How safe am I? How safe are my loved ones? How can we be more secure?
If you ask yourself this kind of questions, then most probably you need protection.
Protection can take different forms, but for the Very Important Persons (VIPs) it is the specially tailored VIP protection service that can set the mind at ease. Riaan Smuts, FSG Director of Operations, reveals more about the service and what it takes to be a professional VIP protector nowadays.
Just as every other VIP service, VIP protection relates to status, privilege and exclusiveness. Yet, in a sense, it is more than an ordinary exclusive service aimed to please or provide comfort to high-profile and high net-worth individuals.
VIP protection is not only a personal issue, ease of mind or just another privilege. It is an essential feature of the orderly society which allows its VIPs to proceed freely with their daily activities without fear of retribution by political and other opponents. In today’s volatile global environment, VIPs and high-profile business executives are facing multiple threats and often find themselves potential targets because of who they are or whom they represent. Country leaders, politicians, executive businessmen, even seemingly less powerful executives in controversial industries or businesses, may find themselves at risk. The role of VIP protection is to counter these risks and threats and ensure a high degree of attention and mitigation regardless of whether the client is a political, diplomatic or religious VIP, a business executive or a celebrity.
VIP protection is all about application of protective measures to reduce the risk to VIPs and avoid threats. Contrary to common knowledge and notion based on big-budget action movies, the VIP protection is more of a proactive effort than a reactive one. Although some reactive elements exist, taking proaction is the only way to ensure effective protection and automatic reaction when needed.
The person responsible for the protection of a VIP can be called different titles such as protector, close protector, bodyguard, protection officer or VIP protection specialist. However, it is more important that regardless of the title this person should provide an outstanding service following hard and carefully planned advance work.
The protector’s main responsibility is to safeguard the principal against any physical attacks, assassination, threat or danger. His duty is to protect his family, office and home, as well as his official and personal status, integrity and reputation. The success of the assignment depends first and foremost on the detailed knowledge about the client, his daily, weekly and monthly schedule, preference personal history and any special needs.
One of the first steps which a VIP protector should take is to establish the client’s protection requirements and find the answers of several questions:
• Who is being protected?
• What are they being protected from?
• When are they to be protected?
• Where must they be protected?
• Why are they being protected?
• How must they be protected?
Knowing the exact answers and as much as possible about the client, the protector can embark on planning. Besides, the knowledge base created can come in handy in the event of an emergency or crisis when quick and informed decisions are needed.
As the use of personal protection in the corporate world has increased, so have the requirements for those serving as protection agents. The image of protectors is no longer related to strongmen standing in front of doors, neither is the profession restricted to men only as more and more women get involved in the field.
*Being a protection professional goes far beyond the willingness to take a bullet
The VIP protection is a demanding task, requiring a comprehensive blend of skills and trustworthiness. But does it take just reliability and certain skills when it comes to protecting and saving lives?
The protector must be certainly trustworthy, but also mentally and physically fit, discrete, loyal and organised. Integrity and honesty are essential, as well as maturity, intelligence, common sense, initiative and ability to handle stress and fear. The protector must be able to keep a low profile, have business etiquette and manners, dress appropriately, be computer and technology literate and above all, understand that being a protection professional goes far beyond the willingness to take a bullet. Away are the days when the term bodyguard went together with the image of a sturdy guy with muscles. Today’s protectors know not just how to protect a principal, but also how to melt in with the environment and respect the client’s private space. Needless to say, it takes time and hard work to master these skills and gain the expertise to be called a VIP protection specialist.
As in every other field of life, protectors are not born specialists. They become such after years of efforts, commitment and rigorous training which sometimes appears to be more suited for Special Forces units. The reason is that there is no better way to test a protector’s ability to dominate fear and panic and predict his reaction under the intense psychological stress of an emergency or a terrorist attack. A good example for extreme training is the practice of one European Presidential Team which throws its trainees bound and hooded into a swimming pool, then has divers pummel them while in the water. Another test has the trainees woken by masked gunmen, who bind and hood them, then hurl them into a cellar for interrogation. Candidates who pass the test are then exposed to a final challenge involving running along narrow ledges at height to test for fear of falling.
