Metal detectors making more SHA facilities safer

Metal detectors have now been installed at the main doors of three more Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) facilities: Battlefords Union Hospital in North Battleford, Prince Albert Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert and the Regina Urgent Care Centre. Once all three new facilities are online by February 23, metal detectors will be in operation at eight health-care facilities in Saskatchewan, including the emergency room entrances at the five hospitals in Saskatoon and Regina.

Metal detectors support Protective Services in preventing weapons from entering facilities, enhancing safety and security for patients, visitors and health-care teams. They also mean a few things will change for those entering through doors where the metal detectors are located, especially those facilities where they are located at the main doors.

There are some things the public needs to know now about how they operate. First, all members of the public coming through the doors will be asked by protective services officers to declare if they have a restricted item on their person. Restricted items include duffle bags, luggage or food coolers, and weapons of any kind, including knives and other sharp objects, stun-guns, ammunition, explosives, flammables, bear spray, mace or aerosols. Spiritual or religious items are not restricted unless they pose a clear and immediate risk to the safety of patients, staff, or visitors.

If a restricted item is declared or detected during screening, Protective Services Officers will provide the person with the opportunity to remove the item from the facility or secure it in a designated locker before they are permitted to enter the building. Illegal items cannot be stored. Those who have stored items will received a claim ticket to present upon exit to retrieve the items from the locker.

Individuals will then be asked to remove all metal from their pockets and person (including belts, keys and cell phones), place them in a bin provided, then proceed through the metal detector. An officer will also screen the contents of the bin and any bags they have with them. A hand-operated wand scanner may also be used to confirm that no prohibited items are entering the facility.

Those with pacemakers or other implanted medical devices will not go through the metal detector; instead, they shall be subject to hand-operated wand screening only.

Two detectors will be available when entering each of the Prince Albert and North Battleford facilities. One will be dedicated to allowing quicker access to the building and will accommodate those needing immediate or emergent medical services. If you enter either of these hospitals and require emergency care, you are asked to inform the protective services officers present immediately.

SHA staff and contractors need to have their current, valid IDs on their person to be exempt from screening. Law enforcement and corrections personnel will also be exempt with proper identification.

More Information

Like health systems across Canada, SHA facilities are seeing an increase in violent incidents and weapons entering emergency departments, and the organization is responding with strengthened measures.

Safety is one of the SHA’s core values. Installing metal detectors is an important step to support safer care environments and to prevent weapons from entering our buildings.

The SHA ordered additional metal detectors in December 2025 for broader deployment following a successful pilot of the technology at the joint emergency department entrance at Royal University Hospital (RUH) and Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (JPCH) in Saskatoon.

To support implementation and operation of the detectors, the SHA is adding the equivalent of 51 full-time Protective Services positions across the province to provide 24/7 staffing and ensure consistent operations and screening at the sites where the technology is being deployed.

The first of this latest group of metal detectors became operational at the Regina Urgent Care Centre at the beginning of the month. On February 23, they become operational at the main entrances to the Battlefords Union Hospital in North Battleford and Prince Albert Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert.

Deployment schedule

Metal detectors were made operational at the emergency department entrances at the following sites by January 20, 2026:

Saskatoon 

• Royal University Hospital / Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (shared emergency department entrance)
• St. Paul’s Hospital
• Saskatoon City Hospital  

Regina 

• Regina General Hospital  
• Pasqua Hospital  

Installation occurred in February at main entrances at the following sites: 

• Regina Urgent Care Centre – operational by February 5, 2026
• Prince Albert Victoria Hospital – operational by February 23, 2026
• Battlefords Union Hospital – operational by February 23, 2026

The SHA will continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and system partners as we prioritize safety and security in health-care environments across Saskatchewan.