how to hire a bodyguard.docx

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How to Hire a Bodyguard"Bodyguard" has become a "Hollywood-ized" term and is probably not what you want.

The vocational name is "Executive Protection" or "Personal Security" and specialists

are not hard to find. Follow these instructions to ensure you're getting someone truly

qualified to protect another person's life and well-being.

Steps

1.

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Understand that "Personal Security" is a professional service, so keep your

expectations realistic.As the core component of PROTECTIVE SERVICES,

Personal Security is divided among several specialties focused on the type of person

being protected. Individuals trained to handle corporate executives, politicians,

dignitaries and high net-value families fall under "Executive Protection" or "EP" in

contrast with those trained to handle Celebrities, Actors, Musicians, Professional

Athletes and other high-profile, public individuals are commonly referred to as "Talent

Security". All qualified Practitioners are driven to be visibly low profile and are

capable of adapting to and remaining as unobtrusive to your lifestyle as possible.Ad

2.


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2As, unlike the United Kingdom, there are no national civilian training standardsfor this profession in the US or Canada, there are several titles a Practitioner

may use:Executive Protection,Protective Services,Personal ProtectionorPersonal

Security.

3.

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Like the Secret Service, the best individuals are proactive, clean cut, intelligent,

articulate, educated professionals that are trained to PREVENT a threat to your

welfare.Contrast these specialists with the stereotypical 400-pound thugs working

forBritney SpearsorMadonna. These "bodyguards" are only able to REACT to a

threat and are usually working as bouncers or bounty hunters and "sidelining" as a

Bodyguard and generally lack the specialized training.

4.

4Look on theInternetfor your states private security company

regulations.Learn the name of the required license for Bodyguard or Personal
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Protection Officer or something closely related. The candidates will need this license

in order to work for you. That said, do not assume that a "Bodyguard" license from

any state is in and of itself a good indicator of their abilities. The majority of states

have no requirements other than aConcealed Handgun License, a few have very

stringent training requirements and the rest have appallingly low training

requirements that meet no professionally recognized minimum training standards.

These licenses have names like Personal Protection Officer (PPO) or Personal

Protection Specialist (PPS) and are probably required for the individual to work for

you but most are acquired with very little training that anyone can get if they have a

"Security Guard" license and $100 to pay for a "Bodyguard" course.

5.
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5Ensure your candidates are graduates of a Government Protective Servicescourse from the;

o United States Secret Service (Special Agent versus Uniformed

Division))

o US State Department'sDiplomatic Security Service

o Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)

o US Army Military Police School'sProtective Services Training Course

o

US Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID)o US Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)

o US Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI)

or graduates from one of the few, internationally recognized and respected, civilian

executive protection schools in the US like;

o Executive Security International(ESI)in Colorado

o Executive Protection Institutein Virginia

o

R.L. Oatman & Associatesin Marylando National Protective Services Institutein Texas

o Gavin de Becker & Associatesin California

o The formerVance Internationalin Virginia

o International Training Groupin California

o Texas A&M University's TEEXin Texas

o US Training Centerin North Carolina

o Executive Protection Internationalin Massachusetts.

o There is also a University that specializes in Personal ProtectionManagement and offers Bachelors, Master's and Doctorate level Degrees (see

Henley-Putnam University)

o If a candidate attended a school not listed above, ensure that the

instructors openly identify themselves, have extensive experience (10+ years) in

Government Protective Services or a civilian equivalent and that the course was a

MINIMUM of 100 hours of formal personal security training.

o As a second choice, consider Executive Protection/Protective

Services/Corporate Security personnel from Fortune 500 corporations like Microsoft,Dell, Boeing, IBM, etc., with direct (not limited or collateral) experience.


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6Just because someone has been in the military, law enforcement or has

worked overseas on a Protective Services Detail (PSD) DOES NOT mean they

have the right mind-set, training or skill-sets to perform Personal Security

within the United States.

o If a candidate claims to have been a member of a US military Special

Operations Force, like Army Special Forces "Green Beret",US Army Ranger,Navy

SEAL, Air Force Combat Controller, Marine Corps Special Operations (MARSOC),

etc., ask them to provide you an ORIGINAL copy of their DD214. This document is

issued to all former military service members and will give you the names of schoolsthey graduated from and their professional character while in the service. If they claim
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their background is "Classified", they arelying to you.The only thing actually

classified about their military background would be missions they took part in.

7Get a photocopy of the applicants drivers license,Social Security cardandcopies of any professional certificates.
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8Conduct a background check on the web and pay for a simplecriminal history

check.
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9Have every candidate sign aNon-Disclosure Agreement(available for free on

the Internet) before discussing your needs or personal information.
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10Look for specific experience, and ask for examples of how the candidate has

demonstrated proficiency in skills including, but not limited to:

o Choreography (knowing how to stand, walk and get in and out of a car

with a Protectee)

o Conducting advance work to prepare for trips and events ahead of time

o Effective countermeasures to deal with an attack or security threat if

one materializes

o Knowledge of physical security and access control systems

o Formal training in specializeddriving skills, ando ExtensiveFirearmsand Defensive Tactics or martial arts training
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11Ask the candidate about "big name" people s/he has protected.If s/he gives you

a list of names, those names would likely be okay and can most often be verified by

contacting the company, government office or a celebrity's agent or representative.

However if a candidate starts revealing personal information it is possible that they

are violating non-disclosure and confidentiality statements they agreed to. At the

same time, do not accept the response, "I can't tell you for reasons of privacy." Good

bodyguards are very careful about divulging information about former clients or

protects, and will find a way for you to verify their claims without violating

confidentiality agreements.


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12Specialized driving skills are generally considered a sub-specialty within

Personal Security and are commonly known as Evasive and/or Counter-

ambush Driving, that few Personal Security practitioners have formal, in-depth

training in.Again, there are very few recognized and respected schools in the US

that teach these skills;

o Scotti School of Defensive Driving (SSDD)

o Bill Scott Raceways (BSR)

o Vehicle Dynamics Institute

o Bob Bondurant School of Performance Drivingo Crossroads Training Academy


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o Advanced Driving & Security Inc. (ADSI)

o Federal Law Enforcement Training Center'sVehicle Ambush

Countermeasures Training Program (VACTP).

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