Originally posted on https://www.wincor.com/blog/can-depend-bodyguard.html

Have you wondered whether your Bodyguard would take a bullet meant for you? For the most part, no one can foresee the future or predict how someone will react under extreme stress. With over twenty-eight years’ of experience vetting Bodyguards for our Los Angeles, New York, and international clients the honest answer is you do not know. There is no surefire way of knowing but these two theories might help; 1.Is your Bodyguard in your opinion truly loyal to you and has he /she demonstrated overtime a sincere concern for your safety? 2. Has she/he been properly vetted by a professional Personal Protection Company who delved deeply into the Bodyguard candidate’s background?

LEARN AS MUCH A POSSIBLE ABOUT YOUR BODYGUARD

Worldwide Intelligence Network has been vetting of Bodyguards for twenty-eight years and thankfully we never had a single adverse incident occur. It takes years of knowledge and experience to recognize a true professional Bodyguard. Many Bodyguards enter the field of Person Protection after being discharged from the military. When vetting a veteran seeking Bodyguard employment, it is essential to inquire about their training and whether they were deployed to a theater of operation. We counsel veterans seeking a career as a Bodyguard also known as a Personal Protection Specialist to think about enrollment in a professional Bodyguard/Executive Protection Academy. Other candidates are former law enforcement officers many having served on dignitary protection details for the US Government. Retired or former Secret Service and CIA Agents also like working in the private sector because there is not that much traveling involved and they can spend more time with their families. For those who do not fall into the above categories but want to become Bodyguards are well advised to also enroll in Bodyguard academies and work as apprentices for several months while going through on the job training.

WHEN FAMILY OR EMPLOYEES ARE THREATENED

Predicated upon the threat and the Bodyguard’s knowledge of the person or persons making the threat, the first thing to do is to gather up all family members and immediately remove them from their residence, their work place, school or at a friend’s home. Then relocate them to a safe place until the threat is eliminated. Should a business be threatened the first thing to do is to lock all entrances and exits and call 911immediately. These procedures are referred to as neutralizing the threat by making it all the more difficult or impossible for the perpetrator to carry out the attack. Dressing up like a Bodyguard portrayed in the movies doesn’t make the client safe.

ADVANCE PLANNING IS KEY TO PROTECTING CLIENTS

A great amount of pre-planning is involved when protecting a celebrity, executive, high-net-worth person or privileged individual. It takes research, logistical planning, conferring with law enforcement, analyzing floor plans of venues, knowing where the closest emergency hospitals are in relation to the client’s itinerary. All of those preparations contribute to the health and safety of their client. Preparedness involves conducting a thorough advance survey of the location (s) where their client’s appointments will be or where the client will perform such as a venue or concert hall. Advance surveys involve knowing where the ingress and egress is at each location to make sure the client has immediate transportation available should an emergency arise and also to avoid overzealous fans, paparazzi or a vast group of news reporters. Click this link to see a perfect example of how poor planning almost jeopardized Lady Gaga safety. A simple check by one of her Bodyguards on the conditions outside of the hotel where Lady Gaga was exiting would have avoided the onslaught of paparazzi. The Bodyguard must take into account what if a demented individual is among the throng of people there to cause physical harm to Lady Gaga? Professional Bodyguards plan all of their client’s moves in advance, and they make sure their client remains out of harm’s way at all junctures. As this blog explains, there is much for a professional Bodyguard to do other than walk alongside, in front of or behind their client. The key to Personal Protection is being diligent, observant, aware, streetwise, and to always focus on how to take their client out of harm’s way. Here is an ideal example of being aware.