REGINA – Saskatchewan Health Authority says strengthening protective services levels is why they have issued a request for proposals aimed at boosting security at health care facilities in eight communities in the province.
The RFP process opened Dec 12 and closes Jan. 23. According to the terms of the RFP listed on Sask Tenders, the focus is "to conduct a province-wide procurement to identify cost-effective, flexible, and responsive security service delivery for deployment across Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) facilities."
The communities listed in the RFP are La Loche, Shellbrook, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Nipawin, Melfort and Kamsack.
The intent, according to the RFP, is to "ensure the SHA can meet increasing safety and critical security demands for patients, staff, physicians, and visitors." They say they due to escalating risks, "enhanced security services are urgently required at several priority SHA facilities, including but not limited to the communities listed herein, with the option to expand services to additional sites as future needs arise."
The RFP states that the SHA uses contracted security providers across several locations, with varying levels of 24-hour coverage, with contracted services operating in Adult and Youth Mental Health, Triage Emergency, Front Entrance/Dispatch, Parking, and Addictions/Access areas. But it was noted those services generally follow an “observe and report” model that avoids engagement during serious criminal activity.
"As a result, the current approach often lacks the physical presence and capability needed to deter or respond to verbal or physical aggression by patients or visitors," the RFP states.
The indication is that SHA is looking to strengthen the response in these eight communities.
"Given increasing community mental-health concerns, rising violence toward healthcare workers, and escalating security demands in the areas covered by this RFP, the SHA requires third-party contractors to demonstrate training standards that enable their staff to lawfully arrest individuals who are found committing criminal offences against SHA staff, physicians, patients, or visitors."
In a response to Sask Today about why these communities were chosen, SHA said it issued the RFP "to explore opportunities to strengthen protective service levels across the province, specifically in La Loche, Shellbrook, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Nipawin, Kamsack and Melfort, as part of an ongoing commitment outlined in the 2025-26 provincial budget."
The SHA said they deliver protective services through a hybrid model that includes SHA protective services staff and third-party contractors. "The SHA values the role protective services teams and contracted providers play in managing the complex security challenges within the healthcare environment and is committed to leveraging these collective strengths to respond to security needs."
