female bodyguards

Train to Protect? What you need to know

LeMareschal

Lately we are getting some questions from prospective students and we would like to answer to those questions and give to those who are interested to join the industry  more information about our profession and what to expect.

– How fit you need to be to manage the CPO-training?

Being in security industry you have to be in good health condition, have good resistance and ability to react fast. There is no specific height or weight scale that you must fit in in order to become a Close Protection Agent. Some security service companies when they want to hire may ask for specific height and weight, although this have been very rarely. What you have to have in mind is that you need to be ”in shape”, our job is very demanding not only physically when it comes to conflicts and maybe hand to hand combat but also being many hours standing up out of a door or a vehicle waiting for the client.

Some training providers also use to put specific standards on their application like push ups, sprint etc in order to be accepted to their training course. Personally, i don’t agree with the idea. As i believe the majority of our profession is based on mental awareness and brain skills than physical skills (of course you need also physical skills, but you don’t have to be the best weightlifter or sprinter!). Neither you can make a student in 8 or 12 training days during CPO course super fit or change his shape maze. That is something that every CPO has to be responsible and work hard day by day to achieve it.

– How the job market currently lo0k for bodyguards, would you get any jobs/job chanses after the CPO-training?

In order to answer to this, you have to think that attending a CPO course you are getting professional skills and education like attending in a College. Before you spend your time and money you have to think it well if this profession suit to you and also study the market. No training provider can guaranty you will find a job after the training or when…(if some do so consider it as a red flag), can anyone guaranty you a job position after your BSc achievement? No.. it is up to you to do your homework and market yourself accordingly.

Security industry is considered as a ”well paying industry”, but until you make it up there you need to start from down steps and work every time.

 

-Why the CPO-training is “so expensive”?

Actually, CPO training’s are not expensive at all if you consider the fact that by attending one you will receive the skills and knowledge to do a job that is well paying. Maybe it seems expensive because people see the short term educational program in combination with cost, so an 8 or 12 days courses for $2000-$3000 may look expensive for some prospective students.

Having gone through University education and Security Related courses the last eleven years of my life i can definitely say my University education cost me much much more.

You have to have in mind as well the fact that in our profession we need to go under more training courses all the time to develop our skills and be prepared better. Don’t think just because you attended a CPO course you are ready to go, that’s only a course to start. But would be more easy to you when you are already working and making some money to attend in more courses later.

 

-Why some training providers don’t run trainings in their (prospective students)  city/hometown, as some think its a long way to different training facilities.

Running a CPO training requires specific training facilities, something that has costs a lot for the training provider to built. In some states and countries you even need a specific license from the government to run a training facility like that, so as you understand it is not easy to ”move all equipment” in another part of the country that would be closer to some students.

If you are interested to become a bodyguard your first step is to be willing to travel a bit/long way to get a good CPO-training. If you´re not ready to travel to a new city, or perhaps a new country to take this kind of training, then you are probably not ready to be a bodyguard and travel with a client either, cause traveling is a big part of beeing somebodys protective shadow. You as a BG/CPO always follow your client whereever he/she goes, and it can continue for hours, weeks, months and even years, depending on the contract.

Sometimes you may even need to move into another area, state, city that can offer you more job vacancies than the one you are living in.

 

-And last but very important the LICENSE issue….

There seems to be some confusion around the topics of bodyguard certifications and licenses. I think this is a result of prospective female bodyguards trying to break into the industry and trying to sift through the multitude of training schools, associations and the “puffery” being perpetuated by misleading marketing language. I seem to answer this question a lot from prospective students. So I would like to put this out to all those who haven’t asked for some reason or another, but want to know.

There are multiple ASSOCIATIONS for bodyguards, most of which charge a fee to be a member. Some are better than others as far as what benefits they offer their members. An Association is nothing more than a business created by someone who thinks they can provide a service and try to make the bodyguard industry better. They usually have experience in the field and would like to further the industry as a whole. Some do a good job of that and some don’t. Either way, there is nothing special needed to create an Association other than the desire, willingness and a business license. They are not usually “sanctioned” by an overarching authority. They intend to BE the authority.

