Kidnapping threats, crowd control, secure transportation, and many other segments of your daily life require a person who can handle it all. This individual’s name is the executive protection agent. They are well versed in the art of residential security and planning. But, above all, an EPA boasts the right balance of soft and hard skill sets to fend off impending attacks.
Contrary to popular belief, your protective detail does not have to use guns to provide the best security possible. Although that might come up in specific situations, usually, the use of de-escalation techniques will suffice.
In fact, the executive protection agent who takes care of you and your immediate surroundings is not looking for any trouble. Instead, they are there to protect you ― the principal ― and not engage in unnecessary scuffles or bar fights with your industry arch-nemesis. Yes, this may be the image that the media and movies portray, but that is not the exact role of the protective detail.
EPA, Bouncer, or Bodyguard?
People often mistake an EP agent for a bodyguard or bouncer. However, the latter are usually employed in a single location, like a nightclub or a concert venue. Moreover, their protective efforts are mainly physical. Meaning, they use their body posture to deter or react against potential attackers.
Conversely, an executive protection agent has the bigger picture of the person they are protecting, so to say, the bird’s-eye view. EPAs employ risk assessments, gather protective intelligence, and check your online presence to establish potential blowback, instead of constantly engaging in physical confrontations.
The EPA is around to ensure you can be as productive as possible. Not having to worry about a potential bomb planted underneath your vehicle will surely make you immeasurably healthier and more effective.
But let us also mention some of the other obvious benefits of having an executive protection agent by your side:
- Immediate help during medical emergencies,
- Safer and more frequent travel at home and abroad,
- Peace of mind and skyrocketing productivity,
- Your family and entourage as safe and sound as they can be.
Companies like SCS provide a wide range of services that bring about lasting change in your and the lives of those you care about. Yes, including your company.
What Is Personal Security?
Often conflated with various protection-related terms, personal security aims to reduce the risk of assassination, kidnap, or criminal act. Your protective detail accomplishes this by applying principles and procedures to everyday life. As a matter of fact, procedures and principles are tightly woven into the work of any executive protection agent.
Security experts sometimes refer to this framework as the 3Ps of executive protection. These are Policies, Procedures, and Protocols. Truth be told, documents can transform the effectiveness of your protective detail for the better.
When your EP agent adheres to strict rules and security standards, most aspects tend to be conducive to the provision of state-of-the-art protection services.
The Overriding Principles of Personal Security
It is not all about the brawn, as the brains have a chief role to play.
Physical size and an aggressive attitude can only get you so far ― and can even be counterproductive. On the other hand, an educational background in emergency medical aid provision and performing advance work constitute a force on which your potential attackers will have to count.
Generally, the three overriding principles of personal protection are as follows:
- That the principal/client is responsible for their own security,
- That the security measures must be commensurate with the threat, and
- That constant awareness is the cornerstone of good personal security.
On that note ― actually, the first one ― you must realize that all security is a compromise. Therefore, your EPA will not force you to comply with their requests. And they should not have to.
In the field of executive protection, compromise is between the security requirements and the demands of the VIP living a normal a life as possible.
In other words, it is a trade-off: What are you willing to give up on to ramp up your security? Do you truly need to attend that high-threat public event? Is your traveling to that war-stricken region really necessary? How about your child’s birthday? Does it need to be as high-profile as your 10-year-old wants it to be?
Responding to Threats as an Executive Protection Agent
In deterring a potential threat, does your EPA react by pulling a gun or simply using words? It makes all the difference in the world. Shots fired! is perhaps the least used phrase in the personal security arena. It means that, in most incidents, the use of firearms is an exception rather than a common occurrence.
But, of course, some events occasion the application of brute force and firearms. However, such situations rarely arise in practice.
Nevertheless, in the unlikely event of suffering from bullet injuries, it is wise to have an EPA who is proficient in emergency medical aid provision.
And this does not only apply to being shot but also may, for instance, include:
- Stab wounds,
- Heart attacks, and
- Dehydration.
If we dare say it, your executive protection agent is your occasional first responder.
In any case, a closing word of caution is in order here: Choose the security company with a proven track record and accept nothing less.
The Takeaways
Until this point, we established that an EPA needs to be properly trained and constantly upgrading their craft. An EPA can demonstrate their skill level by offering insight into their training background, certification, and letters of recommendation.
As potential intruders and attackers refine their techniques, the executive protection agent must stay three steps ahead. And that is the minimum requirement. For incidents, the commonly used phrase that EPAs shout when the principal is under attack is “Attack on principal!”
The malicious yet disguised attempts of those who mean you harm must not result in complacency among your protective detail. This is a significant oversight that adequately equipped EPAs never make.
Threats are out there ― it’s a fact, and it is even possible that malefactors are watching you.
Moreover, please do take an active role in your protection. As the main link in the security chain, you should lend your ear to the executive protection agent.
From your partner’s pattern of visiting friends and shopping, to driving the children to school and social activities, we strongly recommend that your EPA be involved at every step of the way.
March 1, 2022 Author The Solid Benefits of a Vulnerability Audit - SCS Solutions Ltd
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