 1,200 applications invited to the tests.

The required documents include the long-form birth certificate, the last secondary school report card, the driver's licence, a résumé, a cover letter and proof of residence in Quebec.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the IPIQ?

The IPIQ's main building is at 1740, montée Masson, in Laval (door 14, H7C 0K4). In Quebec City, the program is given at the Centre de formation professionnelle de Neufchâtel, which the IPIQ calls its Neufchâtel building.

How do I register at the IPIQ?

For the August 2027 cohort, DEP applications run from February 1, 2027 at 8 a.m. to February 5, 2027 at 4 p.m. The application goes through the AdmissionFP file or is handed in person at the office, with all the required documents.

When is the next IPIQ open house?

The open house takes place on Wednesday, January 13, 2027, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the main building in Laval. Registration is required. A virtual information session takes place on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 7 p.m., and its presentation is online from October 22.

What are the IPIQ's opening hours?

The DEP page gives the centre's opening hours for handing in applications at the office: 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The DEP itself is offered day and evening, according to the same page.

Where is the firefighter DEP given?

Inforoute FPT names two public centres for DEP 5322: the IPIQ, in Laval, and the Centre de formation professionnelle de Neufchâtel, in Quebec City. The list also includes private schools.

What training is required to become a firefighter with a DEP?

Section 3 of the Règlement sur les conditions pour exercer au sein d'un service de sécurité incendie municipal, up to date as of July 1, 2026, requires the DEP in Fire Safety Intervention, or its equivalent, in a fire department serving more than 200,000 people. Below that threshold, the Firefighter I or Firefighter II certificate of the École nationale des pompiers du Québec is enough, depending on the population served. The DEP is recognized everywhere.

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

Sources

• Centre de services scolaire de Laval, Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, DEP Intervention en sécurité incendie à Laval, 2027-2028 admission process, consulted on October 20, 2026
• Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, L'Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, consulted on October 20, 2026
• Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, L'IPIQ célèbre 50 ans d'excellence en formation, November 28, 2025, consulted on October 20, 2026
• Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, Reconnaissance des acquis et des compétences (RAC), consulted on October 20, 2026
• Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, Formation continue à l'IPIQ, consulted on October 20, 2026
• Centre de services scolaire de Laval, Agent de sécurité, formation courte offerte à l'IPIQ, consulted on October 20, 2026
• Compétences Québec, Inforoute FPT, Intervention en sécurité incendie (DEP 5322), program approved in 2007 and amended in 2009, consulted on October 20, 2026
• 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 July 1, 2026

Quebec fire statistics show an average of 16,689 reported fires per year, according to the statistics on fires reported in 2021 and 2022 (Statistiques sur les incendies déclarés en 2021 et en 2022), the most recent published by the government. These fires caused an average of 41 deaths and 308 injuries per year. Fire departments (services de sécurité incendie, SSI) reported 16,907 fires in 2021 and 16,471 in 2022.

Where these numbers come from

The Fire Safety Act requires municipalities and insurers to report fires to the minister. The report on 2021 and 2022 was published in October 2025 under the name of the ministère de la Sécurité publique. Québec.ca now lists it under the ministère de la Sécurité intérieure. Deaths come from the reports of the Bureau du coroner. As of October 19, 2026, Québec.ca offers no more recent report on reported fires.

Fires in Quebec in 2021 and 2022

The number of fires fell 2.6% from 2021 to 2022, mostly among outdoor fires. The report links this drop to heavier than normal rainfall in 2022. The 16,689 fires per year give a rate of 1.94 fires per 1,000 residents, compared with 2.04 in 2019 and 2020.

How many fires per day

At 16,689 fires per year, Quebec has more than 45 reported fires per day on average. For residential buildings alone, the report counts 4,951 damaged buildings per year, or 13.6 per day.

The trend over several years

• Fire departments reported 18,367 fires in 2020, the busiest year from 2014 to 2022
• From 2014 to 2022, the average exceeds 16,800 reported fires per year
• Quebec recorded an average of 45 deaths per year from 2014 to 2022, and the number of deaths fell 52.6% since 2014
• The number of people injured fell 30.6% since 2014

The state of fire safety report (état des lieux) published in April 2025 goes further back. The number of reported fires rises from 14,531 in 2003 to 18,390 in 2020. For 2020, the two official documents therefore give 18,367 and 18,390.

Who dies in fires

Of the 81 people who died in a fire in 2021 and 2022, 72% were men and 67% were 60 or older. People 60 and over have a death rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents.

Probable causes

Human error is the leading cause of building fires with losses. It includes the misuse of equipment or of a heat source.

In residential buildings, human error rises to 48.7% of cases.

The kitchen, first place of origin

In 2021 and 2022, 47.2% of residential building fires started in a living area. The kitchen alone is the place of origin for 24.1% of damaged residential buildings. Balconies and exterior walls follow with 13.2%, then yards and patios with 11.4%.

Smoke alarms

Of the 13,304 buildings damaged in 2021 and 2022, 22.7% had no smoke alarm. Only 35.4% had a smoke alarm in place that worked. In residential buildings, the share without a smoke alarm is 17.2%.

Property losses

Fire departments estimate property losses in damaged buildings at $553.78 million per year in 2021 and 2022, including $306.68 million for residential buildings. From 2016 to 2022, total estimated losses exceed $3.4 billion.

Firefighters and fire departments

According to the April 2025 report, Quebec had 20,394 firefighters in 2022. There were 5,607 full-time firefighters, 6,948 part-time and 7,839 volunteers. In April 2024, Quebec had 610 municipal and regional fire departments, including 34 intermunicipal boards (régies intermunicipales).

Further reading

• Smoke detector: what the law requires in Quebec
• Fire extinguisher
• Insurance claim after a fire

Frequently asked questions

How many fires are there per year in Quebec?

Fire departments reported an average of 16,689 fires per year in 2021 and 2022. The total was 16,907 in 2021 and 16,471 in 2022. That is more than 45 fires per day.

How many people die in fires each year in Quebec?

The Bureau du coroner recorded 45 deaths in 2021 and 36 in 2022, excluding vehicle fires. From 2014 to 2022, the average is 45 deaths per year. The number of deaths fell 52.6% since 2014.

What is the main cause of fires?

Human error, meaning the misuse of equipment or of a heat source. It accounts for 44.4% of building fires with losses in 2021 and 2022, and 48.7% in residential buildings. Mechanical or electrical failure comes second.

In which room of the house do most fires start?

The kitchen. It is the place of origin for 24.1% of residential buildings damaged by fire in 2021 and 2022.

Is the number of fires rising in Quebec?

The number of reported fires has trended upward since 2014, with a peak of 18,367 in 2020. The rate per 1,000 residents has trended downward instead, and 2022 had the lowest rate of the period. Deaths and injuries are also down.

How many firefighters are there in Quebec?

Quebec had 20,394 firefighters in 2022, including 5,114 officers. More than a third were volunteer firefighters (7,839).

Which region has the most fires in Quebec?

In 2021 and 2022, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean had the highest rate, with 2.78 fires per 1,000 residents. Abitibi-Témiscamingue follows with 2.58. Among large cities, Saguenay comes first with 2.96.

Sources

• Ministère de la Sécurité publique, Statistiques sur les incendies déclarés en 2021 et en 2022, October 2025, accessed October 19, 2026
• Ministère de la Sécurité publique, La sécurité incendie au Québec, état des lieux, April 2025, accessed October 19, 2026
• Gouvernement du Québec, Statistiques en sécurité incendie, ministère de la Sécurité intérieure, accessed October 19, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Fire Safety Act, chapter S-3.4, accessed October 19, 2026

Once the firefighter has left, fire damage restoration begins: securing, drying, cleaning, demolishing, then rebuilding. In Quebec, the Chambre de l'assurance de dommages writes that you are free to choose the contractor who will do the repairs. This text is for the insured and for anyone, woman or man, looking for a job in this field.

What a restoration company does

Québec.ca, in its job profile updated on June 19, 2026, writes that disaster restoration technicians restore property or buildings damaged during a loss. The work generally follows this order.

• Emergency measures, to keep the damage from getting worse
• Securing: doors locked, windows boarded up, damaged parts covered
• Drying and removing water-soaked materials
• Cleaning soot, dust and odours
• Demolishing the parts that cannot be saved, then rebuilding

The definition of a loss, the insurance claim and the claims adjuster's job are covered in other articles on the site.

The first steps after a fire

The Québec.ca page Incendie à la maison, updated on August 26, 2026, explains what to do. The fire department gives you a document called remise de propriété, and you must follow what it says.

• Inform your municipality, your insurer and the financial institution that granted the mortgage
• Make an inventory of the damage, with photos or videos
• Throw away materials soaked by the water used to put out the fire, such as drywall and glass wool

Who chooses the contractor

The Chambre de l'assurance de dommages answers in its page Quoi faire, étape par étape: you are free to choose the contractor or to do the repairs yourself. The insurer can suggest its suppliers, but the decision is yours.