Most Associations are trying to “standardize” the industry by offering their own CERTIFICATION. Their Certification is a set of knowledge, skills and abilities that they think a bodyguard should have to be successful. There again, the association chooses what to include in the Certification, there is not one set of standards. They are trying to create that set of standards. There are many differing opinions in this industry so you have to weigh how much credibility each one has. A Certification is NOTHING MORE than a piece of paper proving you attended a course that you can put on your CV to show to a prospective employer. Some Certifications will make you look better than others because of the school’s credibility.

A LICENSE is what the governmental unit of your area grants to individuals that allow them to work as a bodyguard legally within their jurisdiction (area). Certifications are not Licenses. Every governmental unit has different requirements to get a license. Some may not even require you to have a Certification because it doesn’t mean anything to them.

There are some students that are coming to us saying that they want an international bodyguard course because they want to work internationally. Keep in mind though that just because the course is called an International Bodyguard course, it does not give you any more privileges than a course called Bodyguard Training. They might give you instruction slanted towards how to operate across country lines but there is no international license. There is no authority that could grant such a license because there is not a governmental unit that governs the whole earth. You still have to get a license in every country, state, area, province, etc that you want to work in.

Some of prospective students have been led to believe that they will be trained by US Federal Agencies. This is not true. US federal law enforcement agencies do not train bodyguards. If a school makes that claim, it should be a red flag. Pay careful attention to the language. It may be that one of the instructors used to teach at a US federal law enforcement academy prior to training bodyguards, but the curriculum you will learn is not sanctioned by that agency. There are companies that have contracts with the federal government to provide training, but again, if you are not part of the agency they are training, you won’t get that training material. You will get a civilian version or a close protection version, but not a military or law enforcement version.

So, as far as associations and schools go, no one can tell you which one to join or which school to attend. Only you can decide what’s in your best interest for your career. You should get as much knowledge as you can from many different sources. Just make sure the source isn’t making you think it is more than it really is.

Denida Zinxhiria

Athena Academy Founder

http://www.athenaacademy.com

What Experienced Security Professionals are saying about women only courses

LeMareschal

“ESI has been in the business of training Protection Specialists for 31 years. Fewer than one percent of our graduates are female agents. The ones that make it are very special women most of whom have extensive experience in the military, police or martial arts. I believe that there are many more competent women who could develop a professional career in personal protection , if the training environment was more conducive to learning free of bias.

Hundreds of studies have been conducted that prove females learn faster and retain more in the absence of males. While it is not true for all females, anecdotal experience confirms that most women absorb training principles better when not surrounded and judged by Alpha Male Types.”

Bob Duggan, President
Executive Security International

http://www.esi-lifeforce.com/

What does a former student say about Athena Academy?

LeMareschal1 Comment

“The Athena Academy course that I attended in Atlanta, Georgia was fantastic. It was challenging and informative. It was also refreshing to find a program taught by women, for women. We ARE a viable part of this industry and graduates of the Athena Academy will prove it. I would recommend this program to any female wanting to break into the close protection industry.”

Jennifer Horn

Athena Academy Graduated CPO Student 2011.

Section: Professional Advices from Experienced Professionals in Security Industry around the world.

LeMareschal

Gaining employment in the security industry 

Many operators will spend thousands of dollars on a close protection training course and education in technical qualifications to enable themselves to work in the protective services industry. However, many fall short when it comes to gaining employment because they have a poorly written CV which doesn’t highlight their key experiences, skills and attributes.

In order to be successful in gaining employment it is important that an employer when reading a CV gains an accurate picture of the person they are reading about. The CV should highlight an operators key skills, if ex Forces then maybe operational experience or if not then transferable skills from the workplace such as leadership and management.

The work history should detail tasks conducted within each job. It should be easy for the person viewing the CV to read, for example not having to look up technical terms or abbreviations. It is really important to make sure that all the information on the CV is relevant to gaining a role in protection as information that isn’t relevant makes it harder for the reader to pick out the key information in the CV. The CV once written in general must then be tailored to fit the job description for which you are applying for.

