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Presidential Bodyguard

When the race for the White House finally ended the speeches given by both President-elect Barrack Obama and Senator McCain were very similar, they were both complimentary of each other and acknowledged that there was a lot of work to be done to get America back on track. As a close protection officer looking on I couldn’t help but notice the security differences between the two speeches. The most obvious Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech from behind a 3 inch thick screen of bullet-proof glass.
The President of the most powerful country in the world has many enemies. Many of those are more professional than even the most well organised white supremacists who are just another group that would like him dead joining the queue to do it.
It has been reported that the Secret Service have already investigated more than 500 death threats against the President-elect since his campaign started. Two neo-Nazi skinheads were arrested a few days before the election for conspiring to assassinate Mister Obama. We were treated to images of them holding automatic weapons and sporting swastika tattoos courtesy of ubiquitous YouTube. The president of the United States has many enemies
I imagine that once the President-elect is sworn-in January 2009 he will be protected by more bodyguards than any one individual has been, ever. Hundreds of close protection officers will advance every move and accompany him.
Barrack Obama seems pretty laid back and I’m concerned he said that is protected by some of the best in the business and was quoted as saying “It’s not something that I’m spending time thinking about day to day. I think anybody who decides to run for president recognises that there are some risks involved.”

I am sure the presidents bodyguards are pretty well paid and they probably going to get a lot of overtime, but would you want the job?

Regulation of the Bodyguard Industry – Has it Made a Difference?

A few years ago it was said that anyone could become a bodyguard. People in the industry complained that it was just too easy to become a bodyguard. A joke going around the industry in the early 1990’s was something like, “What are the two requirements to become a close protection officer” The first was to be breathing and the second was to have the course fee! This was true to some extent. While the best companies ran selection courses and weeded out the obvious failures and weak candidates, most training companies took you on for training as long you were breathing and had the cash!

Along came regulation and Licensing and most saw this as an opportunity to clean the industry up and raise the bar. Minimum standards of training would be legislated and the industry would benefit. Is it better now?

There are now over 80 training organisations in the UK alone compared to a handful just a few years ago. The industry is now licensed and legitimised and this has attracted a lot more people to the industry than ever before. However, all of these companies are desperate for students. They will do anything to attract students to their courses. The main attraction for many is often a low price; this might seem to be a good thing from the trainee’s point of view. We all know that competition is healthy and considered good.

However good training costs a lot of money to facilitate and the best instructors need to be paid for. This means that the profit margins are small which ensure many of these companies spend as little on the training as they can and just go through the motions as cheaply as they dare. Some companies just ticking off each hour from 150 minimum. With the SIA reluctant to inspect and monitor the training companies, we are not even sure that some even deliver the minimum. All of the awarding bodies rely on a simple tick test, and if this were not simple enough to pass, the answers to these questions are easily found by asking around!

Initial observations about the Close protection Licensing are that it is not working. It has not only cost individuals and companies a lot of money to implement, but it has also cost the taxpayer who has to prop it up despite the officers and companies paying seriously hefty annual fees to it. Has it raised the bar with regard to close protection? well yes, now you need a clean police record, the cash and must not be short of breath.

Professional Bodyguards Must Have Current First Aid Skills

First Aid skills are important in any walk of life, but being skilled in First Aid is absolutely fundamental to being a Close protection professional. Some schoolchildren are now taught very basic First Aid. This is a good thing. First Aid should be on everybody’s curriculum. Over the years, I have seen and been amazed at the number of bodyguards’ CV/resumes that make no mention of First Aid. When questioned in interview, these candidates mention that yes, they have done First Aid in the Army: ‘about ten years ago’ or ‘I did a lifesaving course, “a while ago”‘.

This is simply not good enough. I can guarantee with some certainty that First Aid skills will be needed in a career of close protection. You may never need that bootleg turn that you practise over and over in the car or the quick draw and chair roll that you have perfected for hotel corridors; but you will need your knowledge of First Aid.

First Aid is a skill like any other; it needs constant practice to remain effective. Techniques and ideas change so it is imperative that you carry out continual training and remain up to date. Most books on ‘close protection’ include a chapter on First Aid but this is a token gesture and often used only to pad out the book. Authors tend to stick to sexy First Aid like suckling chest wounds, tracheotomies and gunshot wounds. They ignore the simple facts, such as your principal is hundreds of times more likely to die choking on a pretzel than be shot in the chest. First Aid needs its own book, and cannot be covered in a single chapter. You will need to undertake a course in First Aid.

In the UK when the Security Industry Authority (SIA) commissioned the key skills or core competencies, the draft documents included just sexy First Aid. Some sensible folk lobbied to get this taken out and be replaced by a formal qualification in First Aid. Eventually, the SIA chose the Health and Safety Executive’s ‘First Aid at Work’ course, which is run over four days and which is accompanied by written and practical exams. In the UK, therefore, you will need this First Aid qualification to get a licence to operate as a Close Protection Officer. The course covers much more than tracheotomies and for those that really want to know, yes, they do teach you about suckling chest wounds.

The course will cover the following:

Introduction to first aid
Personal hygiene
Circulation
Resuscitation
Dressings and bandages
Wounds and bleeding
Circulatory disorders
Duties of a First Aider
The skeleton
Fractures
Unconsciousness
Burns and scalding
Handling and transport

This course certificate is valid for three years; thereafter, before your certificate runs out, you must undertake a two day refresher course. Go over three years and you will have to do the whole course again to get re-certificated.Other Essential First Aid Courses

While the basic First Aid course above is enough to get you a licence to operate in the UK you should consider at least two other First Aid qualifications, which are essential if you are to become a protection professional.

Automated External Defibrillator Course

This short course teaches you how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). This device can be used to administer measured electric shocks to people in the throes of cardiac arrest and is the best way of increasing their chance of survival. Many close protection teams routinely carry AEDs and you must be trained in their use. Most ‘de-fib’ courses last around one day and the course certificate must be renewed every six months.

First Aid for children

Very often the addition of a first aid certificate applicable to children will make a close protection officer more employable in a family environment. Most courses available are aimed at giving first aid to adults so you will have to look hard to find one especially for children. First aid techniques for children differ in some crucial areas. Participants learn about techniques for resuscitating children and infants, conducting risk assessments and how to deal with choking, burns, scalds and seizures. In a career in close protection, you will find that you work for principals that have families that include young children. You will often be charged with their care. You need to know what to do in the event of an accident or illness. If you are working in an environment that includes children, you cannot be a bodyguard without these skills.