The same page sets out three precautions. Do not make any permanent repair before talking to your insurer. Review the quotes and confirm the amounts allowed before authorizing the work. You are not required to sign the assignment of claim, which allows the insurer to pay the contractor directly.

The Régie du bâtiment licence

The Office de la protection du consommateur says so in a notice dated September 9, 2024: for demolition or rebuilding work, the company must hold a contractor's licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), Quebec's building authority.

The Registre des détenteurs de licence, on the RBQ website, lets you check a company.

The licence comes with a $40,000 bond for a general contractor and $20,000 for a specialized contractor. It is used to compensate the client for deposits paid, unfinished work, poor workmanship or defects discovered within 12 months after the work ends.

Asbestos and mould: the CNESST rules

Subdivision 3.23 of the Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction (chapter S-2.1, r. 4), up to date as of June 1, 2026, applies to any construction site where work may release asbestos dust. A material contains asbestos once its concentration reaches 0.1% (section 3.23.0.1). The employer identifies the types of asbestos present before starting the work (section 3.23.3). These materials are removed before any demolition (section 3.23.3.2).

For mould, the CNESST (Quebec's labour standards and workplace safety board) asks that abnormally damp materials be dried, cleaned, thrown away or replaced without delay.

Your consumer rights

The Office de la protection du consommateur asks for a detailed written contract for any restoration, renovation, demolition or rebuilding work.

A merchant who solicits you at home must hold an itinerant merchant permit from the Office. You can then cancel the contract, at no cost and without explanation, within 10 days. The Office specifies that this right does not exist for all renovation contracts.

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

Working in fire damage restoration

According to Québec.ca, a disaster restoration technician needs no specific training. The general construction site health and safety training certificate is required and a class 5 driver's licence is usually required.

Québec.ca classifies this job among specialized cleaners (NOC 65311). No official source publishes the pay specific to restoration, nor that of the labourer or the project manager.

Hourly wage of specialized cleaners in Quebec. Québec.ca, job profile updated on June 19, 2026. Job Bank, wages updated on November 19, 2025.

The Commission de la construction du Québec competency card depends on the site. Section 19 of Act R-20, up to date as of August 12, 2026, excludes maintenance, repair, renovation and modification of a dwelling done for a natural person who lives in it. The Commission wrote on June 15, 2017, that a house completely demolished, foundations included, then rebuilt falls under the Act: the workers there hold a competency certificate.

Further reading

• Loss: definition, reporting it to the insurer and the steps after a fire
• Claims adjuster in Quebec: the job, the training and the pay
• Fire extinguisher: which one to choose for the home, where to put it and when to refill it

Frequently asked questions

What should you do after a loss?

Québec.ca asks you to inform your municipality, your insurer and your mortgage lender, then to make an inventory of the damage with photos or videos. Do not make any permanent repair before talking to your insurer.

What is post-loss cleaning?

It is restoring the premises and property damaged by a fire, a flood or contamination, according to the Québec.ca job profile.

What is the average rate for cleaning after a loss?

No official source publishes an average rate. The Chambre de l'assurance de dommages asks you to review the quotes and confirm the amounts allowed before authorizing the work.

What is the best restoration company in Montreal?

There is no official ranking and this site recommends none. The RBQ's Registre des détenteurs de licence shows whether a company holds a valid licence and which subcategories it covers.

What product is recommended for cleaning after a loss?

Québec.ca says to clean dust and soot with soapy water, wearing gloves. Heavily soiled textiles go to a cleaning specialist.

What training do you need to work in fire damage restoration?

Québec.ca requires no specific training for a disaster restoration technician. The general construction site health and safety training certificate is required.

Sources

• Gouvernement du Québec, Incendie à la maison, up to date as of August 26, 2026
• Chambre de l'assurance de dommages, Quoi faire, étape par étape, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Vérifier la licence d'un entrepreneur, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Sous-catégories d'entrepreneur spécialisé, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Effectuer une réclamation au cautionnement, consulted on October 11, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction, chapter S-2.1, r. 4, subdivision 3.23, up to date as of June 1, 2026
• CNESST, Moisissures, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Office de la protection du consommateur, Travaux nécessaires à la suite d'une inondation : faire affaire avec un entrepreneur fiable à juste prix, September 9, 2024
• Office de la protection du consommateur, Annulation d'un contrat conclu, Rénovation résidentielle, up to date as of March 5, 2025
• Gouvernement du Québec, Techniciens / techniciennes en restauration après sinistre, up to date as of June 19, 2026
• Gouvernement du Québec, Nettoyeurs spécialisés / nettoyeuses spécialisées, NOC 65311, up to date as of June 19, 2026
• Job Bank, Nettoyeur spécialisé/nettoyeuse spécialisée au Québec, salaires, 2023-2024 reference period, wages updated on November 19, 2025
• LégisQuébec, Loi sur les relations du travail, la formation professionnelle et la gestion de la main-d'œuvre dans l'industrie de la construction, chapter R-20, section 19, up to date as of August 12, 2026
• Commission de la construction du Québec, Victime des inondations printanières ? Voici des réponses à vos questions, June 15, 2017

After a fire, the firefighter leaves and the claims adjuster arrives. In Quebec, this professional investigates the loss, estimates the damage and negotiates the settlement with the insured. The adjuster holds a certificate from the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), Quebec's financial markets regulator. The median wage in Quebec is $32.97 an hour according to Job Bank, in its November 19, 2025 update. This text applies to women and men alike.

What a claims adjuster does

Section 10 of the Loi sur la distribution de produits et services financiers (chapter D-9.2) gives the definition: a claims adjuster is a natural person who, in damage insurance, investigates a loss, estimates the damage or negotiates the settlement.

The Chambre de l'assurance de dommages (ChAD), the professional body for damage insurance, sums up the job in three functions: investigate, estimate and negotiate. The main tasks:

• investigate the causes of the loss
• confirm the coverage included in the insurance contract
• review the police report and the inventory of damaged or stolen property
• take the statement of the insured and those of witnesses
• estimate the damage and losses to settle the claim

The definition of a loss, the claim and the restoration work after a loss are covered in other articles on the site.

Three ways to practise

The ChAD distinguishes three situations:

• the claims adjuster employed by an insurer
• the independent claims adjuster appointed by the insurer
• the claims adjuster hired by an insured, called a "public" adjuster

The first two settle the claim on behalf of the insurer. The third represents the insured, who pays the adjuster directly. The public adjuster cannot settle the loss, the ChAD specifies: the public adjuster negotiates on behalf of the insured with the adjuster appointed by the insurer. The public adjuster must give the insured a written contract.

How to become a claims adjuster

The AMF issues the certificate in four steps: minimum training, exams, probationary period and certificate application.

Minimum training

The AMF accepts, among other things:

• a Quebec diploma of college studies (DEC)
• an attestation of college studies (AEC) in damage insurance recognized by an agreement between the AMF and a college
• two university certificates of 30 credits each, or a bachelor's degree, from a Canadian university
• a high school diploma, with an AMF decision confirming full-time employment for at least 30 months

Exams

A candidate for the full discipline passes four AMF exams. Each category, personal lines or commercial lines, requires three. The passing mark is 60%. A passed exam remains valid for two years.

Probationary period

The trainee then works under the supervision of a certified representative. The probationary period lasts at least 336 hours for the full discipline, at no more than 40 hours a week, within a maximum of 24 weeks. The employer files the authorization request with the AMF.

The certificate application follows. The AMF then examines the candidate's integrity.

What the certificate costs

The AMF's 2026 fee schedule sets three amounts. Reviewing an applicant's file costs $48. Registering for the exams costs $181 for each discipline. The annual certificate fees are $116 per discipline or discipline category. The ChAD adds an annual fee of $380 in 2026, plus taxes.

The AEC and DEC in damage insurance

The AMF publishes the list of colleges whose AEC is recognized, in Quebec City, in Montreal, in the other regions and online. Québec.ca links the job to the AEC in damage insurance and claims adjusting, the AEC in personal damage insurance and claims adjusting and the DEC in financial and insurance services techniques.

At the Cégep de Lévis, the AEC in personal damage insurance lasts 450 hours and is given online, according to the program page consulted on October 11, 2026.

Continuing education and the ChAD

The ChAD's mission is to protect the public by maintaining discipline and overseeing the training and ethics of agents, brokers and claims adjusters.

Each certified professional earns 20 continuing education units (CEUs) per 2-year period. The current period runs from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2028. At least 3 CEUs deal with compliance, including a mandatory 2-CEU course designed by the ChAD.

A claims adjuster's pay

Job Bank classifies the job in group 12201, insurance adjusters and claims examiners. For Quebec, it gives a low wage of $24.10 an hour, a median wage of $32.97 and a high wage of $49.45. These wages were updated on November 19, 2025. The median wage is $33.80 in the Montreal region and $37.90 in the Outaouais.

Québec.ca publishes similar figures: $24.04 minimum, $32.82 median and $49.48 maximum, based on the average wages from 2023 to 2025. The job profile, updated on June 19, 2026, indicates an annual salary of $62,800 in 2020.

