Now, to get things straight to start with, what most people, especially Americans, don’t realize is that most non-government close protection jobs are unarmed due to the legal restrictions on firearms in most countries. Part of your threat assessment for any assignment needs to include the laws on the use of force and what if any weapons are legal in the locations you are going to be working in. Being caught with an illegal weapon, especially a firearm will get you thrown in jail very quickly, no matter how important you think you are!
Adapt and Survive
It’s no secret that higher education has been changing over the past 20 years. The introduction of tuition fees, the increases in these fees, the lifting of the cap on student numbers, the recession, Brexit, to name but a few things, have all impacted on the higher education sector.
Vehicle Attacks Against Pedestrians – 12 Ways to Mitigate the Risk
It irks me when I hear security specialists giving overly simplistic advice like ‘be more aware of your surroundings,’ when it comes to guarding against vehicle attacks on pedestrians. In this article, I share 12 practical methods for mitigating this increasing terrorist threat.
Anything that Can Happen Will Happen… Even the Inconceivable
It seemed the whole city had turned out to catch a glimpse of Mr. Nixon. The plan was to drive to the ramp of Air Force One, put the president into the car and drive from the airport to the city. The motorcade was all aligned according to standard protocol; police lead motorcycles and escort, a lead car with police and the advance agent, the new presidential limousine, Secret Service follow-up with agents and a doctor; White House staff in appropriate cars, the traveling press, a tail car and tail police car. Everything was in preplanned order, What could go wrong?
Fit for Purpose A history of military physical training
Organised physical exercise can be traced far back to ancient Greek times, where it was viewed that it should be both an integral part of an individual’s responsibility and civic duty to maintain health.
On the Ground in Iraq – A Medics Experience
In the early days of ‘private contractor’ work in Iraq following the end of the war in 2003, medics were generally unregulated and unregistered, most being ex RMAs (now CMT1s) who had left the military and qualified as HSE Offshore Medics. Some had not done any ‘civilian’ courses but were hired on the strength of their military qualifications and experience; the guys would generally operate as firstly a PSD team member/operator, and secondly as a team medic. In those days the drugs and equipment carried by the medics was very limited; generally, FFDs, quick clot, blast bandages and if you were lucky some morphine auto injectors, Paracetamol and Ibuprofen.
The Fallacy of the Individual Bodyguard
It was the height of British military and government involvement in the ill-fated NATO-led effort to crush the Taliban, and Kabul was inundated with people needing close protection services. From diplomats attempting to build infrastructure and civil institutions to corporate honchos sniffing out potential business opportunities, there was no shortage of clients for security firms to pitch. As my conversation with the in-country manager progressed, I broached the subject of IBGs – individual bodyguards. I told him in no uncertain terms that the idea of having an individual effectively carry out the functions of a close protection team was utter and absolute flannel. His response: “Maybe, Bob. But it brings in the dollars!”
Counter-Ambush Tactics for Security Professionals – Part 1
By far the best method to accomplish this goal is to adopt a predictive, preventative strategy for protecting clients based on the tenets of Detect, Deter, and Defend. To effectively employ these tenets, we need some very specific soft and hard skills. In the protective operations world, the “soft” skills are sometimes referred to as Protective Intelligence (PI) while in other security disciplines they are referred to as situational and tactical awareness skills. If we are unable to prevent or avoid an attack, we need to have some expertise in specific “hard” skills such as use of firearms and security driving so that we can survive an ambush.
Industry News January 2020
Industry News January 2020. We cast our eye over the main stories impacting the security industry. Here’s what’s appeared on the radar since the last issue.
Security in New Zealand
Your high profile principle has decided to come to NZ. The first thing that will hit the close protection officer is the Maori culture. A member of the local Iwi (tribe) will be responsible for explaining to your client the local customs, but the close protection officer will still see threats.
Key Points to Being a Good Bodyguard
For long-term assignments, it is very important to build up a rapport with your client / VIP and anyone else associated with the operation. Effective and good communications will not only assist you with having an easier and less stressful assignment but also keeps you up-to-date on the client’s day to day activities
Leaders – A peek behind the curtain of the Close Protection Industry.
What is the state of our industry? Where are we headed? What are the emerging trends? Take a peek behind the curtain of the Close Protection Industry.
Maritime Security: The Race to the Bottom
Somalia’s northern coastline lies on the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. An estimated 23,000 ships a year transited these waters accessing the vital link to Europe through the Suez Canal. However, the voyage through these seas presented an increasingly perilous risk of attack by Somali based pirates.
One Agents Opinion, Bodyguard Or Executive Protection Specialist?
When someone asks, “what do you do for a living”? Do you say, I’m a “Bodyguard” or you’re an Executive Protection Specialist? What’s in a name?
International Bodyguards and Working Armed
When considering traveling with weapons you need to ask yourself some simple questions to first ascertain the viability of working armed in a given country. If you are traveling internationally the chances are you will not be able to take firearms with you due to the laws in the country you are visiting, which you need to check before traveling. This can be a long and difficult process and will also put yourself and your project on the radar of the country you’re visiting before you even get there.