Security CV was established to provide bespoke CV’s and employment products to personnel in the security industry. Rather than use a general CV writer, by using a writer with the technical knowledge and practical experience in the industry for which you are applying for employment in it ensures a CV highlights the experience and attributes for which the employer is looking for.

For more information please contact www.securitycv.co.uk

***Every Athena Academy student will receive a £15 discount when quoting ATHENA Worldwide as their referrer***

Section: Professional Advises from Experienced Close Protection Operatives around the world.

LeMareschal

By Dan Toon 

CONFLICT AREA MANAGEMENT

“PREVENTING BAD THINGS FROM HAPPENING TO GOOD PEOPLE”

OPS@CONFLICTAREAMANAGEMENT.COM

DUNS Number: 797878209
CAGE Code: 4R8R9

          The job search and application process can be a challenging, long and tedious one, consisting of many phases of recruitment, civil and criminal background checks, physical and psychological testing, and meeting each specific companies standards as a prerequisite of employment.

An individual contemplating how to start in the security, defense and protective services field, must ensure they are taking the proper actions before they apply for and begin the process of obtaining any position

These steps include having a clean civil and criminal record, having specialized training that is standard in the industry, being physically fit, and ability to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

Once a prospective applicant has received the training, credentials and qualifications in their specialty, the search for employment begins.

Hundreds of private companies exist around the world supporting contracts awarded them by their respective nations and the international community.

Most companies are using computer based applications, requiring numerous hours of time to submit personal and professional information to company recruitment databases (for larger multinational companies) that utilize computer aided search programs to begin to match up prospective applicants to their needs.

Once this information is sorted, a recruiter begins their process of screening each applicant.  This includes verification of past background, employment history and thorough review of the candidates resume or CV.

Each position opening can generate many applicants to sort. Since the CV is the first document the recruiter receives from the applicant,  a professionally formatted CV begins to stand out from hundreds of poorly written CVs that come across a recruiters desk.

A CV / resume should be tailored to the specific position advertised by a company.  This may require an individual to possess a number of resumes representing the different specialties of the applicant.

The debate over cover letters continues, a cover letter enables an applicant to go into depth regarding their career aspirations and goals.  A brief strengths summary at the beginning of the CV is recommended as a means to gain the attention of the reader, in this case, a recruiter or project manager that is conducting the review.  Applicants should write a cover letter if it gives the option. Listing their qualifications and how they meet/exceed them due to past training and experience.

After a cover letter or summary, a chronological list of employment experience, with the most recent position first, and depending on employment history, previous positions held.

Employment summaries should include company name, position title, dates, and responsibilities summary as concisely as possible. Many potential applicants do not take the time to clearly explain to the employer what their skills and qualifications are.  An applicant may feel they do not need to list these skill sets on the application. Many recruiters  have not worked in the defense or protection services field. Make sure that each job description on the CV explains in detail how it pertains to the job being applied to.

Once previous experiences have been listed, an applicant may choose to list any other education, training, awards, qualifications and certifications received or held. This should also be in a chronological format with most recent listed first.

Separate from the CV should be an up-to-date list of professional references with name, job title, current address and / or contact information.  Some companies request references with the initial application, while others may wait until initiating a background investigation.

Many applicants become disappointed after going through the process of submitting their information to a company for a position, they never receive acknowledgment or updates on the status of their application.  Most apply to a few positions and are discouraged when not immediately contacted by the company.    With so many companies in the industry, an applicant during their initial employment search and application phase, should submit their information to each company that has current advertised positions and on-going recruitment efforts.          Each company may offer multiple positions within a specific field, applicants should apply to each position that fits their skills and qualifications.

Even with a strong, marketable resume, this process may have to be completed a number of times before a company recruiter contacts the applicant.

Every email, reply, and phone call from a company should be documented, to gradually build a personal database of recruiters, human resource professionals, program and project managers, with as much detail as possible keeping the  information current.

When able to obtain a company recruiters contact information, phone number or email address, then contact can be made from time to time as to the status of the applicants processing.  Applicants should be as helpful as possible to the contact, this will keep ones name and information on the mind of the recruiter, who may have hundreds of names and personal information from other potential job seekers, circulating around them at any given time.

