PMH hires 16 security guards to patrol BRHC

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This article was published 07/01/2025 (304 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) has hired 16 new security guards called Institutional Safety Officers (ISOs) to patrol the Brandon Regional Health Centre (BRHC).

The officers were trained in Brandon through a combination of online and in-person learning with materials provided by Shared Health. They were taught by PMH certified instructors, who followed Manitoba Justice standards and procedures.

The class graduated Jan. 3, at a ceremony held in BRHC’s nurses residence gymnasium.

ISOs are licensed as peace officers, but in order to work in health-care environments, they need to be trained in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques, search and investigation, evidence collecting and report writing.

The officers also received training to take custody of a mental health patient from police, secure and protect them until they can be seen by health-care professionals.

Steve Geletchuk, manager of PMH Security Services, said there is a prerequisite required, before the security guard can go through the health region’s training.

“Total training for an ISO is 86 hours of education on top of the required established qualification and training and certification as a Manitoba Security Guard. The candidate (needs to be) already certified and trained as a Qualified Persons Security Officer (QPSO),” Geletchuk wrote in an email to the Sun.

There will be up to four ISO guards per shift, who will support the other PMH security guards already on duty, Geletchuk added.

Treena Slate, the CEO of PMH, said the safety of staff, patients, residents and visitors is paramount, adding, the ISOs fill a “critical role in upholding the highest standards of safety and accountability within PMH facilities.”

The ISOs support PMH as it helps those in crisis while easing the burden on law enforcement, she said.

“We continue to enhance efforts to balance the security needs of our facilities with the continued need to be a welcoming environment for those seeking care,” Slate stated Monday in a news release.

Two more officers are currently undergoing training and will be deployed to patrol BRHC once they graduate in the next four to six weeks.

ISO guards have a blue uniform shirt with a PMH arm badge and their body armour has the word “security” on the back, much like the guards that are licensed by Manitoba Justice under the Police Services Act.

The guards working at BRHC are a first for Westman, said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara, adding they are the first to be hired by a health authority outside the city of Winnipeg.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when they are accessing health care and when they are providing it,” Asagwara said.

“During the listening tour, we heard directly from front-line staff at the Brandon Regional Health Centre about the safety and security concerns they have for themselves, their co-workers and their patients.

“Institutional Safety Officers’ presence will go a long way in addressing those concerns so that health-care workers can focus on what they do best, caring for our loved ones,” Asagwara added in the news release.

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