Where the jobs are

Québec.ca counts 7,000 people employed in this group in 2024 and rates the outlook as excellent for 2025-2029 across Quebec. Insurance carriers and related activities account for 93% of jobs. The employers are insurers and adjusting firms.

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

Further reading

• Loss: definition, reporting it to the insurer and the steps after a fire
• Fire damage restoration: cleanup, rebuilding and jobs after a fire
• Firefighter salary in Quebec: the Quebec City and Montreal scales

Frequently asked questions

What is a claims adjuster?

It is the person who, in damage insurance, investigates a loss, estimates the damage or negotiates the settlement, according to section 10 of the Loi sur la distribution de produits et services financiers. The adjuster holds a certificate from the Autorité des marchés financiers.

What is a claims adjuster's salary in Quebec?

Job Bank gives a median wage of $32.97 an hour in Quebec, between $24.10 and $49.45, in its November 19, 2025 update. Québec.ca gives $32.82 an hour, based on the average wages from 2023 to 2025.

What is an insurance claims adjuster's salary?

Québec.ca indicates an annual salary of $62,800 in 2020 for insurance adjusters and claims examiners in Quebec. Job Bank puts the median wage at $33.80 an hour in the Montreal region and $35.00 an hour in Canada.

What studies do you need to become a claims adjuster?

The AMF accepts a Quebec diploma of college studies, an AEC in damage insurance that it recognizes, two university certificates of 30 credits or a bachelor's degree. It also accepts a high school diploma with at least 30 months of full-time employment.

How do you become a claims adjuster?

You must complete the AMF's four steps: minimum training, exams, probationary period and certificate application. The full discipline requires four exams passed at 60% and a probationary period of at least 336 hours.

How much does a claims adjuster cost?

An insured who hires a public claims adjuster does so at their own expense, the ChAD writes. This adjuster must offer the choice between a percentage and an hourly rate. No official source consulted publishes a rate.

Sources

• Autorité des marchés financiers, Droits, frais et tarifs exigibles par l'Autorité, 2026 fee schedule, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Chambre de l'assurance de dommages, Certification et inscription, 2026 annual fee, consulted on October 11, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Loi sur la distribution de produits et services financiers, chapitre D-9.2, section 10, up to date as of August 12, 2026
• Chambre de l'assurance de dommages, Les experts en sinistre, qui sont-ils ?, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Chambre de l'assurance de dommages, Expert en sinistre mandaté par un sinistré, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Chambre de l'assurance de dommages, Obligations de formation continue, 2026-2028 reference period, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Chambre de l'assurance de dommages, Qui est la ChAD ?, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Expertise en règlement de sinistres, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Formation minimale, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Organismes de formation reconnus, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Examens, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Période probatoire, consignes générales, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Demande de certificat de représentant, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Cégep de Lévis, AEC Assurance de dommages des particuliers, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Government of Canada, Job Bank, Salaires au Québec, experts en sinistres et rédacteurs sinistres (CNP 12201), updated on November 19, 2025
• Gouvernement du Québec, Experts / expertes en sinistres et rédacteurs / rédactrices sinistres, job profile, up to date as of June 19, 2026

In insurance, a loss is damage suffered after an unfavourable event happens, for example an accident or a fire. That is the definition of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), Quebec's financial markets regulator. Once the firefighters have left, the insurance claim after a fire starts: the Civil Code of Québec requires you to report the loss to your insurer as soon as you become aware of it. The insurer must then pay the indemnity within 60 days.

Loss: definition in insurance and in civil protection

The Grand dictionnaire terminologique of the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) gives the French word "sinistre" two meanings. In insurance, according to its 2001 entry, it is a loss caused by a harmful event that may lead to compensation from the insurer. In civil protection, according to its 2013 entry, it is an event that causes serious harm to people or major damage to property.

Article 2463 of the Civil Code of Québec says that damage insurance obliges the insurer to repair the harm suffered at the time of the loss, but only up to the amount of the insurance.

In civil protection, the definition is in the law. Section 2 of the Act respecting civil protection to promote disaster resilience (chapter S-2.4), up to date as of October 15, 2026, defines a disaster ("sinistre" in French) as "an event resulting from the occurrence of a hazard or a combination of hazards that causes harm to persons or substantial damage to property, that interferes with the normal functioning of all or part of a community and that requires the deployment of exceptional measures to limit the consequences of the event".

The same section gives examples of hazards: a flood, an earthquake, a landslide, an accident involving dangerous substances, the failure of an infrastructure, a forest fire or a pandemic.

Types of losses

The AMF names three common losses at home: water damage, theft and fire. It also mentions vandalism. The OQLF gives these examples.

• A fire
• A flood
• An earthquake
• A ground movement
• An explosion
• A toxic release

What is not a loss

Damage is not always a loss that the insurer pays for. The Civil Code and the AMF rule out several cases.

• A loss that comes from an inherent defect of the property or from its nature, which article 2465 of the Civil Code does not require the insurer to indemnify
• Harm that results from the insured's intentional fault, which the insurer never repairs under article 2464
• A risk excluded by the contract, provided the contract states the exclusion expressly and in limited terms (article 2464)
• Flooding caused by a river or lake overflowing, which a basic home insurance contract does not cover according to the AMF

The threshold also changes from one definition to the other. Under the civil protection act, the event must disrupt the functioning of a community and require exceptional measures. A fire limited to one house can therefore be a loss for the insurer without meeting that definition.

Reporting the loss to the insurer

Article 2470 of the Civil Code, up to date as of August 12, 2026, requires the insured to report to the insurer any loss that may give rise to an indemnity, as soon as the insured becomes aware of it. Any interested person can make this report on your behalf. The article sets no number of days.

If the insurer was not informed and suffered harm as a result, the same article allows it to invoke a clause of the policy that makes you lose the right to compensation. The AMF advises contacting your insurer or broker as soon as you can.

After a fire at home: the steps

Québec.ca, in its page updated on August 26, 2026, and the AMF describe what to do.

• Wait for the document called Remise de propriété, which the fire department gives you, and follow what it says before going back home
• Make an inventory of the damage, with photos or videos
• Inform your municipality, your insurer and the financial institution that granted your mortgage
• Lock the doors, board up the windows and cover the damaged parts
• Keep all receipts and proofs of purchase for the damaged property

The AMF reminds you that you are responsible for limiting the damage. Emergency work is reimbursed only if the claim is accepted. Wait for the insurer's authorization before any permanent repair and do not throw away damaged property. Cleanup and rebuilding are covered in another article.

Proof of loss

Article 2471 of the Civil Code requires you, at the insurer's request, to inform it as soon as possible of all the circumstances of the loss. It names, among other things, the probable cause and the nature and extent of the damage. You must also provide supporting documents and attest under oath that the information is true.

If a serious reason prevents you from doing so, the same article gives you the right to a reasonable delay. The AMF specifies that the list of damaged or stolen property is needed to receive compensation. Article 2472 provides that any false statement makes its author lose the right to compensation for the risk concerned.

The claims adjuster and the settlement offer

According to the AMF, the insurer usually appoints a claims adjuster, who works for the insurer. You can hire an independent adjuster at your own expense. The AMF asks you to check that the adjuster is listed in its Registre des entreprises et des individus autorisés à exercer before signing an agreement.

The insurer then makes a settlement offer. The AMF writes that negotiation is possible at this stage.

Living expenses and the payment deadline

When the home is no longer habitable because of a covered loss, the contract may provide for reimbursement of additional living expenses. The AMF indicates that the insurer generally reimburses what goes beyond your usual expenses. Keep your bills.

Article 2473 of the Civil Code sets the deadline: the insurer pays the indemnity within 60 days after receiving the notice of loss or, if it asked for them, the relevant information and supporting documents.

If you disagree with the insurer

You first file a complaint with the insurer, by letter or with the AMF complaint form, stating the settlement you want. The insurer must send you an acknowledgment of receipt, then a final written answer.

If the answer does not satisfy you, you ask for your file to be transferred to the AMF. It examines the file and may offer conciliation or mediation. Handling the complaint does not stop the clock on the deadline to go to court.

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

Further reading

• Claims adjuster in Quebec: the job, the training and the pay
• Fire damage restoration: cleanup, rebuilding and jobs after a fire
• Smoke detector: what the law requires in Quebec

Frequently asked questions

What is a loss?

In the field of safety, the OQLF defines it as an event caused by a natural phenomenon, a technological failure or an accident, which causes serious harm to people or major damage to property. A fire and a flood are examples.

What is a loss in insurance?

According to the AMF, it is damage suffered after an unfavourable event happens, for example an accident, a fire, an illness or a death. Water damage, theft and fire are the examples it gives for the home.

What is a synonym for loss?

In civil protection, the OQLF uses the term "catastrophe" (disaster), and the two French words are generally used interchangeably. In everyday language, "sinistre" rather emphasizes material damage.

How do you report a fire loss?