If at this time there are still no potential leads or resources generated from the application process, electronic applications that have been submitted to companies should be updated and resubmitted every six to eight weeks.  This may require entering every piece of information again, phrased properly to be resorted to the top of the recruiters list.

Applicants should never expect immediate contact from companies, sometimes the process of screening can take up to a year from initial submission.       A job search can never rest on its laurels, even when gainfully employed, the best time to look for work is when one already has a job.

Networking through personal and professional contacts who may be able to assist or advise, seeking to keep diverse skill sets, training and qualifications, a strong marketable CV or resume, being friendly, helpful, and respectful to every company contact made will allow the job seeker to achieve success .

Are you a woman interested to join security industry?

LeMareschal

If you are a woman aspiring to become a certified Close Protection Operative, Nannyguard or join Security Industry and you have questions contact Athena Academy at http://athenaacademy.com/ and ask Charla!

Charla Blomberg handles Athena’s Customer Relationship Management & Recruitment Consultation Services. Has been one of Athena Academy first graduated students. She is currently a Close Protection Operative in Europe with 12 years of experience in the security industry including working at the Swedish Parliament Security Unit. She also has a solid background in the Swedish Army and 3 UN peacekeeping missions during wars in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Whatever your questions are regardless joining security industry Charla has the experience and knowledge to answer you.

Athena Academy

Simple tips someone can use when travelling.

LeMareschal

The first thing that mostly came up in peoples mind when they hear ‘’Personal Safety’’ is martial arts or firearms training. By being a Close Protection Operative the last 10 years I had the chance to attend in many training courses available to improve my skills. The conclusion I came up with is that preparation and prevention can be your number one tip for your personal safety.

We know that only in some cases women are ultimately stronger than a man. Yes, there are examples of men being weaker, but generally speaking, I will say this is not the case. So, the aim is to help women think differently and a bit more strategically. We don’t have to learn to beat someone down, we have to learn where we should be, or what we should do so we don’t end up in a situation where violence is likely to occur. We have to learn to speak up when you are not comfortable –being vocal will scare the daylights out of a perpetrator.

We should not accept our environment, rather, we should shape it and learn where we should be and where we should not. We can take control just through our posture and by thinking, “I won’t be a victim,” and then not allowing it to happen. I would also like for people to consider what kind of environment they do want and then go out and seek such.

No one can offer you a 100% safe environment, someone can attack you because he has the opportunity to do it. By being trained and self warned you get this opportunity from him to attack you. According to statistics more than 2/3 of the attacks against women could be prevent if they were trained in simply and basic self defence tips.

As women, we have a strong feeling of intuition, something that always alert us or make us feel that there is something wrong with, use it! Think in advance what actions you could take that would provide you more safety. While you are driving, shopping, being at home, clubbing etc.

This time I will take the opportunity to share with you some simple tips that you can use when travelling, tips that every one of you can follow.

-Make an online research over the last criminal incidents on the area you are going to visit.
-Make some copies of your ID, Driving License, Flight details, hotel you are staying and give them to someone you only trust and you know he/she can act calmlyy if anything happened, at least it will be someone who can give full details for your trip to the authorities.
-Choose a hotel room that is closer to emergency exit. Even if a fire occurs wouldn’t you prefer to be closer to the exit? Make sure your room is locked during all time you are inside.
-Get yourself a map of the area you are visiting and mark on it ‘’Safe Places’’, those places can be Hospitals, Police Stations, generally places that have crowd and are guarded. If anything happen run there to ask for help.
-Use a money belt, to secure your passport, ID, credit cards and money. Keep only a small amount on your pockets or wallet only.
-Sometimes it can be difficult, but try not to attract the attention. As a traveller is better to blend with others instead of putting a mark on you that will say ‘’new in town I have no idea’’.
-Be aware of people who approach you to get information, make questions, accidentally fall on you etc. In most cases they may be pickpockets trying to get a chance to reach your pocket.
-If you are going to visit a club and someone offer you a drink, prefer something that can be in a bottle and opened in front of your eyes. Keep your drink always attention so make sure no one put anything in it. If you have to leave it for a while, order another drink when you come back.

