City Guides / Quebec
How to become a firefighter in Montreal
Montreal sets the highest education bar in Quebec: candidates need the full three-year integrated fire training, meaning the one-year DEP Intervention en sécurité incendie plus the two-year DEC Techniques de sécurité incendie, along with a valid Class 4A emergency vehicle licence whose validation is a preliminary hiring step. Hiring happens only during open competitions, and selection includes a psychometric personality inventory, a skills interview with situational and role-playing exercises, and a two-part physical test in which both parts are eliminatory. There is no residency requirement.
NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II plus HazMat Operations are required before applying. Budget for fire school before you can compete.
Application window
Hiring only during open competitions
Requirements
Required at application
- DEP Intervention en sécurité incendie
The one-year DEP is delivered by only a few institutions: IPIQ (Laval and Québec campuses), Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy, and the Académie des pompiers in Mirabel.
Prepare with roadmap step 5 - DEC Techniques de sécurité incendie
SIM requires the full three-year integrated fire training: the DEP plus the two-year DEC.
Prepare with roadmap step 5 - Valid Class 4A licence (emergency vehicles)
Licence validation is a preliminary hiring step.
Prepare with roadmap step 4 - Comparative evaluation for foreign credentials
Foreign credentials require a comparative evaluation to determine equivalency.
Prepare with roadmap step 7
The hiring process
- 1
Posted call for candidates and eligibility check
- 2
Psychometric test
Personality inventory.
- 3
Skills interview
Includes situational and role-playing exercises.
- 4
Two-part job-related physical test
An eliminatory cardiovascular capacity test, then an eliminatory timed task circuit. Both parts are eliminatory.
- 5
Pre-employment checks
Criminal background, medical, diplomas, Class 4A licence, and references.
- 6
Overall evaluation
Worth knowing
- The order of process steps may change between competitions.
- No residency requirement.
- Quebec regulation: cities over 200,000 population require the DEP or equivalent, and full-time firefighters must be trained before hire.
- Third-party prep sessions for the SIM physical test exist (for example, OPTIMUM Consultants).
Official sources
Last verified 2026-07. Requirements change: the official posting always governs.
Semparo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) or any testing vendor. This guide is independent preparation content.
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