The enrolment in close protection training academies has shown an upward trend as more and more professionals have realized the need for specialized training. The range of Close Protection Courses offered by different institutes and academies includes a whole set of long and short duration certificate and specialized courses. As close protection officers, bodyguards are expected to perform a variety of tasks right from providing close personal protection to personal security planning and surveillance.

In addition to this, many academies offer courses in conflict management, risk and threat assessment techniques and escorting. The close protection security industry is quite complex and the scope of work of close protection bodyguards is wide ranging with a gamut of challenging tasks. Of late, the close protection training industry has been focussing on strengthening areas like proactive management techniques.

Assessment of risks and threats to an individual or a corporate client is one of the most important tasks that the team of close protection officers need to undertake. A detailed security plan can be devised and implemented only when there is clarity on the potential risk and hence the risk and threat assessment is one of the most important tasks the security professionals need to undertake for every individual and corporate client.

Dr. Mark D. Yates, The British American Security Expert, says the close protection security professionals needs to be very proactive in their work and hence it is necessary for every professional in the close protection security industry to remain abreast of the latest techniques and advances in the industry.

After nearly 20 years of active involvement in all aspects of extremely high risk close protection security as a close protection bodyguard and instructor of close protection courses for hundreds of close protection agencies in 42 different countries. One of the best kept close protection security tips is to know the limitations of close protection related close protection agencies. I cannot stress how important this is. I have frequently listened in to fellow close protection trainers working full time direct for various close protection agencies informing trainee close protection  about how their close protection courses is the best in the world and how their protection bodyguard are the elite forces of the close protection security sector.

In many of these close protection agencies the poor level of the close protection courses delivered for every aspiring protection bodyguard was sadly insufficient to prepare them for anything above basic close protection jobs within the domestic close protection security industry.

Top 5 Close Protection Tips #2

Know Your Close Protection Enemies Before You Consider A Close Protection Bodyguard Profession

From the great many close protection agencies delivering close protection courses globally, I have only come across two within the close protection security industry who teach every protection bodyguard to know your close protection enemies before you consider a close protection bodyguard career. The significance of this issue cannot be played down as I have witnessed close protection agencies pumping out production lines of close protection trained protection bodyguard whose only focus is on the most evident enemy. In the real world of close protection security every close protection bodyguard knows that the greatest confrontation faced by every individual protection bodyguard comes from one of the other four enemies, i.e. The first enemy of every close protection bodyguard is him/her self. The second enemy is the spouse, girl/boy friend and family members of the close protection security team members. Third is the local system of government of the country in which you are running your close protection security contract. Fourth is your close protection client, VIP or Principal. The fifth enemy of every close protection bodyguard is what every security consultant deems the obvious enemy in the close protection security threat assessment, typically a terrorist, organised crime organisation or the obvious perpetrator.

Top 5 Close Protection Tips #3

Know The Level Of Your Close Protection Security Team Members Close Protection Courses

During my close protection security occupation I have survived several terrorist and organised crime gang attacks as well as many spontaneous attacks against the principal or VIP clients under my direct protection. The closest I ever came to losing my life was in a dark alley shared  by Russian soldiers and Russian and Latvian Mafia villains in Riga, Latvia. At the time I was working for several close protection agencies as a freelance close protection security unit commander. Most of the close protection individual protection bodyguard I led had graduated as a close protection bodyguard from some of the world’s most reputable close protection courses run by some of the world’s finest close protection agencies. However I was frequently tasked with leading teams of protection bodyguard who were hired in on a temporary ad hoc employment basis. Their close protection agencies were supposed to have checked their qualifications and as a given, should have ascertained they were highly skilled alumni of specialist close protection courses. In the pursuit of short term revenue many of these close protection agencies failed in their attentiveness prior to hiring every protection bodyguard. Consequently these badly trained protection bodyguard caused many serious problems some of which compromised the safekeeping of the more professional close protection security unit members.

The closest I ever came to losing my life during a close protection security contract, was because I didn’t know the level of the close protection courses taken by one of my close protection team members. I vowed never to compromise my personal protection ever again by making that mistake. If you learn one thing from this article let it be that you need to know the level of your close protection security team members close protection courses.

In my experience there are more than enough professional close protection trained protection bodyguard working the six continent circuit to ensure you don’t have to work with a less than competent close protection bodyguard.

Top 5 Close Protection Tips #4

Know Your Close Protection Security Client/s

One of the most difficult aspects of being a close protection bodyguard is getting to know your close protection security Principal/s. After conducting hundreds of close protection close protection jobs for VIP principals in four continents, I still sometimes struggle with occasional new business clients.

Even though I carry out robust profile assessments and threat assessments for every individual close protection security Principal and close protection contract, it is never easy  to really dig below the surface to get to know your close protection security client/s. When I deliver close protection courses for global close protection agencies I always counsel every close protection bodyguard in the programme, that most close protection security client/s will only tell you half the story. It’s no great secret that  when a client hires the close protection services of a  protection bodyguard team, there has been either an actual or perceived threat against that client or a member of his/her family or business associate.

Hiring a protection bodyguard from any of the recognised close protection agencies is an expensive undertaking and it is often this reason why a close protection security client/s  fail to provide all the pertinent facts. These close protection clients, many of who are from a corporate owner background have been taught at business college how to save money. If they downplay the threat against them they know the close protection agencies will allocate less close protection bodyguards or a lesser paid protection bodyguard to protect them. Although it is obviously false economy and it’s pre-programmed for failure I have personally experienced this with several close protection Principals.

Never scrimp when you have to produce a  well researched profile and threat assessment prior to close protection contract engagement for any of the close protection jobs you undertake. It is during the profile and threat assessment stage that you have the best chance to get know your close protection security client/s.

Top 5 Close Protection Tips #5

Know When To Say No To Close Protection Security Close Protection Jobs

When a would be protection bodyguard first  contacts one of the  close protection agencies to sign up for  their close protection courses programmes with a view to gaining close protection jobs, it is very appealing to say yes to every close protection security contract that lands on your desk. The chance to recover their close protection courses tuition costs and all-consuming longing  to get their first close protection security contracts under their belt are the main two reasons why they say yes to every contract. In reality, although it’s a bitter pill to swallow, it is precisely at this early stage of your close protection career when you have to know when to say no to close protection security close protection jobs.

I am the first to admit in the early stages of my executive protection career my wish  to prove myself as a professional bodyguard forced me to say yes to many executive protection services contracts when I should have said no. It’s one of those lessons that most executive protection training programmes fail to teach you. In reality if you don’t learn to know when to say no to close protection security close protection jobs your career can be over before it’s really got off the ground.

I have myself experienced many a protection bodyguard who has cut corners to save money when conducting their own close protection courses foolishly accept close protection security contracts which sadly delivered fatal consequences on various close protection jobs.