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First responder in Quebec: role, training and conditions

The first responder stabilizes the person before the paramedic arrives. The law, the three levels, the training and the steps to take with the municipality.

October 10, 2026 · Lire en français

Workplaces

In Quebec, the first responder arrives before the ambulance. They stabilize the person in distress, then hand the call over to the paramedic. Québec.ca counts about 6,270 first responders in more than 333 municipalities. This text applies to women and men alike.

What the law says

The Act respecting pre-hospital emergency services, chapter S-6.2, devotes sections 38 to 43 to first responders. The version read here is up to date as of August 12, 2026.

Section 39 sets the role. The first responder acts only on assignment from the health communication centre. They provide first stabilization care according to the clinical intervention protocols drawn up by the national medical director, within the limits of their level of training. They act as a complement to the paramedic and transfer responsibility for the call to the paramedic on arrival at the scene.

Section 41 requires them to follow these protocols and to submit to regional medical oversight. The regional medical director can order them to stop acting, temporarily or permanently. Section 42 exempts them from liability for any injury resulting from their intervention, except for intentional or gross fault.

Who accredits the service

Under section 38, Santé Québec signs an agreement with the municipality concerned. In it, the municipality designates the service that will provide first responders. This service must be accredited by Santé Québec or by the regional authority. The municipality can entrust its responsibilities to a non-profit organization.

The Minister of Health and Social Services sets the minimum content of this agreement, under paragraph 7 of section 3: how the service operates, quality standards, funding, reporting. In Montreal and Laval, section 90 gives Urgences-santé (the ambulance service for Montreal and Laval) the task of setting up the service.

Three levels of service

The Premier répondant page on Québec.ca, updated September 26, 2025, recognizes three levels. The ministry's funding guides, version 1 of 2025, label them PR-1, PR-2 and PR-3.

Level	Scope of intervention according to Québec.ca
PR-1	Emergencies where reaction time directly affects the risk of death or lasting harm
PR-2	Level 1 skills plus complex trauma situations
PR-3	Critical medical emergencies and exceptional situations, such as an emergency childbirth or an industrial hazard

The acronym PR-DEA is still in use. Neither Québec.ca nor the 2025 guides mention it. These guides present the current program as an overhaul of the 2014 Programme Premiers répondants.

Training

Section 40 sets two conditions. You must have passed training recognized by Santé Québec, given by an organization recognized by Santé Québec, by a regional authority or by Urgences-santé. You must also belong to an accredited first responder service.

The ministry shows the number of hours for each level in a diagram, in appendix 6 of the Guide relatif au financement de l'implantation d'un service de premiers répondants. The initial training hours appear in an image we could not read with certainty. So we do not give them. The text of the appendix states this: for services already in place, the upgrade to the new program is 8 hours per level. For a new service, a 4-hour block is added to the initial training or completed within six months after the service starts.

One municipality publishes its length. The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal writes that initial training for its firefighter first responders lasts 62 hours, is given by certified Urgences-santé instructors and meets the ministry's requirements. Continuing education of 24 hours every 2 years follows.

How it differs from a paramedic

The first responder transports no one. They act while waiting for the ambulance, under protocols specific to their level. As soon as the paramedic arrives, the paramedic takes back responsibility for the call and handles transport to hospital. Our article Becoming a paramedic describes that job. The first responder works within a service designated by their municipality, often the fire department.

Both receive their assignments from the health communication centre, where the emergency medical dispatcher works.

Working conditions

The ministry's guide provides for four types of positions: full time, part time, volunteer or mixed. On-call duty is done at the fire station or off-site. Each municipality chooses its formula.

Section 43 protects those who hold another job. The first responder informs their employer of their duties and notifies the employer when a call from the health communication centre requires them to leave work. The employer cannot punish them for acting in this role, unless there is a valid reason, which the employer must prove. The remedy is brought before the Tribunal administratif du travail.

This text summarizes the law and the ministry's guides. It is neither legal advice nor union advice.

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Frequently asked questions

Who are first responders?

They are members of a service designated by a municipality and accredited by Santé Québec. The ministry's guide mainly targets fire departments, made up of full-time, part-time or volunteer firefighters, and non-profit organizations. On the island of Montreal, they are the firefighters of Montreal, Côte-Saint-Luc and Dorval. Urgences-santé says it has trained some 2,400 of them, for more than 70,000 calls a year.

How do I become a first responder?

Contact your municipality or its fire department, since the law requires you to belong to an accredited service. You must then pass the training recognized by Santé Québec. Not all municipalities offer this service. Your Santé Québec regional institution, the former CISSS or CIUSSS, can tell you whether one exists where you live. In Montreal and Laval, it is Urgences-santé.

What is a first responder's salary in Quebec?

No official source publishes a first responder salary for Quebec. Pay depends on each municipality and on the type of position, which may be volunteer. The ministry's guide lists pay for training participants among the expenses eligible for funding, excluding premiums. In Montreal, the first responder is a firefighter with the Service de sécurité incendie.

What training do you need to become a first responder?

Section 40 of the Act requires training recognized by Santé Québec, given by an organization recognized by Santé Québec, by a regional authority or by Urgences-santé. Its length varies by level, PR-1, PR-2 or PR-3. In Montreal, the Service de sécurité incendie reports 62 hours of initial training, then 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years.

Which law governs pre-hospital emergency services in Quebec?

It is the Act respecting pre-hospital emergency services, chapter S-6.2, available on LégisQuébec. Sections 38 to 43 cover first responders, section 22 covers health communication centres and section 63 covers the conditions for acting as a paramedic. The version cited here is up to date as of August 12, 2026.

What is pre-hospital emergency care?

Section 1 of chapter S-6.2 describes it by its purpose: to provide, at all times, to people who call on these services, an appropriate, efficient, quality response, in order to reduce mortality and morbidity among people in distress. The Act governs how these services are organized, names those to be set up and sets out the rights, roles and responsibilities of each player, including the health communication centre, the first responder and the paramedic.