The following is an overview of the fees payable to the SIM following a false fire alarm, depending on the building category, as well as the details specific to each category.

Fee schedule

Categories 1 and 2

  • First intervention: N.A.
  • Second intervention: $100
  • Third intervention: $250
  • Fourth intervention and subsequent interventions: $500

Category 3

  • First intervention: N.A.
  • Second intervention: $250
  • Third intervention: $750
  • Fourth intervention and subsequent interventions: $2,200

Category 4

  • First intervention: N.A.
  • Second intervention: $250
  • Third intervention: $750
  • Fourth intervention and subsequent interventions: $2,700

Categories of buildings

Category 1 (low risk)

Residential

  • Types of buildings: buildings with one or two storeys, one or two dwellings, detached or semi-detached;
  • Examples: cottage, bungalow.

Category 2 (medium risk)

Residential

  • Types of buildings: buildings with no more than three storeys that meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • three to eight dwellings, detached or semi-detached;
    • eight or fewer dwellings, row-type;
    • detached with a commercial space.
  • Examples: single-family row-house, two-storey detached quadruplex, semi-detached duplex and detached triplex with a small commercial space.

Commercial and industrial

  • Types of buildings: buildings with no more than two storeys, detached, with or without a residential dwelling and a surface area smaller than 600 m2;
  • Examples: boutique / store, warehouse and small detached grocery store with a dwelling on the second floor.

Category 3 (high risk)

Residential

  • Types of buildings: buildings with no more than six storeys that meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • eight or fewer dwellings, four to six storeys;
    • nine or more dwellings, one to six storeys;
    • rooming house: nine or fewer rooms;
    • row-type or demi-detached, with at least one commercial space;
    • with a shed.
  • Examples: row-type quintuplex with four storeys, building with nine dwellings over three storeys, row-type triplex with a small business, and row-type duplex with a shed.

Commercial and industrial

  • Types of buildings: buildings with no more than six storeys that meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • row-type or semi-detached, with or without a dwelling;
    • detached, three to six storeys, with or without a dwelling;
    • the floor area is larger than 600 m2, with no significant amount of hazardous material.
  • Examples: small local businesses, row-type or semi-detached, grocery store, and all buildings on Île Sainte-Hélène.

Category 4 (very high risk)

Residential, commercial, industrial and institutional

  • Types of buildings: buildings that meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • seven or more storeys, or 23 metres in height;
    • rooming house: more than nine rooms;
    • an institution where occupants are unable to evacuate independently owing to their age, a disability, or because they are confined to a premises they are unable to leave on their own;
    • there is a high risk of conflagration;
    • the impact of a fire is likely to affect city operations.
  • Examples: airport, auditorium (performance hall, etc.), water supply system, highrise building, church, daycare, metro, refinery, arena, Port of Montréal, box store, all buildings on Île Notre-Dame, health establishment or detention centre, vacant building, dangerous building, special hazard building, Old Montréal (sector located inside Rue de la Commune, Rue Saint-Antoine, Rue Berri and Rue University), shopping centre (+ 45 stores), school (elementary, secondary, etc.), motel, hotel, nightclub, electrical substation, prison.

*Places of worship are classified according to the type of building they occupy (for example: a detached duplex where the first floor is a place of worship and the second floor houses a sewing workshop belong to category 2).