At the beginning, keeping those tips in mind can be difficult or makes you tired, but remember as long as you follow those steps in your daily life those will be automatically thoughts later and you will follow them without even thinking of it as your brain will adopt them.

Denida Zinxhiria
Founder, Athena Worldwide, LLC
Female Protective Services, Training & Consulting
http://www.AthenaAcademy.com/

Close Protection Operatives aka Bodyguards, do you know who they are?

LeMareschal

Many people seem to have a confusion about what a CPO is. Because is one of the professions that doesn’t have specific standards to follow, unfortunately there many non professionals who are giving the bad image in our industry.

A Close Protection Operative is:

– The person who is in charge to protect his/her client’s life and interest.

– Have gone through specific Close Protection Training, so be aware of ex-law enforcement personnel, ex-military, ex-federal agents, and generally any ex- in something professionals who want to play in security industry field UNLESS they have specific Close Protection Training as well. Everyone has a specific training experience and field of knowledge, if you have a heart condition you will seek help from a Cardiologists, you won’t go to see an Orthopedic although they are both doctors, you need the one with a specific specialization, so why not doing the same when it comes to your safety?

– As the person in charged for his/her clients safety his suggestions over the security issues and plans must be respected and followed from the client, his family and his colleagues. Don’t make harder the work of someone who is there to protect you.

-Being a CPO mean you will be with your client and in present in many important personal or professional decisions or incidents will may follow. So your duty as well is to be discreet and silent about what you see and hear. There are enough many cases already of ex bodyguards who found the author in them and started putting in a book their ex clients ‘’spicy personal details’’. Professional and acceptable? I don’t think so.

A Close Protection Operative is Not:-A martial arts pro or black belt holder necessarily. In order to work as a CPO you must be in a position to know basic fighting techniques in order to protect yourself and your client. Be able to react in any possible attacks during your duty. But that doesn’t mean that you must have a black belt in any kind of martial arts or have practicing for years. Yes some Close Protection Operatives has gone through many years of training in martial arts practice and may have gain black belts but that is a result of their life and works prior their occupation with security industry, or as a personal choice. Have in mind when you start working as a CPO you won’t have that much time to attend any full time martial arts classes. So you need to learn something that will require less time but also be as much effective it can for you to use in real life and situations.

So a CPO is not a killing machine with a license to kill or beat anyone up.

-A CPO is not a Federal Agent or Law Enforcement personnel, they don’t have any access to any ‘’governmental sources or databases’’ or even ‘’call the brigade’’ options (unless some of them have the right persons in the right positions to gain any information out of the record), in some countries they have no rights more on duty than a simple citizen in his daily life. So don’t try to play the authority when you are not the authority. You must do your best to do your job and keep your client alive with what you have while not falling on a citizen’s rights. By that said you cannot do any body research or arrest anyone! Last incident in Greece, one of the CPOs of a Parliament Party Leader, threaten his clients supporters that those who will come closer to him at 1 meter will be arrested! And that while his client had a public speech.

Don’t think just because you are working in security industry that Law Enforcement personnel are your colleagues and should deal you like one. If they want to help your while you are working that’s more than fine but you can’t require or demand it. You need to follow their directions and orders when you are not in your client’s territory.

-A CPO is not a gang member, a doorman or a wrestler. Yes there are some cases when people who belong to ‘’night activities’’ have been hired to protect clients but that’s up the clients choice and belief that they can protect them better and know how to deal in hard situations. False and wrong idea… yes.

-A CPO is not responsible to carry his/her client’s shopping bags, laundries etc. Not only because has not been hired for that job, but doing any other activity or carrying anything will make his/her reactions slower if any attack occurs. Many clients require it, so refuse it by being polite and explaining the reasons.

Section: Professional Advices from Experienced Close Protection Operatives around the world.

LeMareschal2 Comments

So you want to be a bodyguard?

Lets have a look on a 48hours detail of a close protection agent.

