SIA

Bodyguard Training – Skills You Should Turn up on Your Course With

To become a professional bodyguard requires plenty of training, if you have never done anything like it before there really is a lot to learn. However it never ceases to amaze me how some people feel that as long as they have the money then the trainer can do the rest and turn them into a bodyguard. This is simply not true. Whilst I would be the first to admit that close protection is not “rocket science” you do need to turn up for training with some skills and attributes. This article discusses the skills and attributes which are essential if you wish to become a professional close protection officer. It goes without saying that you should be honest, punctual and have a mature outlook; however I will outline other essential skills and attributes below.

Good Communication skills

The close protection officer has to display excellent communication skills throughout. He needs to be able to speak not only to his principal but to other team members as well as officials. You must be a “people person” because a bodyguard will find himself dealing with people at all levels, from heads of security to hotel chambermaids. Without good communication skills you are unlikely to become a professional bodyguard, in fact you are unlikely to get past the first interview for your first job.

Common Sense

You will need copious amounts of common-sense. Close protection officers often have to “think on their feet” making decisions on their own, assessing situations and working out the appropriate action to take. Unfortunately you cannot be taught common sense, you either have it or you do not.

A Professional Attitude

Close protection officers needed to project a totally professional attitude throughout their working day. You must display this attitude from day one. Anything less than a professional attitude will not see you through your course, let alone a subsequent career.

Good Team Player

Close protection is a team sport, if you are not a team player you should reconsider your career choice. There is absolutely no room for individuals who cannot function well as part of a team. Teamwork is everything and if you do not function well within one then close protection is probably not for you.

Confidence

Whether you have it or not you must learn how to ooze it. Your principal needs to trust that you will do the right thing in an emergency. The confidence that you show on a day-to-day basis will go a long way to you earning the trust of your principal. Professional close protection officers that are not confident in everything they do will just not be taken seriously.

SIA Chief Quits

The chief executive of the government body which licenses Close protection Officers has resigned.
Mike Wilson, who was head of the Security Industry Authority, resigned after it emerged that some of its own agency staff had not been security cleared. That this could happen after they had already owned up to giving licences to more than 6,600 illegal immigrants. The official government position was that there were “some failings”. The Tories called the government “staggeringly complacent”. 38 temporary workers hired by the SIA had not received “appropriate security clearance.”

That this can happen is no real surprise to those that have to deal with the organisation. The SIA have missed the perfect opportunity to really make the industry professional, but in effect they have dumbed it down. Wheel clamper’s might now have to have special training before they can work, but bodyguards need only pass a simple tick test to become licensed.

All the industry needed was the ability to have quick and efficient criminal record checks before employment, but what we got was an organisation that made the Child Support agency seem efficient. Even though every security officer, doorman, and countless thousands pay them £250 every three years they are still losing money. I wonder how long the organisation will last in its present form.

The Modern Bodyguard

Most people, if you asked them to describe a modern bodyguard will conjure up two of the archetypal stereotypes. The first of these might be some large gorilla/gangster-like character, with fat fingers festooned with heavy gold rings. An intimidating figure that speaks in words of one syllable, clearing people out of the path of his client with a grunt and an elbow rather than an “excuse me” and looking like he could not run twenty yards without stopping to catch breath. The second stereotype will probably be the American Secret Service type, large pair of sunglasses, a curly wire leading to an earpiece, and a hand inside a jacket ready to withdraw a machine pistol whilst talking into his sleeve.

Others have no idea what a modern bodyguard is or does. They assume that the security staff they see at music or boxing events are bodyguards. These people are not bodyguards; they may well be trained in crowd management functions and may work part-time as bouncers in bars and clubs, but they are not bodyguards. The reasons for people having these popular misconceptions are not hard to find. The heavies employed in advertising, exhibitions and soap style television are purposely easy to spot. Their already high profile is often over emphasised.

The man in the street sees real bodyguards working every day, if not in the flesh then on the television news. Seeing them is one thing but realising that they are security professionals is another. They are seen but not noticed because they strive to maintain a low profile. Not only do they look normal, their suit fits and their knuckles don’t drag along the ground! The reasons that these professionals can go unnoticed are that they devote a lot of their time into maintaining a low profile. Because they do not look like the public’s idea of a bodyguard this actually helps them as they go about their days work.

So, who are these modern bodyguards that we generally do not notice, and what makes them so special? The twenty-first century bodyguard is often found in a smart but neutrally toned business suit, presenting a discreet and subdued image to the outside world. He is a highly skilled and motivated individual, constantly assessing potential risks and weighing these against his skills and the measures he must take to minimise them. He is fit, not overweight, and an expert in first aid, fire fighting, defensive driving, weapon systems, unarmed combat and communication skills. He will be well trained in all of the skills and drills that he uses daily providing peace of mind and a safe environment for his principal.

Bodyguard Job Hunting – The Importance of The Covering Letter

Never send a CV/Resume without a covering letter, this includes emails. The covering letter is an essential part of the Resume and should not be neglected.

Keep the covering letter short and completely to the point, do not mention too much in this letter that you have already stated in the CV, if you write it by hand ensure that it is neat and legible, and use good quality paper, blue ink is better than black and a fountain pen better than ball-point. Remember that the person who you are writing this letter to knows NOTHING about you except what is written in the letter and the CV, always write the letter to a name e.g. Mr. Smith, if you do not know the name – find out. As a last resort you can send it to a title e.g. Personnel Manager but always try to obtain a name.

An example of a covering letter might go as follows:

Dear Mr. Smith

I understand from an advertisement that your company has in Yellow Pages that you undertake Close Protection work. I have recently completed a contract overseas (I have recently completed a comprehensive course in Close Protection with) and am now actively seeking another (my first) assignment. I have enclosed a CV which outlines the experience etc, etc. I look forward to hearing from you soon

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.