The City of Kamloops is looking for a new security provider to supplement the work done by its Community Services Officers (CSOs) at events or in case of emergencies.

Community Services Manager Will Beatty says the company chosen through the RFP process will be tasked with things like guarding fire scenes and patrolling Riverside Park as well as providing security at Sandman Centre during concerts and Blazers games.

“Really what we’re looking for is somebody that is well experienced in mobile security patrols and can provide guards at a moments notice for fire watches,” Beatty told Radio NL. “Event services is going to be a big one as well. That surge capacity is also going to be big for us for reception centres for evacuees.”

“Essentially stuff that is not necessarily within the ability for or community services officers to deal with or is seasonal in nature.”

Beatty says the company that was previously contracted to provide security services declared bankruptcy forcing the city to issue a new RFP this month.

“We invoked some emergency provisions [within our purchasing abilities] and we’re now at the stage in which we can provide the RFP to get out for the next three to five years,” Beatty said, noting interested applicants have until July 17 to submit their proposals.

He says the successful company – which could be in place by August – will have to provide all security guards and necessary equipment needed to do their jobs, adding they may also be tasked with dealing with people on the streets at times.

“These companies are bound by the Security Services Act, there are provincial regulations for folks that are going to work in the security industry, and we expect all of the companies to meet or exceed those standards,” Beatty said. “The big push again is towards the work with the vulnerable folks in community and having a key training and delivery program for officers that could potentially be dealing with the most vulnerable in these tense situations.”

The security guards will also be tasked with nighttime patrols between midnight and 8 a.m. until such time the CSOs in Kamloops begin working around the clock.

“Once we go 24 hours, which hopefully will be sometime in August, as the community services officers are hired into these positions, the supplementing in the evening will decrease in this contract because of the fact that community service officers are now on the road,” Beatty said.

“RCMP members would attend calls and if there was some sort of additional capacity needed for traffic control or to watch over something, the primary responsibility is for our CSOs who would then utilize the contractors should it need that surge capacity that we can’t complement [through things like overtime callouts].”

It is not clear what the contract will cost the City of Kamloops as the security companies will be required to set their prices as part of the RFP process.

“There is always room for negotiation and that is where we are,” Beatty said. “I can’t share the specific price because a lot of those services are ad-hoc because they’re requested at times of need and sometimes they are supplemented by the province or other grant funding opportunities that we can find.”