*Advance work can make the difference between life and death
It is not muscular physique and angry looks that a protector needs to perform his task, but a good brain and a flawless advance work.
The most important part of the protection is not the time the protector spends alongside the principal, but the advance work beforehand. The advance work can make the difference between life and death and requires that every single activity is planned to the second, examined, scrutinized and re-examined. It allows a protector to effectively react to unpredictable occurrences and prove to be much more worthy than hundreds of protectors equipped with the most sophisticated tools, protectors who have the technology devices but lack the background knowledge of the task.
Through the advance work, the protector gets to know the client, his likes, dislikes, needs and annoyances, as well as the surroundings. It helps him determine the number of protectors needed, the transportation requirements, the options and the availability, the places to stay, eat and shop. When the client requires protection at an unfamiliar or new venue, the protector also needs to develop a knowledge base about the particular location by first-hand intelligence gathering.
*On the road
In VIP protection it is vital that all details are well-documented. Everything from the multiple driving routes from the airport to the hotel to the emergency numbers and the nearest hospitals to the locations which will be visited should be recorded, as should be the different routes to each place.
How a VIP moves from one location to another has always been a concern. The VIP may walk or use other mode of travel, but generally most travel is accomplished on the road. Statistics show that many attacks, assassination or kidnapping attempts on VIPs, took place while the VIPs were traveling by car, the reason being the variety of contributing factors beyond the control of the VIP or his personal protector.
Generally speaking, vehicle movements present ordinary risks associated with traffic conditions. These risks are unrelated to VIP protection, but when combined with other factors, the overall risks of vehicle travel become much higher and warrant the use of skilled drivers, trained in defensive and offensive driving techniques.
When speaking of road travel, the selection of a vehicle comes high on the list of VIP protection concerns, so does the question of armoured cars. As a rule, the use of armoured vehicles should always correspond with the threat and is particularly justified when travelling in high risk countries.
In today’s global environment air travel is both routine and essential and it is generally safer than road travel. However, it has disadvantages such as higher costs, which increase further for private aircraft, and potential risks of terrorist attacks and hijacking. Events such as 9/11 have proved that commercial aircraft are often targets of terrorists and hijackers.
*Physical Security
Like most people, VIPs spend much of their time at the office or at home where they are in need of physical security. Physical security, which is one of the fundamental aspects of VIP protection, includes the use of physical controls to protect the client’s office and residence. It is not limited only to protection of the building, but also contributes to the protection of the VIP, his family, personnel and information. To deliver a professional physical security service, the protector must conduct a physical site survey on regular basis, continuously assess the threats and adapt the security measures accordingly.
*Contingency planning
Contingency planning is another important aspect of VIP protection. It requires answers to the simple but fundamental question ”What if?” and focuses on plans for possible scenarios of anything that can happen with the VIP from an assassination attack to a heart attack. A contingency plan is what will help a protector deal with “what ifs” and reduce the threats to the client.
*Good protectors are generally very hard to spot
VIP protection is considered by most VIPs, and especially government VIPs, a burden and a lack of freedom. That’s why a professional protector should always be unobtrusive, blend into the environment and never let a VIP feel uncomfortable. Like Sultan Qaboos of Oman, some at-risk VIPs refuse to have bodyguards anywhere near them, but for specialists, it is still possible to provide protection without being physically next to the client. If for any reason a VIP won’t have people alongside, offensive surveillance teams can be summoned to stand away from the VIP and do discreet surveillance. According to the circumstances, the teams can move closer or further away from the client.
* Take precautions not the bullet
Every protector swears an oath to take the bullet for the principal. However, the whole idea is that it will never come this far, because if an assignment gets to a point where physical violence is imminent, the protector will have already failed his primary duties. So, it is the advance work that is crucial and that can save a life in a split second.
The secret about good protection is a balance between overkilling and been killed. Protective measures should be implemented to the degree necessary to reasonably reduce the risks to the client. Too much protection will inhibit the client’s ability to conduct daily business. Too little protection may leave the client vulnerable, still asking himself how secure he is.
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