Service de protection contre les incendies de Québec

Service de protection contre les incendies de Québec (SPCIQ, Quebec City Fire Protection Service) is responsible for fire prevention and suppression in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. However, the fire department's field of competence is not limited to this; they respond to vehicle accidents, hazardous materials (HAZMAT) calls, electrical hazards, floods, wildfires and many other situations in which citizens are in need of external help.

Service de protection contre les incendies de Québec
Agency overview
Established2002
EmployeesOver 300
StaffingFirefighters
Fire chiefChristian Paradis (as director)
EMS levelBLS
Facilities and equipment
Stations16
Website
ville.quebec.qc.ca/incendie

History

Professional fire fighting in Quebec began in 1765, but the current force was created by amalgamation of several area fire services in 2002:

Despite presence of a fire service, Quebec suffered two devastating fires:

Quebec fires of 1845

In 1845 Quebec would face two devastating fires resulting in 50 deaths, 3000 buildings lost, 22,000 residents losing their homes or business and caused extensive damage to the two-thirds of the city outside of the Fortification thus sparing Old Quebec (La Basse-Ville de Québec):[1]

  • May 28 - the first fire that began in a tannery on rue Arago and burned down wood structures in the Lower Town and Saint Roch area
  • June 28 - the second fire began in the Upper Town, in St. Jean (Saint-Jean-Baptiste) and St. Louis (Parliament Hill)

Great Fire of Quebec 1866

A fire at a store on rue St. Joseph on 14 October 1866 resulted in 2500-3000 buildings lost, 7 deaths and 20,000 residents homeless.[2] Wind and lack of water resulted in extensive damage (significant part of St. Sauver razed) but Saint Roch was spared with less fire damage.

Ranks

Besides regular firefighter, SPCIQ has other ranks:[3]

  • Logistics platoon leader
  • Chief of logistics operations
  • Platoon leader
  • Chief operating officer
  • Chief of operations
  • Platoon chief
  • SST platoon chief
  • Deputy director - operations
  • Deputy director - strategic and administrative affairs
  • Director

Operations

There are 16 stations with no station 14 assigned:[4]

Station Area Address Build year Notes
1St.- Jean140, rue Saint-Jean1972Built as Station 12 and renumbered in 1983. Home to 1 of 2 tiller aerial units in Quebec.
2Des Capucins470, boulevard des Capucins2008Home to 1 of 2 tiller aerial units in Quebec. High Angle unit station. Originally Station 3 until 1983.
3Saint-Sauveur600, avenue des Oblats1893Additions added 1912 and restored 1990. Home to marine rescue unit and originally Station 8 until 1983.
4Saint-Odile70, rue des Pins Ouest1967Built to replace Station 11, renumbered as Station 7 in 1983 and again in 1992 as Station 4.
5Duberger2345, rue de la Rivière-du-Berger1967Formerly built for Ville de Duberger Fire Service then merged with Quebec in 1971 as Station 2 and renumbered as Station 5 in 1983. Home to HAZMAT unit.
6L'Ormière9150, boulevard de l'Ormière1971Formerly built for Ville de Neufchâtel Fire Service then merged with Quebec in 1971 as Station 4 and renumbered as Station 6 in 1983. Home to tanker truck to serve areas without hydrants.
7Beauport-Sud255, rue Clemenceau1978Formerly built for Ville de Beauport as fire station and court house, renovated 1989 and renumbered as Station 7 in 1993. Home to tanker truck and served as Ville de Quebec Police training centre in 2002.
8Charlesbourg4252, place Orsainville1976Formerly built for Ville de Charlesbourg and became station 8 in 1994. Home to tanker truck to serve areas without hydrants and mini-pumper for forest/grass fires.
9Sainte Foy1130, route de l'Église1994Became Station 9 in 2002 and previously built for Ville de Sainte Foy.
10Champigny1808, avenue Jules-Verne1991Home to tanker truck. Formerly built for Ville de Sainte Foy and numbered as Station 10 in 2002.
11Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures183, route 138 Ville de Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures2011
12Val-Bélair2056, avenue Industrielle2009Home to mini-pumper for forest/grass fires and ATV for winter operations. Formerly built to replace old Ville de Val-Bélair fire station after amalgamation in 2002.
13Lebourgneuf770, rue des Rocailles2008Home to HAZMAT unit.
15Sillery1445, avenue Maguire1965Formerly built for Ville de Sillery to house fire station, town hall and police station and became Station 15 in 2002. Renovated in 2004.
16Saint-Émile2528, avenue Lapierre2015Replaced old Ville de Saint-Émile station/municipal garage built 1980, became Station 13 in 2002 and renumbered as Station 16 in 2005. Home to tanker truck for areas without hydrants and houses marine rescue unit boat.
17Beauport-Nord2681, boulevard Louis-XIV2007-2008Home to marine rescue unit boat.

Innovations

Quebec is one of a few fire services outside of Europe using the Gallet F1 helmet forgoing the traditional leatherhead or structural helmets used in North America. Quebec is the oldest service using aerial tiller truck, most other fire departments in Canada abandoned their use.

Marine rescue

Quebec City uses small vessels with outboard motor mainly for marine rescue operations. Known vessels include:

  • Airsolid 16' inflatable rescue boat
  • NAV 16 inflatable rescue boat

Rapid Deployment Craft are unpowered inflatable vessel used for ice rescue operations.

Major fire suppression can be assisted by Canadian Coast Guard vessels stationed nearby along the St. Lawrence River. Marine rescue is further enhanced by the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre Quebec.

See also

References
  1. https://www.teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/24091
  2. https://tolkien2008.wordpress.com/2012/12/02/le-grand-incendie-de-1866-quebec-14-octobre-1866/
  3. http://www.ssiq.ca/article/etat-major
  4. https://www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/citoyens/incendie/casernes.aspx


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