INVEST SOME TIME IN YOURSELF AND MAKE IT HAPPEN How many people reading this article can honestly say that they put the amount of effort into finding employment that is required to find work in the security industry or to progress their career. The answer is very few, if you sit in front of the […]
Traumatic Stress
As a bodyguard, your background, training and experience mean that generally you are more resilient and for you, what the man in the street would view as traumatic, is all in a day’s work. However, like Dave, this does not mean that you are invulnerable to post-traumatic stress!
How to Become More Employable
How to become more employable by specialising in pre hospital care Many close protection operators (CPO’s) are now identifying the value of becoming specialised in other aspects that surround the role. One of these specialist areas is Pre Hospital Care (PHC), and with this in mind I would like to share my thoughts and […]
Which Training Provider?
One of the questions I am always asked from people entering the Close Protection sector is which Close Protection Training Provider should I use? There are many out there, some are good, some are bad but how can you tell before you part with your hard earned cash and what are the questions that you […]
Review: Medipro PHMT
COURSE REVIEW: Medipro Training: PHMT (Pre-Hospital-Medical-technician) Having previously completed FPOS (I) MIRA and Remote Team Medic Courses I was looking for a training course which had both industry recognition and would take my knowledge and skills to the next level both academically and practically whilst also fitting into my rotation of 6 weeks on 6 […]
Kidnapping – a grim reality
Kidnapping – a grim reality Hostage survival training – is it needed by the CP operative? The very thought that an experienced security detail and their Principal could be taken hostage might seem remote to those who operate in this area. However the reality of this “it will never happen to me”, “I can’t […]
Pre-deployment Hostile Environment Training
The importance of conducting ‘quality’ pre-deployment hostile environment CP training The nature of the typical security contracts now being awarded to the many Private Security Companies (PSC’s) on the hostile environment circuit today, has seen a dramatic shift from well-funded government regeneration/infrastructure type contracts to those of a more commercial nature, such as the oil […]
The European Security Academy course
Course Review: The European Security Academy course Quite a lot can happen in two weeks but when I signed up at European Security Academy I was not prepared for how much those two weeks of initial CP training would teach me. As an information security professional I had no previous CP experience when I […]
Escaping the Kill Zone
Escaping the Kill Zone Everyone has their own strategy when it comes to vehicle gun fighting. Most of it is based on television and with no sense of reality. NEWS FLASH – it doesn’t work like on television. Most people have never fired into a vehicle or out of a vehicle that was […]
Catastrophic Haemorrhage
CATASTROPHIC HAEMORRHAGE During the Vietnam War, 50% of battlefield deaths were the result of major haemorrhage. Of these, 80% were torso injuries, which, in the pre-hospital environment, are classed as non-compressible injuries. For the immediate responder these wounds provide us with very little management options and the patient’s immediate need is for treatment by […]
Transferable skills – the key to success
Transferable skills – the key to success Professionals are more aware than ever of the importance of having a good knowledge and understanding of their field and the security sector is no exception. However, it is easy to overlook the importance of also developing a versatile, transferable skill set alongside expertise in a chosen discipline. […]
Relax
Relax I have been participating in quite a few discussions lately about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the topic has come up in so many different circles that I thought that I should write a brief piece on it. I have been discussing this with Combat Veterans, Police Officers, Aid Workers and Journalists. I […]
Making the right choice
Making the Right Choice Instinctive.. shooting, unarmed defensive tactics, evasive driving.. whatever. In a sudden and urgent situation there may be no time to stop and ponder what needs to be done, no time to think through conflict management models. Action must be simple, effective and above all, instinctive. I spent fifteen years […]
The Importance of Assessment
The Importance of Assessment We may not know it but assessment is part of our everyday lives and we constantly make assessment decisions and judgements based upon the information we receive from our interactions with others and our surroundings. For example, when we cross the road we will assess the best place to cross, […]
The Close Protection Ground Fighting System
The Close Protection Ground Fighting System Ask yourself this realistic question and if you can’t answer it honestly then continue reading this article. Q. ‘What do you do when you are dealing with a conflict situation which results with an aggressor taking you to the ground and pinning you to the floor?’ Close Protection. Close […]
Prometheus Viper FPOS
Prometheus Viper FPOS Course Review As the requirements and conditions of gaining employment on the circuit become greater, one avenue of training which is critical for CPO’s to follow is medical. Many companies operating in hostile environments will now demand a minimum of an FPOS (first person on scene) as opposed to simply the […]
Hypothermia in Trauma
This article will cover: Why casualties need to be kept warm How we normally keep warm and how casualties lose heat What can be done to minimise heat loss Why casualties need to be kept warm As warm-blooded animals, we keep the core temperature of our bodies remarkably constant at 37.5oC. This so-called “thermoregulation” allows […]
Specialist Interviewing
Specialist Interviewing IT was in the mid 1990’s when I had a ‘road to Damascus moment’ and realised how radical the changes to the criminal justice system were in relation to the support offered to child witnesses. The ‘Memorandum of Good Practice on Video with Child Witnesses for Criminal Proceedings’ a joint Home Office/Department […]
Train Hard, Fight Easy!
For me, the last three months has seen some well earned time off and a chance to get over to the States and train at some of the top fight gyms. It was a pilgrimage of sorts, visiting the stomping ground of great fighters past and present. My aim was to push myself physically, […]
ICON Advanced EP – Course Review
ICON Advanced Executive Protection Course Review When I made the choice that I was going to make a move into the Executive Protection industry, I started researching the countless different training schools in the marketplace. I was looking for a school that wouldn’t just show me PowerPoint presentations all day or give me 10,000 […]