OTTAWA—A year before a gunman stormed the front doors of Parliament, the House of Commons rejected demands from its guards to be armed while on duty outside, telling them instead to “retreat” from any crisis.

The 2013 demand from the union representing Commons security staff related to the times when guards were working on the grounds of Parliament Hill, assisting RCMP officers at frequent rallies and protests.

The Commons guards work alongside Mounties to help identify MPs and get the politicians through security lines during events that bring large crowds to Parliament Hill.

But the Security Service Employees Association complained that the Commons administration was not providing employees with the tools needed to do the task safely.

The association wanted the unarmed Commons’ constables to be provided with a firearm to ensure they are ready to react in the event of a security crisis.

But in a reply to the association, Commons’ clerk Audrey O’Brien rejected the guards’ concerns saying that outside, at least, the security officials were only in place to support the RCMP.

And because of that, she laid out an explicit demand that Commons guards not get involved in any security situation that happens outside.

“House of Commons constables are not to respond to a security crisis should one occur; they are requested to retreat and let the RCMP manage the situation,” O’Brien wrote in an Oct. 28, 2013 letter.

She said that “adequate” precautionary measures had been taken by the employer and RCMP and that Commons guards “do not need to be armed in order to safely perform visual identification.”

Asked for comment on Wednesday, Heather Bradley, spokesperson for Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer, said the context of the association’s complaint “should be made clear.”

“This matter related to House of Commons Security Services personnel on the grounds outside the parliament buildings, which is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the RCMP,” Bradley told the Star.

She said the demand did not relate to the arming of Commons personnel inside the buildings. And Bradley said Commons security guards are responsible for handling a crisis situation that happens inside the building, a point driven home by last week’s attack.

Still, there have been serious questions raised about security on the Hill after Michael Zehaf-Bibeau barged through the main doors of Centre Block carrying a .30-30 Winchester rifle, past two unarmed, uniformed Commons guards.

And the brazen attack has put a spotlight on the jurisdictions that see four separate security agencies have a hand in protecting Parliament Hill.

At the time of the Oct. 22 attack, only plainclothes Commons security staff were armed, meaning the two uniformed guards at the front entrance of Centre Block had no weapons.

Zehaf-Bibeau had just shot and killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who was standing sentry duty at the nearby National War Memorial, when he crossed to Parliament Hill.

As Zehaf-Bibeau entered the main entrance of Centre Block, Const. Samearn Son grabbed at the rifle barrel and yelled out an alert to other guards. In the tussle, the rifle discharged, wounding Son in the leg.

Zehaf-Bibeau continued down the main hall, where it’s believed he was wounded by a plainclothes Commons security guard before being killed in a round of gunfire led by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers.

In the wake of the unprecedented attack, Scheer has launched several reviews of security procedures but the Commons administration has moved quickly with several changes to boost security.

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Since Monday, some uniformed Commons guards have begun carrying sidearms, adding firepower to the already armed plainclothes officers also on duty. The number of armed uniformed guards is expected to grow over the coming weeks as more and more are trained in the use of firearms.

Senate guards — authorized in June to carry firearms — will be armed once they are trained.

And armed RCMP officers, who until the attack had jurisdiction to guard the prime minister outside the Parliament buildings, now accompany him inside as well.

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