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CANASA: Security providers should be classified as an essential service

The Canadian Security Association (CANASA) has published an open letter calling for security and life safety professionals to be defined as an essential service as the nation continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter is available on the CANASA website and is published in its entirety below.

Urgent Request from the Canadian Security Association Essential Services – Critical Life Safety Issue

The Current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in Local, Provincial and Federal Governments needing to define what are “Essential Services”.

The Security and Life Safety Industry protect millions of Canadian Families, Businesses and their property. Our Industry protects against Fire, Medical Emergencies, Environmental Hazards such as Carbon Monoxide, Cyber Security as well as a vast scope of protection for Government Buildings, Hospitals, and Critical Infrastructure Facilities just to name a few.

This includes all forms of electronic security but also includes Guard services, alarm response services and a wide range of IT Security Services.

This is a crucial decision that needs to be made quickly.

At this unprecedented time we must ensure that necessary businesses can continue to operate while our country deals with this crisis. Our Industry is most often the primary Interface between Canadians and First Responders. (Fire, Medical and Police)

CANASA, established in 1977, is a National Not-for-profit Association representing all Sectors of the Security and Life Safety Industry across Canada.

We work very closely with the Emergency Service providers in all provinces and territories, we strongly urge you to declare the Security and Life Safety providers as “Essential Services” and ask that our request is given serious consideration when passing legislation to address COVID-19.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Patrick Straw
Executive Director
Canadian Security Association