You contact your insurer or broker as soon as you can, as the AMF advises. Article 2470 of the Civil Code requires the report as soon as you become aware of the loss.

How do you report a loss to your home insurance?

The OQLF defines the notice of loss as a notice, generally written, that sets out the circumstances of the loss to the insurer. You then provide the list of damaged or stolen property. In case of theft or vandalism, the AMF notes that a police report may be required.

What happens with my home insurance if there is a fire?

The insurer usually appoints a claims adjuster, who handles the claim and makes a settlement offer. If the home is no longer habitable, the contract may cover your additional living expenses.

How can I get reimbursed for a fire loss?

You report the loss, list the damaged property and provide bills and photos. The insurer must pay the indemnity within 60 days after receiving the notice or the documents it asked for, under article 2473 of the Civil Code.

How long do you have to do the work after a loss?

No law consulted sets this deadline. The Civil Code governs the notice of loss and the payment of the indemnity, not the timing of the work. The deadline comes from your policy and the settlement offer: the guide of the Chambre de l'assurance de dommages asks you to confirm the deadlines in the estimate with the claims adjuster before authorizing the work. It adds that with replacement cost coverage, property you choose not to repair or replace is indemnified at its value on the day of the loss.

Sources

• LégisQuébec, Civil Code of Québec, articles 2463 to 2465 and 2470 to 2473, up to date as of October 15, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Act respecting civil protection to promote disaster resilience, chapter S-2.4, section 2, up to date as of October 15, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Dégâts d’eau : comment se protéger?, undated page, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Chambre de l'assurance de dommages, Guide d’accompagnement du sinistré, undated document, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Réclamer à son assureur, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Autorité des marchés financiers, Formuler une plainte, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Gouvernement du Québec, Incendie à la maison, up to date as of August 26, 2026
• Office québécois de la langue française, sinistre, insurance field, Grand dictionnaire terminologique, 2001 entry, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Office québécois de la langue française, sinistre, safety field, Grand dictionnaire terminologique, 2013 entry, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Office québécois de la langue française, déclaration de sinistre, Grand dictionnaire terminologique, 2005 entry, consulted on October 11, 2026

The carbon monoxide detector is officially called a carbon monoxide alarm. That is the term used in Quebec's Code de sécurité and on Québec.ca. The device sounds when the air contains an abnormal level of this gas, which no one can see or smell. When it sounds, the official instruction is to get out, dial 9-1-1 and wait for a firefighter's permission before going back in.

Carbon monoxide and its sources at home

Québec.ca describes carbon monoxide, also called CO, as a toxic gas that cannot be seen or smelled, and that irritates neither the eyes nor the airways. It is released when an appliance or a vehicle burns fuel. The government page, updated on November 23, 2023, names five families of sources.

• Non-electric heating appliances, such as oil furnaces and wood fireplaces
• Vehicles with combustion engines, such as cars and snowmobiles
• Natural gas or propane appliances, such as stoves and water heaters
• Gas-powered tools, such as lawn mowers and generators
• Outdoor appliances, such as barbecues and camp stoves

Poisoning happens when these appliances are defective, poorly maintained or used in an enclosed space, for example a car engine running in a garage, even with the door open.

Which dwellings require the alarm

Section 359 of the Code de sécurité (chapter B-1.1, r. 3), up to date as of June 1, 2026, requires a carbon monoxide alarm in a dwelling that contains one of these two elements.

• A fuel-burning appliance
• Direct access to an indoor parking garage

Section 360 adds that the alarm must comply with the CAN/CSA-6.19 standard, have a built-in alarm and be installed according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

This chapter of the Code does not cover every building. Its section 340 exempts a building used as a dwelling that has no more than 2 storeys or no more than 8 dwellings. In a house, the municipal by-law therefore decides. Québec.ca writes, in a page updated on September 17, 2026, that most municipal by-laws require a carbon monoxide alarm in the home when a garage is attached to the house. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Quebec's building authority, recommends a certified alarm in all residential buildings where fuel is used.

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

Where to install the alarm

All occupants must hear the alarm when it goes off. Québec.ca, in its page updated on July 29, 2025, recommends installing one in these places.

• On every floor, including the basement
• In the hallway near the bedrooms
• In every bedroom where people sleep with the door closed
• Near the stairs
• Near the door of the garage attached to the house
• In the room above the attached garage

The same page says where not to install it: in the kitchen, in the bathroom, inside the garage and less than 2 metres from a cooking or fuel-burning appliance. It also rules out rooms where the temperature goes above 37.8 °C or below 4.4 °C.

The combined smoke and carbon monoxide device

A smoke alarm does not detect carbon monoxide. The Régie du bâtiment and Health Canada both say so. Some models of carbon monoxide alarms are combined with a smoke alarm. According to Québec.ca, they are installed following the same recommendations as a smoke alarm.

Other models run on batteries or electricity. Québec.ca asks that every alarm meet Canadian standards and carry the ULC logo.

Lifespan and maintenance

None of the official sources consulted sets a lifespan in years for the carbon monoxide alarm. Québec.ca writes that its lifespan is limited and that it should be replaced according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Health Canada advises checking its expiry date. The only published figure concerns batteries: Québec.ca suggests models with lithium batteries, which last 10 years.

Maintenance comes down to two steps: every month, press the test button for a few seconds, and replace the batteries when you hear the intermittent beep.

What to do when the alarm sounds

Québec.ca gives two sets of instructions, depending on whether someone has symptoms or not. If you or someone present has symptoms, whether the alarm sounds or not, here is what to do.

• Leave the premises and go outside
• Dial 9-1-1 or call the Centre antipoison du Québec (Quebec Poison Control Centre) at 1 800 463-5060
• Leave the door open on your way out to air out the place completely
• Wait for a firefighter's permission to go back inside, even for a few minutes

If the alarm sounds and no one has symptoms, shut off the fuel supply if possible, go outside, dial 9-1-1 and leave the door open. Here too, a firefighter authorizes the return.

Symptoms of poisoning

Québec.ca groups the symptoms by the severity of the poisoning and notes that they resemble those of other health problems.

Source: Québec.ca, Intoxication au monoxyde de carbone, updated on November 23, 2023.

The same page states that you must see a doctor to treat carbon monoxide poisoning.

Further reading

• Fire prevention at home: the three devices
• Smoke detector: what the law requires in Quebec
• Fire extinguisher: which one to choose for the home, where to put it and when to refill it
• Loss: definition, reporting it to the insurer and the steps after a fire

Frequently asked questions

Where should a carbon monoxide detector be installed?

Québec.ca recommends an alarm on every floor, including the basement, in the hallway near the bedrooms and near the door of the attached garage. It does not go in the kitchen, in the bathroom or inside the garage.

Is a carbon monoxide detector necessary?

Yes, as soon as there is a source of this gas. Health Canada recommends at least 1 alarm with a backup battery in a home that has fuel-burning appliances.

How can you tell if there is carbon monoxide in a room?

You cannot tell with your senses. Québec.ca specifies that smell is a poor tool for preventing poisoning. Only the alarm signals this gas.

Are carbon monoxide detectors mandatory?

Section 359 of the Code de sécurité requires one in a dwelling that contains a fuel-burning appliance or direct access to an indoor parking garage. A building with no more than 2 storeys or no more than 8 dwellings is exempt: your municipality's by-law applies there.

Will the carbon monoxide detector be mandatory in 2026?

The requirement already exists. Section 359 of the Code de sécurité appears in the text up to date as of June 1, 2026, and it comes from a 2012 order in council. The sources consulted announce no new provincial rule for 2026.

What is the best place to install a carbon monoxide detector?

Health Canada answers that the hallways leading to the bedrooms are the most important places to install one. Québec.ca adds every floor and every bedroom where people sleep with the door closed.

Sources

• LégisQuébec, Code de sécurité, chapter B-1.1, r. 3, sections 340, 359 and 360, up to date as of June 1, 2026
• Gouvernement du Québec, Avertisseurs de monoxyde de carbone, up to date as of July 29, 2025
• Gouvernement du Québec, Intoxication au monoxyde de carbone, up to date as of November 23, 2023
• Gouvernement du Québec, Prévenir les intoxications au monoxyde de carbone, up to date as of November 23, 2023
• Gouvernement du Québec, Prévenir les risques d'incendie dans un garage résidentiel, up to date as of September 17, 2026
• Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Qualité de l'air et intoxication, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Health Canada, Monoxyde de carbone : Prévention de l'exposition, consulted on October 11, 2026

The device on your ceiling is officially a smoke alarm, often called a smoke detector. In Quebec, "avertisseur de fumée" (smoke alarm) is the term used in the Code de sécurité, and Québec.ca uses both words. The rule comes down to three points: at least one smoke alarm per storey, basement included, a test every month and replacement 10 years after the date of manufacture. In Montreal, residential buildings built before 1985 must have smoke alarms with a non-removable 10-year lithium battery.

