Bodyguard Procedures
Bodyguards don't make headlines, but they're on the front lines against terrorism. At any time, their life of boring routine can be interrupted by moments of sheer terror. The good ones are rarely noticed, but always ready to step in front of a bullet for their employer. What does it take to protect government, military and business leaders from kidnapping or worse? What tactics do bodyguards use to prevent some attacks and counter others?
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Threat Assessment
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Bodyguards use a system to classify the current risk of harm to their employer. Colors, numbers or letters are used to identify different threat levels. An expected attack will have the highest threat assessment and an employer who is no longer active, or a worthy target, will have the lowest. Threat assessments help the bodyguard determine what security measures to take and what adjustments are needed to the employer's lifestyle.
Hardening the Target
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Since the employer's cooperation is essential to the success of a protective effort, they must be informed of the security plan. All information about the employer should be dispensed on a need-to-know basis. The employer's daily routine should also be varied by establishing different routes to the office and other locations, and different times and places for exercise, eating out, and other activities.
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Advance Work
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When an employer's responsibilities take them to a new location, the bodyguard analyses the itinerary to eliminate potential security breaches. Bodyguards may arrive at the new location before their employer, to assess the situation in person. They might also use contacts who live in the area, government sites that track threat levels around the world, and records of previous visits. Airports, hotels, restaurants, meeting halls, travel routes and anything else on the itinerary will be evaluated to insure the employer's safety.
Site Security
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When a bodyguard's employer remains at a known location for a significant time, extra security measures are necessary. These measures are designed to discourage an attacker by making their job more difficult, to stop the attacker at an outer perimeter, to give the bodyguard advance warning, and to slow down an attack to allow for an effective counter-attack.
Public Appearances
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Contact with the public is a necessary evil when protecting high-profile clients. To reduce the risk, a bodyguard will make every effort to prepare an evacuation plan, get in and out quickly, avoid disruptions, minimize vulnerability, and maximize privacy. Advance knowledge of an event's dress code, will help the bodyguard blend in and maintain a low profile.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit photo by Hans Thoursie at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1092378
