•Par Nicolae Racovita

Firefighter book for Quebec condos: is it mandatory?

No Quebec law requires a firefighter book in a condominium. What the Safety Code actually demands, how Law 25 applies, and how to prepare one for your building.

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Quick answer: no, no Quebec law requires a syndicate of co-owners to keep a "firefighter book" (carnet des pompiers). But every building equipped with a fire alarm system must have a fire safety plan, and an up-to-date list of occupants - who lives where, who needs help evacuating - saves first responders precious minutes. It is a prevention best practice, and Law 25 governs it as soon as sensitive information is recorded.

What is a firefighter book?

The firefighter book (also called an "occupant register" or "intervention binder") is a document, usually printed and kept at a location agreed upon with the fire department, that answers the questions firefighters ask when they arrive on scene:

  • Who lives in each private portion, including children and other household members?
  • Who needs help evacuating (reduced mobility, disability, elderly person)?
  • Who should be contacted in an emergency if the occupant is absent or unreachable?
  • Are there pets in the unit?

During a night intervention, those answers change everything: firefighters immediately know which units to prioritize and who might still be inside.

What the law actually requires

Three levels, from most binding to least:

1. A fire safety plan is mandatory in most condominium buildings. The Building chapter of the Safety Code (B-1.1, r. 3) requires a fire safety plan, notably "in any building equipped with a fire alarm system, whether required or installed voluntarily" (Quebec amendment to NFC art. 2.8.1.1). Most condominium buildings with more than 8 units are therefore covered. A copy reserved for the fire department must be kept at a location determined in collaboration with it (art. 2.8.2.12).

2. An occupant list with evacuation needs is only mandatory in supervised residences. Since the 2025 amendments to the Safety Code, "the complete list of occupants and the location of those with special evacuation needs" must be available at a location determined with the fire department - but that requirement applies to supervised residences (art. 2.8.2.12, par. 4), not to ordinary residential co-ownerships.

3. For a syndicate of co-owners, it is a best practice, not an obligation. The syndicate's purpose includes the preservation of the immovable and operations of common interest (art. 1039 CCQ). Keeping an occupant book fits that prevention mission, much like evacuation drills - without any provision imposing it. Several municipal fire departments actually recommend that residential buildings prepare this kind of tool; check with yours.

Why keep one anyway

  • Interventions often happen at night. Knowing a child sleeps on the 3rd floor or that a person with reduced mobility lives in 201 directs the search immediately.
  • Evacuation needs are invisible from the outside. Without a voluntary declaration by occupants, nobody knows who will need assistance.
  • The board exercises its diligence. An up-to-date book, handed to first responders, is a concrete prevention measure the board can document.
  • Tenants too. In many co-ownerships, part of the units are rented out: the syndicate is often the only party able to consolidate information about all occupants, owners and tenants alike.

Law 25 governs this information

A firefighter book contains personal information, and some of it is sensitive within the meaning of the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (P-39.1, as amended by Law 25): a need for evacuation assistance or a disability is health-related. Four practical consequences for the syndicate:

  1. Voluntary declaration. Occupants declare their own special needs, with manifest, free and enlightened consent (arts. 12 and 14, P-39.1). The syndicate cannot demand a medical file.
  2. Minimal collection. Record what an evacuation requires - not the diagnosis, not the medical history.
  3. Restricted access. The book is reserved for the board of directors and first responders. It does not circulate by email and is not shown to other co-owners.
  4. Printed copy under control. The copy placed at the entrance or in the fire department box remains the syndicate's responsibility: agreed location, outdated versions replaced.

How CondoAide handles it

CondoAide now generates the firefighter book automatically from the syndicate's occupant records:

  • Each occupant declares their own information in their profile: emergency contact, evacuation assistance need (voluntary declaration), household members - children listed first - and pets, photo included.
  • The PDF book is generated on demand, in French and English, ready to print and place at the building entrance. The document is never stored on our servers: it is produced each time it is opened, with the data of the moment.
  • Access is board-only. Notifications never include the information itself - only a link to the secure page.
  • Change tracking is automatic. When occupants arrive, leave or update their profile, the board receives at most one weekly reminder to print a fresh copy, with the list of units that changed since the last printout.

The book is included in the subscription, with no extra module. CondoAide is a management tool: it helps the board prepare and maintain its book, without replacing the fire safety plan or your municipal fire department's requirements.

What is NOT in the law

  • "The firefighter book is mandatory in condominiums" - false. No provision imposes it on ordinary residential co-ownerships; the occupant-list requirement targets supervised residences.
  • "The syndicate can demand occupants' medical information" - false. Declaring evacuation needs is voluntary and rests on consent (P-39.1).
  • "An occupant list replaces the fire safety plan" - false. The fire safety plan is a distinct Safety Code requirement; the book complements it.
  • "Once printed, it's done" - incomplete. An outdated book can send firefighters looking for someone who moved out. Keeping it current is part of the practice.

Frequently asked questions

Is the firefighter book mandatory in Quebec? No, not for an ordinary residential co-ownership. The Safety Code requires a fire safety plan in any building equipped with a fire alarm system, and it only requires a complete occupant list in supervised residences. For a syndicate, the book remains a prevention best practice.

Who should have access to the book? The board of directors and first responders, nobody else. The book contains sensitive information within the meaning of Law 25 (evacuation needs, disabilities): restricted access, no email distribution, printed copy under the syndicate's responsibility.

Is a co-owner required to declare their evacuation needs? No. The declaration is voluntary and rests on manifest, free and enlightened consent. The syndicate can explain the book's value and invite occupants to fill in their profile, but it cannot demand it.

Where should the printed copy go? At a location agreed upon with your fire department: main entrance, the box provided for the fire department, or an identified technical room. It is the same logic as the fire safety plan copy reserved for the fire department (Safety Code, art. 2.8.2.12).

How often should it be updated? Every time an occupant or a declared need changes. In practice, reprint as soon as a unit changes and do a full review at least once a year, for example before the annual meeting.

To go further

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. For your particular situation, consult a qualified professional. CondoAide is a management platform - we do not perform contingency fund studies or accounting audits. For those services, retain a member of a recognized professional order (OIQ, OAQ, OEAQ, OTPQ, CPA).