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What the regulations require in Quebec

Two levels of rules apply. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), Quebec's building authority, administers the Safety Code (Code de sécurité) (chapter B-1.1, r. 3) and its Building chapter. The ministère de la Sécurité publique specifies that these obligations apply, among others, to owners of buildings of more than two storeys and more than eight dwellings. Elsewhere, your municipality's by-law sets the requirements.

Section 353 of the Safety Code, up to date as of June 1, 2026, requires a smoke alarm on every storey of every dwelling. On a storey with bedrooms, it goes between the bedrooms and the rest of the storey, or in the hallway serving them.

Section 358 sets the lifespan: every smoke alarm must be replaced 10 years after the date of manufacture shown on the casing. If there is no date on the casing, the device must be replaced without delay.

The Montreal example

The Règlement sur le Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (RCG 12-003) requires the installation, maintenance and good working order of the smoke alarm. The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM), Montreal's fire department, summarizes the requirements as follows.

• Residential buildings in the agglomeration built before 1985 must have lithium smoke alarms with a long-life non-removable 10-year battery
• A building from before 1985 that already has 120-volt electric smoke alarms does not have to add lithium smoke alarms
• All dwellings must have at least one smoke alarm per storey, basement included
• In residential buildings built after June 2015, one is also required in every room where people sleep

The SIM announces penalties of $80 to $2,000 for a first offence committed by an individual.

Where to install a smoke detector

Québec.ca, in its page updated on July 26, 2024, recommends a smoke alarm in four places.

• On every storey, including the basement
• In the hallway near the bedrooms
• In every bedroom where someone sleeps
• Near the stairs

The device is mounted on the ceiling, at least 10 centimetres from the wall, or on the wall, 10 to 30 centimetres from the ceiling. Québec.ca also asks for a distance of 1 metre from a fan, an air conditioner, an outlet or an air return.

Electric or battery smoke detector

According to Québec.ca, the battery-operated smoke alarm is the most common. The site advises choosing models with a lithium battery that lasts 10 years. The electric smoke alarm, connected to 120-volt power, should contain a backup battery in case of a power failure.

A smoke alarm connected to an electrical circuit cannot be replaced by a battery model. Electric smoke alarms must be interconnected. Every smoke alarm must bear the ULC logo of Underwriters Laboratories of Canada.

Photoelectric or ionization smoke detector

Québec.ca describes the ionization type as more sensitive to steam and smoke. The Safety Code requires the photoelectric type only in certain supervised residences, in section 355.

Changing the battery, replacing the device

The RBQ no longer advises changing the battery twice a year when the clocks change. It asks you to test the smoke alarm once a month and to replace the battery when it emits an intermittent beep. Québec.ca adds the time you move into a new home.

To test it, press the test button for a few seconds. A smoke alarm does not detect carbon monoxide, which requires its own alarm.

Owner or tenant: who is responsible

According to the ministère de la Sécurité publique leaflet, owners must provide smoke alarms in good working order. Tenants must test them, maintain them and replace the batteries, if needed.

In Montreal, the SIM writes that every owner must provide and install the smoke alarms, and that maintenance is up to the occupant. In apartment buildings, rooming houses and condominiums, the check must be recorded in a register at least once a year.

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

Further reading

• Fire prevention at home: the three devices
• Carbon monoxide detector: where it is mandatory and what to do when it goes off
• Fire extinguisher: which one to choose for the home, where to put it and when to refill it
• Loss: definition, reporting it to the insurer and the steps after a fire

Frequently asked questions

Are smoke detectors mandatory in Quebec?

Yes. Section 353 of the Safety Code requires them in every dwelling of the buildings it covers. Municipal by-laws cover other homes.

Where and how many smoke detectors?

You need at least one per storey, basement included. Québec.ca recommends adding one in the hallway near the bedrooms, one in each bedroom and one near the stairs. The number required depends on your municipality's by-law.

What is the difference between a smoke detector and a smoke alarm?

The Safety Code says smoke alarm (avertisseur de fumée) for the device in the home. Québec.ca speaks of smoke detectors for devices connected to a remote monitoring centre. Such a detector does not replace the smoke alarm required by municipal regulations.

How do I know when to change the smoke detector batteries?

The smoke alarm emits an intermittent beep when the battery needs to be replaced. Also change it when you move in, or if the device stays silent during the monthly test.

Why does my smoke detector go off when there is no smoke?

Québec.ca names steam and cooking smoke, near the kitchen, the fireplace and the bathroom. The SIM adds dust buildup in the device. An intermittent beep instead signals a battery to replace.

How do I stop a smoke detector from beeping?

If the beep is intermittent, replace the battery. If the smoke alarm goes off for no reason, the ministère de la Sécurité publique asks you to use the hush button. Never remove the battery and never disconnect the device.

What is the best smoke detector?

Official sources do not rank any model. Québec.ca recommends the ionization type for bedrooms and hallways, and the photoelectric type near the kitchen and the bathroom. The device must bear the ULC logo.

Sources

• LégisQuébec, Code de sécurité, chapter B-1.1, r. 3, sections 353 to 358, up to date as of June 1, 2026
• Gouvernement du Québec, Avertisseurs de fumée, up to date as of July 26, 2024
• Ministère de la Sécurité publique, L'avertisseur de fumée sauve des vies, leaflet dated August 2014, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Conseils de sécurité en logement, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, FAQ sur l'avertisseur de fumée, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Règlement sur le Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, summary of by-law RCG 12-003, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026

For the home, Québec.ca recommends a multipurpose dry chemical portable fire extinguisher marked "ABC", with the "ULC" logo and a minimum rating of 2A 10B C. This fire extinguisher is used to put out a small fire that does not threaten your safety. If the fire spreads or there is a lot of smoke, the official instruction is to evacuate immediately and dial 911: the rest is the firefighters' job.

Classes of fire: A, B, C, D and K

The letters on an extinguisher tell you which fires it works on. The Montreal and Quebec City fire departments list five.

Page consulted on October 11, 2026.

Which extinguisher for the home

Québec.ca's page on the fire extinguisher, updated on October 10, 2025, adds two tips: choose a light model and read the manufacturer's instructions.

The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM), Montreal's fire department, explains it in one sentence: a dry chemical portable extinguisher can put out most fires. The City of Gatineau strongly recommends an ABC dry chemical extinguisher of at least 5 lb.

ABC extinguisher, CO2 extinguisher, water and foam

The City of Repentigny names four types of portable extinguishers: water, multipurpose dry chemical, carbon dioxide (CO2) and foam. According to the city, the letter C is always found on multipurpose dry chemical and carbon dioxide extinguishers. It recommends A-B-C dry chemical.

Where to put the portable extinguisher

Québec.ca asks you to place it in plain sight, near an exit, within easy reach but out of reach of children.

• Never on the floor, always on a bracket designed for the portable extinguisher
• At least 10 centimetres from the floor and at most 1.5 metres
• At 1 metre from the floor if it weighs more than 18 kilos
• Away from the stove and heating appliances

Portable fire extinguisher in Montreal: SIM bylaw, refilling and inspection

In Montreal, the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) enforces the Règlement sur la prévention des incendies (fire prevention bylaw 12-005-1). According to the SIM, the bylaw is based on the Building chapter of Quebec's Safety Code and on the National Fire Code of Canada 2010 (amended). It covers, among other things, the inspection and maintenance of fire protection equipment in buildings. A first offence costs an individual $500 to $2,000.

• At home, the SIM recommends an "A, B, C" dry chemical extinguisher bearing the approval seal of a recognized body such as Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC)
• A rechargeable extinguisher is recharged at a specialized retailer after every use, even a partial one
• In a business, the SIM writes that premises must be equipped with portable extinguishers, inspected and maintained every year by a specialized contractor
• You should be able to reach an extinguisher without travelling more than 22 metres
• The SIM answers questions about the bylaw at 514 872-3800

Monthly inspection, maintenance and refilling

Québec.ca and the SIM call for an inspection every month.

The monthly inspection

• The extinguisher is in place, accessible and visible
• The operating instructions can be read
• It is full (Québec.ca asks you to weigh it)
• The pressure gauge needle is in the green
• The seal and the tamper indicator are neither broken nor missing
• It shows no rust, corrosion or other sign of deterioration
• The SIM asks you to turn it upside down and shake it to keep the powder from settling

Every year, a qualified person inspects it. A rechargeable extinguisher is refilled every 6 years and as soon as it has been used, even for a few seconds. The City of Québec specifies that a rechargeable dry chemical extinguisher also undergoes a hydrostatic test every 12 years.

When to retire it

• It shows signs of deterioration, corrosion or leaks, or its nozzles are blocked: Québec.ca says to throw it away
• It is single-use and it has been used
• It is disposable and it has reached the end of its lifespan
• It is rechargeable and more than 12 years old or damaged: Québec.ca says never to empty it and to bring it to the service provider, who inspects it and punch-marks it if it cannot be repaired

Québec.ca asks you to empty a disposable dry chemical extinguisher outdoors, on a day without wind, then bring it to an ecocentre.

