Quebec Fire Watch Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: Who makes the fire safety rules in Quebec

Fire safety in Quebec is shared between the province, the municipalities and their fire safety services.

• The Fire Safety Act (Loi sur la sécurité incendie, chapter S-3.4) sets out the roles of everyone involved in fire prevention, planning and firefighting.
• Municipalities run the fire safety service (service de sécurité incendie). The service assesses fire risks, does prevention work, fights fires and investigates their causes.
• Under the Building Act, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) adopts the Safety Code (Code de sécurité). Chapter VIII – Building of this code contains the fire safety rules for many existing buildings.

Which code is in force

The RBQ says Chapter VIII – Building has been in force since March 18, 2013 and was modified on April 17, 2025. It now consists of the National Fire Code of Canada 2020, with amendments for Quebec. It covers buildings such as private seniors' residences, larger apartment buildings, hotels, schools, restaurants, stores over 300 m², hospitals and care centres.

Municipalities can adopt stricter fire rules for their territory. Many city bylaws are still based on the 2010 National Fire Code as modified for Quebec. For example:

Lesson 2: What building owners must do

A fire watch exists because an owner's fire protection is not fully working. Knowing the owner's duties helps you understand your post orders. The RBQ lists these duties under the Safety Code:

• Keep sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, door closers and emergency equipment in good and safe working order
• Have fire protection systems maintained and checked as the fire code requires, and keep the inspection and repair records in the building's register
• Prepare an evacuation plan and procedure, and have enough trained evacuation staff
• Tell occupants and staff about safety measures and how to evacuate
• Hold fire evacuation drills at least once a year

The fire safety plan

Quebec's modified fire code, as reproduced in city bylaws such as Beaconsfield's and Baie-D'Urfé's, says a fire safety plan must include what to do in a fire, including notifying the fire department, and must name and prepare the staff who have fire safety duties. The plan must be reviewed at least every 12 months and updated after every fire drill and whenever needed.

The same code says that in all cases, firefighters must be called as soon as the alert signal starts. The code's sample fire instructions tell people to call the fire department, using 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Lesson 3: Alarms and sprinklers: local rules

City bylaws in Quebec often add rules about fire alarms and sprinklers. Saguenay's 2025 bylaw is a good example:

• No one may reset a fire alarm system or put it on silence until the cause is found, occupants are no longer at risk, and the fire safety service has confirmed the cause.
• No one may shut off a water-based fire protection system (such as sprinklers) until the exact cause of its activation is found and the fire department has been told the probable cause.
• The owner must post the names and phone numbers of two responsible persons, reachable at all times, on or near the fire alarm panel.

The modified fire code also says the valves that supply water-based fire protection systems must be constantly monitored.

False alarms

Montreal has a bylaw on unfounded fire alarms: alarms set off with no real need, for example because of poor installation, a malfunction, poor maintenance or wrong handling. Repeated false alarms are dangerous because occupants may stop evacuating. Never reset or silence an alarm yourself to stop the noise.

Lesson 4: Doing a fire watch in Quebec

Quebec's fire code and the city bylaws we reviewed do not set one fixed patrol frequency for a fire watch. The rules come from the building owner's arrangements, the fire safety plan and the local fire safety service. Under section 6 of the Fire Safety Act, when a property is a threat to public safety because of fire hazards, the owner must, on receiving a formal notice from the municipality, take the measures needed to protect people and property. A fire watch can be one of those measures.

Before you start

• Find out which system is out of service, which areas it covers, and why
• Ask who has told the fire safety service and the alarm monitoring company
• Get the patrol frequency, the route and the log sheets in writing
• Carry a phone or radio, a flashlight and the keys for every area on your route

On each round

• Look, listen and smell for smoke, heat or burning
• Check that exits and corridors are clear and fire doors are closed
• Watch for hot work, smoking or piled combustibles
• Write the time and what you saw in the log right after each round

Hot work and construction sites

Hot work means welding, cutting, grinding or hot roofing. Quebec's modified fire code says construction sites for wood-frame residential buildings of more than four storeys need a fire risk management program set up by an architect or engineer, and its notes list hot work as one of the things the program should cover. Follow the hot work permit and the watch times your site sets. If you see hot work without a permit or near combustibles, stop and report it.

Lesson 5: If you find fire, and the role of firefighters

1. Warn the occupants with the method in your post orders, and pull the nearest manual station if it works.
2. Call 9-1-1 from a safe place. Give the address, what you see and where.
3. Fight a fire only if it is small, you are trained and you have a safe way out.
4. Help people leave, especially those who need help.
5. Meet the firefighters and tell them what you know.

Firefighters' powers under the Fire Safety Act

Section 40 of the Fire Safety Act lets firefighters enter any premises affected or threatened by a fire, and adjacent premises. Under the authority of the person directing operations, they may also:

• Prohibit access to a protection zone and stop or divert traffic
• Order an evacuation when there is no other way to protect people
• Order the energy supply shut off
• Require the help of any person able to assist when they do not have enough staff

Under section 43, the fire chief, or a qualified person the chief names, must find the point of origin, probable causes and circumstances of every fire. Do not move or clean anything at a fire scene unless it is needed for safety.

Reporting fire hazards

Section 5 of the Fire Safety Act says every person whose activities or property are a high or particular fire hazard must report it to the local municipality within three months of becoming subject to the regulation. As a guard, report any serious hazard you see to your supervisor in writing so the owner can act.