Public Health and Safety

The Town of Brome Lake's Fire and Public Safety Service is equipped and trained to respond to all types of emergencies on its territory as well as in the municipality of West Bolton. 

Its duties include: 

• fighting fires 
• controlling hazardous material spills 
• conducting rescue and extrication operations 
• intervening in isolated areas and during water rescues 
• assisting citizens during floods 
• educating the public about family safety precautions and emergency evacuation measures in the event of fire. 

In the event of a fire, evacuate your home and call 911 immediately. 

Burning Permit Application

Burning Permit Application Form

Whenever you wish to use fireworks or light an open fire, whether for a campfire or for burning branches on your property, you MUST apply for a permit, regardless of the season. Any open fire without a permit is subject to a fine.  

During certain periods of the year, when the risk of fire danger is high, you may not be able to obtain a permit. Please note that SOPFEU deactivates its indicator during the winter. However, burning is still authorized with a permit during the cold season.   

The burning permit is the official document used by the Brome Lake fire department to authorize the burning of combustible materials. Need help filling out the form? Call us anytime at 450 242-1222. 

Be sure to consult by-law 2021-09 on fire safety, as well as the SOPFEU fire danger index on their website. 

Emergency Evacuation Plan

It's a good idea to prepare an evacuation plan in case of emergency or fire, especially if you have children, people with reduced mobility or pets at home. The public safety website provides a wealth of information to help you prepare your home evacuation plan, including fire practices you can do with the whole family. Having an evacuation plan is reassuring! In addition to the plan, to facilitate the work of firefighters, you need to make sure that your building number is visible from the public road at all times.

Stickers to Warn of the Presence of Pets 

The Town of Brome Lake, in collaboration with the SPA des Cantons, is providing free stickers that can be affixed to a window in full view to alert emergency services to the presence of pets. In the event of a fire, they'll do everything in their power to try to save them. You can obtain these stickers at City Hall.  

Residential Prevention Visits

Residential fire prevention visits are mandatory in the MRC Brome-Missisquoi and aim to reduce the number of fires and their harmful consequences. These visits occur every five years and apply to all buildings on the territory. 

What to expect during a residential fire prevention visit: 

• Firefighters clearly identified with an ID card and in uniform will arrive at your home. 
• They will check that you have a working smoke alarm on every floor. 
• They will check that you have a fire extinguisher in place. 
• They will check for a carbon monoxide detector where required, for example if your home has propane heating. 
• If necessary, they will give you prevention tips and answer your questions about heating, electricity, evacuation plans, frying activities and clearing exits.
• If you're unsure whether the person is a Brome Lake Fire Department employee, deny them entry and contact us. 

Thanks to their work, the 911 dispatch can update its database to respond better in case of a fire. 

Become a volunteer firefighter 

The Fire Department operates with a team of volunteer firefighters. If you are interested in joining this team, please contact us at 450 243-6111. 

Auto-Inspection Program

The self-inspection program helps residents to identify safe behaviours and attitudes in the face of fire hazards, and to take corrective action to dangerous situations. When implementing a self-inspection program, it is essential to ensure that the information provided by the occupant of the residence is accurate. To this end, an inspection visit may be conducted by a member of the Fire Safety Department to some randomly selected buildings that have returned compliant submissions. 

Fields marked with * are mandatory. Use the scroll option of your mouse to display all the contents of longer pages and to move on to the next steps. 

Auto-Inspection form

In an emergency, the response time of rescuers is often crucial, and being on the scene quickly can really save lives. On a territory as vast as the Town of Brome Lake, this is quite a challenge. That's why when you dial 9-1-1, the Alerte Santé dispatch centre sends first responders based on the code and priority of the call. They are often the first to arrive at the scene of an emergency to assess patients' condition, stabilize them and administer first aid until the paramedics arrive. They have a crucial role to play in rural areas like ours. 

On duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there are always two patrols serving the Brome Lake territory. They work twelve-hour shifts in emergency vehicles equipped with oxygen, a defibrillator and everything else needed to respond to emergencies. The vehicle and equipment are provided by the Town. In addition to responding to emergencies, they can also be called upon to provide first aid at community events. 

First responders are volunteers, and they all receive over 60 hours of training, including theoretical courses and several hours of practical training and simulation. 

If you would like to make a donation to Town of Brome Lake's First Responder Service, please fill out the form below. The Town will provide you with an official donation receipt for income tax purposes. 

Donate to first responders!

If you're interested in saving lives, don't hesitate to ask us about joining a dynamic team! 

Alan Bowbrick 
Service manager

Email: premier.repondant@lacbrome.ca

To contact the police for non-urgent calls, for example in case of excessive noise from a neighbor, please contact the Sûreté du Québec (Dunham) at 310-4141.

The 911 emergency call center will join either service as required.

Who’s who in Brome Lake?

Police

The Sûreté du Québec is responsible for the police service on the territory of Town of Brome Lake. The station is located in town of Dunham, but the troops are patrolling the area. Its mandate is to respond to emergency calls, ensure road and residents safety, prevent crime, enforce applicable municipal laws and regulations, and act as a local police force.

Ambulance

When someone dials 9-1-1 for a medical emergency, the 9-1-1 dispatcher transfers the call to the Health Alert Group, which provides telephone support and medical assistance to the caller before arrival prehospital resources.

Depending on the call classification, Town of Brome Lake First Responders Service may not receive the emergency call because the life of the person is not in immediate danger. For all calls, an ambulance will be sent to assist the person in difficulty.

In an emergency that involves injured people, a person in distress or victim of discomfort on the territory of Town of Brome Lake, Ambulances Cowansville Inc. intervenes. Ambulance attendants assess the patient’s clinical condition, provide the necessary care and transport to the hospital.

Fire

In the event of a fire, the protection of the population is insured by the Public Security and Fire Department of Brome Lake. It is responsible for making safer the territories of Brome Lake and West Bolton by protecting the lives, the properties and the environment. This mission is accomplished by intervening in all kinds of emergencies, including rescues during medical emergencies, during a fire, during a rescue on the lake, while pursuing its actions in prevention, in  education of the public and civil security.

At Town of Brome Lake, our vision is that by constantly having citizen at the center of our concerns, we affirm our leadership as a fire safety organization in Quebec by means of the commitment of our staff and the involvement of our partners.

Other important numbers:

• Quebec Poison Control Center 1 (800) 463-5060
• Hydro-Québec 1 (800) 790-2424
• Forest fires 1 (800) 463-3389
• Info-Santé 8-1-1
• Protection of youth (514) 721-1811 or 1 (800) 361-5310 at any time of the day or night
• Transport Québec 5-1-1
• S.O.S. Suicide 1 (800) 595-5580
• Youth Tel 1 (800) 263-2266

What's the quickest way for the Town to communicate with you in an emergency? 

Thanks to our public alert system, we can do so through multiple channels! This service allows us to quickly disseminate important information to citizens, businesses and enterprises. However, to receive alerts, you must be registered. Please fill out the form below if you are a new resident or if your telephone number has changed. 

In what types of emergency situations can we call you?

• Boil water advisories 
• Evacuations 
• Floods 
• Toxic spills 
• Any other emergency situation where the Town deems it important to contact you to ensure your health and safety. 

Alerts and communications are customizable. You can choose the alerts and notifications you wish to receive according to your preferences. You can also choose how you want to receive your notifications: by phone, mobile, SMS or email. 

Subscribe to the population alert system

For the population alert system to work effectively and protect your family and property, it is vital that your contact information is up to date. Therefore, you must report any changes. 

You must complete the online population alert form if:

• you are a new citizen 
• you're moving to Brome Lake 
• your telephone number (landline or cell) has changed 
• you have a confidential or unlisted telephone number 
• you have no landline and only a cell phone 

The data collected will be used exclusively for the Town of Brome Lake's early warning system and will remain confidential. 

Form for the town of Brome Lake public alerting system