First responders: Quebec municipalities without a service
773 of 1,102 municipalities had no first responders in September 2024. Find yours and see ambulance arrival times.
· By the Agent Ambulancier editorial team · Lire en français
In September 2024, 773 of Quebec's 1,102 municipalities (70%) had no first responder service, according to the May 2025 report of the Auditor General of Québec. These municipalities had 4.4 million residents, nearly half the population. Search for yours in the tool. The role and training of first responders are explained in our article on first responders in Quebec.
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<iframe src="https://agentambulancier.com/integrer/premiers-repondants-en/" title="First responders: does your municipality have a service?" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0;max-width:760px" loading="lazy"></iframe> <p><a href="https://agentambulancier.com/en/news/first-responders-municipalities-quebec/">First responders: municipalities without a service</a>, by Agent Ambulancier</p>
What the report measures
The first responder arrives before the ambulance for very urgent calls. Without this service, the ambulance arrives first. The Auditor General measured the time to reach the patient in municipalities without first responders, from 2020-2021 to 2023-2024. For 45% of transports related to a call deemed very urgent, this time exceeded 10 minutes.
The report classifies municipalities by density. An urban municipality has 400 or more residents per habitable square kilometre, a semi-urban one 100 to 399, a rural one fewer than 100.
Ambulance arrival time, without first responders
High risk of cardiac arrest, transports from 2020-2021 to 2023-2024:
| Municipality | 10 min or less | 10 to 15 min | 15 to 30 min | Over 30 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban | 68.0% | 21.4% | 8.6% | 2.0% |
| Semi-urban | 64.5% | 19.9% | 13.4% | 2.2% |
| Rural | 45.6% | 23.2% | 26.6% | 4.6% |
| Total | 60.6% | 21.7% | 14.9% | 2.8% |
Risk of death, transports from 2020-2021 to 2023-2024:
| Municipality | 10 min or less | 10 to 15 min | 15 to 30 min | Over 30 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban | 60.3% | 26.9% | 10.9% | 1.9% |
| Semi-urban | 60.5% | 20.2% | 17.1% | 2.2% |
| Rural | 40.7% | 23.9% | 29.8% | 5.6% |
| Total | 54.8% | 24.7% | 17.5% | 3.0% |
Source: May 2025 report of the Auditor General of Québec, Additional information section, based on data from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. Transports include some calls whose priority was raised during the intervention.
What the government aims for
The 2023-2028 government action plan for the pre-hospital emergency system aims to raise the share of the population covered by a first responder service from 50% to 80% by 2028. The ministry also aims for 75% of municipalities to have one by 2030. In winter 2025, the ministry, Santé Québec, the Union des municipalités du Québec and the Fédération québécoise des municipalités had not agreed on the funding of this service, according to the Auditor General.
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Frequently asked questions
How many municipalities have no first responders in Quebec?
In September 2024, 773 of Quebec's 1,102 municipalities, or 70%, had no first responder service. They had 4.4 million residents. The figure comes from the May 2025 report of the Auditor General of Québec.
How do I know if my municipality has first responders?
Search for it in the tool at the top of the page. If it is on the Auditor General's list, it had no service in September 2024. The situation may have changed since: your municipality can confirm it.
Who pays for the first responder service?
The service is organized by the municipality, which signs an agreement with Santé Québec. The Auditor General notes that in winter 2025, the ministry and the municipal associations still had not agreed on how to share the funding.
Why do so many municipalities have no first responders?
The Auditor General recalls that in 2014, a national committee noted that municipalities feared having to bear significant costs. It also noted that small municipalities often rely on volunteers, who wear out. The number of municipalities served has remained stable for 10 years.
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Sources
- Services ambulanciers, chapter 3 of the report of the Auditor General of Québec to the National Assembly for 2024-2025, May 2025, paragraphs 17 and 25 to 28, and Additional information section (list of municipalities not served and tables of delays), consulted on October 27, 2026
- Répertoire des municipalités, Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation, open data, downloaded on October 27, 2026 (the 1,098 local municipalities in the drop-down list)