How long a fire extinguisher lasts

Two official sources do not give the same figure for the disposable single-use extinguisher. Québec.ca writes that its lifespan is 12 years and that the date is marked under the unit. The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal writes, in its January 2015 leaflet and on its page, that it can be kept for six years. The manufacturer's manual settles the question.

Using it: what the official instructions say

Québec.ca says not to use a portable extinguisher if the fire is bigger than a wastebasket. Its method fits in one sentence: pull the pin, aim the spray at the base of the flames while squeezing the lever, then sweep from left to right. The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal sets three conditions first: evacuation is complete, 911 has been called and the situation poses no danger to you. Québec.ca asks you to dial 911 even if the fire seems to be out.

In a workplace

Section 36 of the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (chapter S-2.1, r. 13), up to date as of June 1, 2026, requires portable extinguishers in every building. Their selection, installation, use and maintenance follow the NFPA 10 standard. Section 37 sets four conditions.

• Be approved by Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada (ULC)
• Provide protection suited to the nature of the hazard
• Be refilled after use
• Bear the name of the person responsible for maintenance and the date of the last inspection

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), Quebec's building authority, points out that the Building chapter of the Safety Code (Code de sécurité) requires owners and operators to keep an inspection register. Its sheet on portable extinguishers provides for a check every month.

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

Further reading

• Fire prevention at home: the three devices
• Smoke detector: what the law requires in Quebec
• Carbon monoxide detector: where it is mandatory and what to do when it goes off
• Fire damage restoration: cleanup, rebuilding and jobs after a fire

Frequently asked questions

What type of extinguisher for the home?

Québec.ca recommends a multipurpose dry chemical extinguisher marked "ABC", with the "ULC" logo and a minimum rating of 2A 10B C. The City of Gatineau recommends at least 5 lb.

What are the 3 types of extinguishers?

The City of Repentigny names four: water, multipurpose dry chemical, carbon dioxide and foam. For a home, it recommends A-B-C dry chemical.

How long does an extinguisher last?

According to Québec.ca, a disposable extinguisher has a lifespan of 12 years, and the date is marked under the unit. The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal says six years for a single-use extinguisher. A rechargeable extinguisher is refilled every 6 years.

Is it mandatory to have an extinguisher at home?

Québec.ca does not speak of an obligation: it writes that having a portable extinguisher at home is strongly recommended. In a workplace, section 36 of the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety requires one in every building.

Where can I get my extinguisher recharged?

The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal writes that recharging is done at a specialized retailer. The City of Gatineau mentions a qualified merchant who does the refilling, maintenance and inspection.

How do you recharge an extinguisher?

No official source consulted suggests doing it yourself. Québec.ca asks you to have it refilled. According to the City of Gatineau, the 6-year maintenance includes an external and internal inspection and replacement of the powder by a qualified technician.

Sources

• Gouvernement du Québec, Extincteur d'incendie, up to date as of October 10, 2025
• LégisQuébec, Regulation respecting occupational health and safety, chapter S-2.1, r. 13, sections 36 and 37, up to date as of June 1, 2026
• Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Registre d'inspection du bâtiment, February 2018, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Extincteurs portatifs, Fiche de vérification mensuelle, undated document, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Extincteur portatif, undated page, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Règlement sur la prévention des incendies, undated page, consulted on November 6, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Extincteur portatif, un allié dans la sauvegarde des vies et des biens, leaflet, January 2015
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Extincteurs portatifs du commerce, undated page, consulted on November 6, 2026
• City of Québec, Extincteurs portatifs résidentiels, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• City of Gatineau, Extincteur, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026
• City of Repentigny, Conseils de prévention et de sécurité, Extincteurs portatifs section, undated page, consulted on October 11, 2026

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

SOPFEU jobs start at $27.16 an hour: a forest firefighter with SOPFEU (Quebec's forest fire protection agency) earns that rate in the first year in 2026, according to the collective agreement rate SOPFEU publishes on its careers page. The job is seasonal, at least 40 hours a week, and applications are accepted from December 1 to January 15. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

The role of the forest firefighter

The Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) describes itself as the only organization in Quebec whose mission is protecting forests against fire. The forest firefighter fights forest fires with a crew. Firefighters travel to their assignment by truck, all-terrain vehicle or helicopter.

When there is no fire, SOPFEU assigns them to maintaining hoses, equipment and buildings, to prevention and to on-the-job training.

The requirements

SOPFEU's "Pompier forestier" page, consulted on October 11, 2026, asks for one of these two conditions.

• A DEP, a DEC or a bachelor's degree in forestry, wildlife, land management, fire safety, ecology, biology, environment, geography, recreation and adventure tourism, or a related field
• At least 3 years of work experience in a forest setting

College or university students in a relevant field may apply.

The driver's licence

A driver's licence is mandatory. All firefighters must be able to drive SOPFEU trucks, which requires no particular licence class.

The WFX-FIT physical test

The test has four steps of carrying and pulling equipment. The whole test must be completed in 17 minutes 15 seconds or less to be hired. Blood pressure, measured before the test, must be below 160/90 mm of mercury.

Training after hiring

No educational institution offers training specific to the job, SOPFEU writes. It trains its own recruits, who take "combattant national" (national firefighter) training in their first season. The training week for new firefighters is usually held in May. It is paid.

The season and the schedule

The work takes place mainly from April to September, on dates that vary from one base to another. The firefighter works 16 weeks on average in the first season. From the second season, the agreement guarantees a minimum of 17 to 18 weeks depending on the location, and it provides for recall from one year to the next.

The minimum is 40 hours a week, whether there are fires or not. Shifts run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., on a schedule of ten consecutive working days followed by four days off.

The bases where you work

SOPFEU has 14 operating bases: Baie-Comeau, Bonaventure, Chibougamau, Duchesnay, Havre-Saint-Pierre, La Tuque, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Maniwaki, Matagami, Mont-Tremblant, Rimouski, Roberval, Sept-Îles and Val-d'Or. Its head office is in Quebec City. Candidates list their preferred bases in order of preference.

The employer pays room and board for an employee permanently assigned to Matagami or Lebel-sur-Quévillon if their main residence is in another locality. Elsewhere, firefighters find their own housing near their base.

The pay

SOPFEU publishes a single rate: $27.16 an hour in the first year, set by the collective agreement for 2026. At 40 hours, that comes to $1,086.40 a week before overtime, according to our own calculation. The page gives no rate for the following years.

The Government of Canada's Job Bank has no profile specific to forest firefighters. For all firefighters in Quebec (NOC 42101), it gives a low wage of $20.83 an hour, a median wage of $40.17 and a high wage of $50.00, for the 2023-2024 period. These wages were updated on November 19, 2025.

How and when to apply

Applications are accepted from December 1 to January 15 each year. The next hiring process begins in December 2026. The application has four parts.

• A cover letter
• A résumé
• A copy of your diplomas
• Your choice of home bases, in order of preference

For shortlisted candidates, recruitment usually runs from February to April: interviews, criminal background check, medical test, physical test and reference checks.

Other jobs at SOPFEU

SOPFEU describes a second seasonal job, communications attendant. It requires a high school diploma, a valid driver's licence and being 18 or older. The page publishes no pay for this position.

SOPFEU writes that its jobs are offered all year and that needs are greater between January and April.

Auxiliary firefighters are not SOPFEU employees. They go through companies accredited as labour suppliers. SOPFEU trains about 500 of them before each season.

This text summarizes public SOPFEU pages. It is neither legal advice nor union advice.

Further reading

• Working as a firefighter in Quebec: all the employers
• Firefighter jobs in Quebec: where to apply and how hiring works
• Firefighter salary in Quebec: the Quebec City and Montreal pay scales

Frequently asked questions

How do I work for SOPFEU?

For a forest firefighter position, you apply from December 1 to January 15. Other positions are posted all year on SOPFEU's job portal, mostly between January and April.

What does a forest firefighter earn?

At SOPFEU, the first-year hourly rate is $27.16 for 2026, according to the collective agreement cited on the careers page. The minimum is 40 hours a week.

What is the average salary at SOPFEU?

SOPFEU publishes no average salary. The only rate shown on its site is the first-year forest firefighter rate, $27.16 an hour in 2026.

How do I become a forest firefighter?

In Quebec, the title is "pompier forestier" (forest firefighter) and the employer is SOPFEU. You need a DEP, a DEC or a bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or 3 years of work experience in a forest setting. You also need a driver's licence and must pass the WFX-FIT physical test in 17 minutes 15 seconds or less.

What training do firefighters get for forest fires?

SOPFEU gives the training itself, after hiring. Recruits take "combattant national" training in their first season. Other training is added every year.

What is the average firefighter salary in Quebec in 2026?

Job Bank gives a median wage of $40.17 an hour for firefighters in Quebec, for the 2023-2024 period, all employers combined. No official source consulted publishes an average for 2026.

Sources

• SOPFEU, Pompier forestier : un métier unique et passionnant, eligibility, WFX-FIT test, frequently asked questions and 2026 hourly rate, consulted on October 11, 2026
• SOPFEU, Faire carrière à la SOPFEU, consulted on October 11, 2026
• SOPFEU, Préposé.e.s aux communications, qualifications and list of the 14 operating bases, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Government of Canada, Job Bank, Salaires, pompier ou pompière au Québec (CNP 42101), reference period 2023-2024, updated on November 19, 2025

The École nationale des pompiers du Québec (ENPQ), Quebec's firefighter school, issues the certificates a firefighter must hold to work in a municipality of 200,000 inhabitants or fewer. Its basic program, Firefighter I, lasts 255 hours. Here the acronym refers to the firefighter school, whose offices are in Laval. The École nationale de police du Québec, in Nicolet, uses the same acronym and has no connection with it. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

The role of the École nationale des pompiers

Section 49 of the Fire Safety Act (chapter S-3.4) establishes the École. Section 52 gives it its mission: to ensure the relevance, quality and consistency of the qualifying vocational training of firefighters and other municipal staff working in fire safety. Its website places its creation in 2000 and states that it reports to the Ministère de la Sécurité publique.

The ENPQ does not give courses on its premises. Its website describes administrative offices where programs and exams are designed. It administers the professional qualification exams, accredits training and recognizes diploma equivalences. Its certificates bear the seal of the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC).

The programs the ENPQ certifies

The "Programmes de formation" page of the ENPQ website presents eight programs, consulted on October 11, 2026.

Source: École nationale des pompiers du Québec, program profiles, consulted on October 11, 2026.

Firefighter I training: 255 hours

The program profile sets the total length at 255 hours. The course list published by the ENPQ divides them into four sections: 58 hours, 96 hours, 95 hours and 6 hours.

Passing the exams gives three certificates: Firefighter I, Hazardous Materials Awareness and Hazardous Materials Operations.

Training required by municipality size

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 firefighter's training in section 3.

Source: LégisQuébec, chapter S-3.4, r. 1, section 3. The DEP is accepted in all municipalities.

A person may act as an apprentice, under the supervision of a qualified firefighter, while obtaining certification. This period does not exceed 48 consecutive months after hiring. It does not apply in a fire department serving more than 200,000 people.

Sections 4 to 6 require the Pumper Operator, Aerial Apparatus Operator and Extrication certificates for these tasks, except for the holder of the DEP.

How to register

Registration goes through a training manager, not through the ENPQ. For registration, costs and the schedule, the ENPQ website refers to the region's training manager. These managers are municipal fire departments, school service centres and other organizations. The ENPQ's online directory lists 99 of them on October 11, 2026, by region. The ENPQ publishes no fees on the pages consulted.

The qualification exams

The ENPQ's Guide de qualification professionnelle Pompier I, dated January 2019, provides for five multiple-choice theory exams of 30, 25, 40, 55 and 30 questions, and two practical exams. The passing mark is 60% for theory and 80% for practice.

The ENPQ sends results within 20 working days.

What "Mon dossier" is for

The ENPQ home page presents "Mon dossier académique" (the ENPQ's online file) this way: students, instructors and managers find the documents of their path there, namely transcripts, diplomas, evaluations and results. The link leads to the portal portail-pompiers.enpq.qc.ca. The 2019 guide states that exam results are entered there and that the candidate accesses it with a personal username and password.

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

Further reading

• Becoming a firefighter in Quebec: training and steps
• Firefighter DEP: length, admission and schools for the Fire Safety Intervention program
• Volunteer firefighter in Quebec: training, pay and tax credit

Frequently asked questions

What training is needed to become a Firefighter I?

You must take the Firefighter I program of the École nationale des pompiers du Québec, which lasts 255 hours, then pass its qualification exams. The certificate allows you to be a firefighter in a fire department serving fewer than 25,000 people.

How long does training to become a firefighter take?

The Firefighter I program lasts 255 hours and the Firefighter II program adds 120. The DEP in Fire Safety Intervention, required in cities of more than 200,000 inhabitants, represents 1,185 hours according to the ENPQ website, about one year of full-time study.

When will online Firefighter I training start in 2026?

The ENPQ publishes no start date for Firefighter I. The schedule depends on each training manager, who must be contacted directly. The pages consulted on October 11, 2026 announce no online Firefighter I training.

What studies are needed to become a firefighter in Quebec?

The regulation requires 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. Above 200,000 people, it requires the DEP in Fire Safety Intervention. The ENPQ website adds that some large cities also require the DEC (college diploma) in Fire Safety Techniques.

How do I register for Firefighter I training?

You register with a training manager in your region, not with the ENPQ. The directory on the ENPQ website gives their contact information by administrative region.

Is the firefighters' ENPQ the same school as the one in Nicolet?

No. The École nationale des pompiers du Québec is established by section 49 of the Fire Safety Act and its offices are in Laval. The Nicolet school is the École nationale de police du Québec, which trains police officers.

Sources

• LégisQuébec, Fire Safety Act, chapter S-3.4, sections 49 to 60, up to date as of August 12, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Règlement sur les conditions pour exercer au sein d'un service de sécurité incendie municipal, chapter S-3.4, r. 1, sections 3 to 6, up to date as of June 1, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Programmes de formation, profiles of the eight programs, consulted on October 11, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Pompier I, program profile, consulted on October 11, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Programme Pompier I, liste des cours et des heures, undated document, consulted on October 11, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Guide de qualification professionnelle à l'intention des candidats, Pompier I, January 2019, consulted on October 11, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Exigences de formation pour travailler dans une ville de moins de 200 000 habitants, consulted on October 11, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Exigences de formation pour travailler dans une ville de plus de 200 000 habitants, consulted on October 11, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Gestionnaires de formation, directory by region, consulted on October 11, 2026
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec, Page d'accueil, « Mon dossier académique », and page de connexion du portail, consulted on October 11, 2026

The firefighter schedule in Montreal or Quebec City is 42 hours a week on average for a full-time firefighter, with shifts over a 4-week cycle shared among 4 teams. In Montreal, the workday lasts 24 hours and starts at 7 a.m. In Quebec City, the collective agreement describes two schedules: 10- and 14-hour shifts, then a schedule of 12, 24 and 36 hours. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

A firefighter's schedule in Montreal

The schedule is in article 4 of the collective agreement between the Ville de Montréal and the Association des pompiers de Montréal, for the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2024. Paragraph 4.01 sets working hours at 42 hours a week on average, over a 4-week cycle. Firefighters are divided into 4 platoons, numbered 1 to 4. The workday lasts 24 hours and starts at 7 a.m.

Appendix A of the agreement illustrates the cycle. It shows which platoon goes on duty each day.

Source: Ville de Montréal, firefighters' collective agreement 2018-2024, appendix A. Week numbers added by the editors.

In this grid, each platoon comes back 7 times in 4 weeks. The agreement refers to a 168-hour work cycle, which gives 42 hours a week on average.

What the Montreal department's website still shows

The FAQ of the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM), Montreal's fire department, describes a different schedule, consulted on October 11, 2026: a day shift from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., a night shift from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. and a 24-hour shift from Sunday 7 a.m. to Monday 7 a.m. The page states that it reproduces appendix A of the agreement in force from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2017. The 2018-2024 agreement is the more recent of the two texts.

A firefighter's schedule in Quebec City

The City of Québec publishes the collective agreement concluded with the Association des pompiers professionnels de Québec, in force from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028. Clause 7.01 sets working hours at 42 hours a week on average, under a 4-platoon system. These 42 hours include 40 hours at the regular rate and 2 hours of overtime, already included in the pay.

The clause describes two schedules.

• The first: a 10-hour day shift, from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., a 14-hour night shift, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., and a 24-hour shift on Sunday, from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. on Monday
• The second, called the 12-24-36 schedule: a 12-hour shift from 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., a 24-hour shift from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. the next day and a 36-hour shift from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. the next day

Appendix A bears the note "Implementation no later than May 2026" for the 12-24-36 schedule. It shows platoon 1's hours over 4 weeks.

Source: Ville de Québec, firefighters' collective agreement 2024-2028, appendix A, total hours of platoon 1 per week.

The 2026 platoon calendar

Neither city publishes an annual platoon calendar for 2026 in the documents consulted. The agreements give the cycle, not the dates of the year.

In Montreal, paragraph 4.01 gives a starting point: the 4-week cycle begins on Monday, January 4, 2021 with platoon 4 and repeats as long as the parties do not agree on a new schedule. The agreement ended on December 31, 2024 and the City shows no more recent one in the documents consulted on October 11, 2026. A 2026 calendar counted from that date must therefore be confirmed with the SIM.

In Quebec City, appendix A ties the cycle to no date. The agreement also does not say on what date the 12-24-36 schedule came into effect.

What is not published

The firefighters' collective agreements of Laval and Longueuil were not found on those cities' websites. Their fire department pages do not describe the work schedule. This article does not cover part-time firefighters.

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

Further reading

• Firefighter salary in Quebec: the Quebec City and Montreal scales
• Working as a firefighter in Quebec: all the employers
• Becoming a firefighter in Quebec: training and steps

Frequently asked questions

What is a firefighter's work schedule?

In Montreal and Quebec City, the full-time firefighter works 42 hours a week on average, over a 4-week cycle. When one team is off, one of the other three is on duty, states appendix A of the Quebec City agreement. Shift length depends on the city and its collective agreement.

What are the work schedules of Montreal firefighters?

The 2018-2024 agreement provides for a 24-hour workday starting at 7 a.m. Firefighters are divided into 4 platoons, over a 4-week cycle. The SIM's FAQ still shows the old schedule of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.

What are a firefighter's hours?

In Quebec City, clause 7.01 first describes 10-hour day shifts, 14-hour night shifts and 24-hour Sunday shifts. It then describes the 12-24-36 schedule, made up of 12-, 24- and 36-hour shifts. Both schedules give 42 hours a week on average.

What is the work rhythm of firefighters?

The rhythm is a 4-week cycle shared among 4 teams. In Montreal, each platoon comes back 7 times in the cycle according to the appendix A grid, for 24 hours each time. In Quebec City, platoon 1 works 24, 48, 36 then 60 hours a week under the 12-24-36 schedule.

How many hours a week does a firefighter work?

A firefighter works 42 hours on average in Montreal as in Quebec City. The actual week varies: in Quebec City, it ranges from 24 to 60 hours under the 12-24-36 schedule and from 40 to 44 hours under the 10- and 14-hour schedule. The cycle totals 168 hours.

Where can I find the 2026 firefighter platoon calendar?

Neither the Ville de Montréal nor the City of Québec publishes it in the documents consulted on October 11, 2026. The Montreal agreement states that the cycle begins on Monday, January 4, 2021 with platoon 4 and repeats every 4 weeks.

Sources

• Ville de Montréal, Convention collective entre la Ville de Montréal et l'Association des pompiers de Montréal inc., 1er janvier 2018 au 31 décembre 2024, article 4 and appendix A, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Foire aux questions, question "Quel est l'horaire de travail d'un pompier ?", consulted on October 11, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Salaires et avantages, rotating schedule, 42-hour average week, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Ville de Québec, Convention collective entre la Ville de Québec et l'Association des pompiers professionnels de Québec inc., en vigueur jusqu'au 31 décembre 2028, clause 7.01 and appendix A, consulted on October 11, 2026

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.

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.

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

• Becoming a firefighter in Quebec: training and steps
• École nationale des pompiers du Québec (ENPQ): Firefighter I, registration, exams and Mon dossier
• Working as a firefighter in Quebec: all the employers

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.

Sources

• Compétences Québec, Inforoute FPT, Intervention en sécurité incendie (DEP 5322), program approved in 2007 and amended in 2009, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Compétences Québec, Inforoute FPT, Intervention en sécurité incendie, CFP IPIQ, groupe FSM, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Compétences Québec, Inforoute FPT, CFP de Neufchâtel, coordonnées, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Centre de services scolaire de Laval, Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec, DEP Intervention en sécurité incendie à Laval, 2027-2028 admission process, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Centre de services scolaire de la Capitale, CFP de Neufchâtel, Brochure 2026-2027 du Centre de formation professionnelle de Neufchâtel, pages 20 and 21, consulted on October 11, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Règlement sur les conditions pour exercer au sein d'un service de sécurité incendie municipal, chapter S-3.4, r. 1, sections 3 to 6, up to date as of June 1, 2026

Firefighter jobs in Quebec are found in five places: the fire department of a large city, the fire department of a municipality that hires part time, SOPFEU (Quebec's forest fire protection agency), an airport and the Canadian Armed Forces. Québec.ca counts 6,000 firefighters employed in Quebec in 2024. This text applies to women and men firefighters alike.

What the regulation requires before hiring

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 firefighter's training according to the population the fire department serves.

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

The same section allows a person to be hired as an apprentice, under the supervision of a qualified firefighter, while obtaining the certificate. This period does not exceed 48 consecutive months after the hiring date. It does not exist in a fire department serving more than 200,000 people: there, the diploma comes before hiring.

Large cities: a full-time position

Québec.ca writes, in its page updated on June 8, 2026, that full-time firefighters generally work in cities of more than 200,000 inhabitants.

• The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM), Montreal's fire department, requires three years of training, namely the DEP (1 year) and the DEC (college diploma) in Fire Safety Techniques (2 years), with a class 4A driver's licence
• The Service de sécurité incendie de Laval, which serves more than 450,000 citizens, requires the same two diplomas, the class 4A licence and a pleasure craft operator card
• The Service de protection contre les incendies de Sherbrooke requires two to three years of training, the class 4A licence and a commitment to obtain class 3 after hiring

The City of Québec and the Longueuil agglomeration go through their job portals. Their requirements are in the job posting.

How a hiring process works

In Montreal, applications are accepted only during the posting period of a recruitment competition. The SIM describes six steps.

• Posting of the competition and review of application eligibility
• Psychometric test, a personality inventory
• Interview assessing job-related skills
• Two-part physical aptitude test, cardiovascular capacity then a timed course
• Pre-employment checks: criminal record, medical exam, diplomas, class 4A licence, references
• Overall review of the file

The psychometric test, the interview and each of the two parts of the physical test are eliminatory. A City doctor reviews the medical exam against the NFPA 1582 standard. Passing the process does not guarantee a job.

Laval adds a technical knowledge test at the preselection stage, a physical aptitude test in the water and a security clearance check. Sherbrooke gives a written knowledge exam, which is eliminatory, and also assesses swimming ability.

Municipalities: part time and on call

Part-time firefighters and volunteer firefighters generally work in municipal organizations of 200,000 inhabitants or fewer, according to Québec.ca. The part-time firefighter is paid for hours worked. The volunteer firefighter works on call and may be eligible for a tax credit. Firefighter I or Firefighter II training is taken while on the job. Job offers appear on the fire department's website and social media.

SOPFEU, airports and the Armed Forces

SOPFEU accepts forest firefighter applications from December 1 to January 15 each year. It requires a diploma in a field such as forestry or fire safety, or 3 years of work experience in a forest setting. The WFX-FIT physical test must be completed in 17 minutes 15 seconds or less. The first season lasts 16 weeks on average, at $27.16 an hour under the 2026 collective agreement.

Airport firefighters follow standard 323 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations, published by Transport Canada. It requires every firefighter to retake training at least once every three years.

The Canadian Armed Forces hire firefighters with a high school diploma or a diploma from an accredited fire service program. Basic training is given in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Firefighter qualification lasts about seven months in Borden, Ontario.

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

Further reading

• Working as a firefighter in Quebec: all the employers
• Volunteer firefighter in Quebec: training, pay and tax credit
• Becoming a firefighter in Quebec: training and steps
• Firefighter salary in Quebec: the Quebec City and Montreal scales

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply to be a firefighter?

You apply on the employer's careers page, during the posting period of a competition. In Montreal, applications received outside a competition are not considered.

What studies do you need to become a firefighter in Quebec?

Regulation S-3.4, r. 1 requires 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. Above 200,000 people, it requires the DEP in Fire Safety Intervention. Montreal and Laval also require the DEC in Fire Safety Techniques.

What is the average salary of a firefighter in Quebec?

Québec.ca does not publish an average salary. Its occupation profile, updated on June 19, 2026, gives a median wage of $41.00 an hour, based on average wages from 2023 to 2025.

What is the salary of a beginner firefighter?

The starting salary depends on the employer and its collective agreement. Québec.ca gives a minimum hourly wage of $24.00 for the occupation. At SOPFEU, a forest firefighter earns $27.16 an hour in the first year in 2026.

What is the salary of a part-time firefighter?

The part-time firefighter is paid for hours worked, writes Québec.ca. The rate changes from one municipality to another and no official source gives a common rate.

How do I become a volunteer firefighter?

Québec.ca uses the term volunteer firefighter. This firefighter works on call and is paid for hours worked. You apply to your municipality's fire department, then you have no more than 48 months after hiring to obtain the required certificate.

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
• Gouvernement du Québec, Devenir pompière ou pompier au Québec, up to date as of June 8, 2026
• Gouvernement du Québec, Formation exigée pour devenir pompier ou officier, up to date as of May 12, 2026
• Gouvernement du Québec, Pompiers, pompières, occupation profile, up to date as of June 19, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Les étapes préalables à l'embauche, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, Conditions générales d'embauche, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Ville de Laval, Travailler pour le Service de sécurité incendie de Laval, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Ville de Sherbrooke, Pour une carrière héroïque!, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Ville de Québec, Processus de sélection, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Ville de Longueuil, Emplois au Service de sécurité incendie, consulted on October 11, 2026
• SOPFEU, Devenir pompier forestier, 2026 hourly rate, consulted on October 11, 2026
• Transport Canada, Norme 323, lutte contre les incendies d'aéronefs aux aéroports et aérodromes, Canadian Aviation Regulations, up to date as of August 20, 2026
• Canadian Armed Forces, Pompier·ère, consulted on October 11, 2026