By Dave Marris

High Risk Security Contractor & Security Consultant

I have been pounded recently by requests from Facebook, and a couple of other sources, by requests from various people wanting to know how they can become involved in the world of protection/security. Most are looking for that “silver bullet” that will rocket them to the top of the EP world in one fell swoop. I try constantly to educate them that this short cut is very, very hard to accomplish. A few have done it, based off of their connections in certain industries, but most do not. There really is no shortcut; there is no silver bullet, only hard work, long hours and a LOT of money invested in training and equipment. It takes YEARS to develop the skill and mindset to qualify you to properly perform this work. Think long and hard before you decide that this is what you want to do for a living. It can be a very stressful way to make a living.

On to the point. I just recently performed a 2 day assignment for a friend of a friend. For those aspiring people that would like to get involved in the industry, I will share “a day in the life” with you. This is a no holds barred description and timeline of a typical 2 day assignment. No glitz, no glam…just a rock hard description of the type of work you are getting yourself into. I myself, I love it…always have. However I warn you, this work is not for the weak of heart, mind, body or spirit. What follows is a 40 hour plus, non-stop roller coaster ride, with zero sleep. To those of you that may think this would be easy…I challenge you to try it, staying awake that long. And remember, you will be performing it sans any stress at all.

This is a long read. Think so? You should try DOING it…

BTW, all information shared here is open source material. No OPSEC information with-in the assignment has been compromised.

Client: The Cleopatra Exhibit, along with 2 principles.

Objective: Guarantee safe transport of two Egyptian Nationals and approximately 300 million dollars worth of Egyptian artifacts (3 tractor and trailers) from current venue in Philadelphia, PA to new venue in Cincinnati, OH.

My Position: ATL, team medic.

Special Equipment: Motorola radios, personal handguns, 1 x long gun-Bushmaster M-4, 1 x shotgun-Mossberg 500, medical gear, GPS.

Timeline: Trucks and PAX MUST arrive at new venue by 0800 of day 2. A press conference is scheduled for 0900 and the one 5,000 pound statue must be uncrated by then so as to be used as a center piece for the cameras. Contractual clause states payment will not be rendered to security company should failure of timeline occur. At no time is any one truck to be separated, either all arrive or all do not. No truck is to be opened at any time by anyone other than the two Egyptians. To do so would cause the curse of 1,000 years and so on… (Rolls eyes.)

My Earnings: $1,000 US dollars, pre tax.

Day 1 (This is all day one as you have to sleep in order for it to count as two days)

0800: Meet with the team to discuss overall plan of operation, routes, comms, etc.

0845: Team splits to accomplish pickup of rental vehicles and inspect loaded trucks at storage location. Sub-Team 1 will pick up clients; Sub-Team 2 will take possession of trucks, check seals, secure and stage trucks for movement. Sub-Team 3 accompanies Team 1.

1000: Sub-Teams meet at storage facility, enter order of march, confirm discussion from earlier meeting. One of the Egyptian Nationals is sick, vomiting and diarrhea. Neither speaks much English and no interpreter has been assigned by the client. This information was never discussed prior to jump-off time. Egyptian National insists on making the trip anyway. Being the team medic, I dispense over the counter meds and some Flagyl to help control the sickness.

1045: Convoy departs Philadelphia for Cincinnati, timeline allows for transit time, including stops and fueling of 14-16 hours, which should put us into Cincinnati well ahead of schedule.

1200: The sick Egyptian needs to stop for a bathroom break. I administer 2 more Imodium to try to stop the diarrhea. Team 2 vehicle (client team) smells like a bad sewer. All chase vehicles refuel since the opportunity presents itself.

1600: Proximity Pittsburg, PA fuel/bathroom stop in major route truck stop. Light snow has begun to fall. One of the drivers of the trucks now decides to pull his truck onto the “free” scale at the truck stop. Up to this point we had not hit a weigh station. Driver informs TL that his vehicle is +- 2,000 pounds above the maximum allowed for his wheelbase. This is a major issue as there are a number of state weigh stations between us and the destination, where the trucks are required to stop, enforced by State Police. This truck will not be allowed to continue if found to be over weight. Security is informed that we will be delayed until a resolution comes from the trucking company about how to proceed. I inquire about length of delay and am told we can not proceed until the green light is given by someone from the trucking company to accept liability. We move trucks and escort vehicles into a defensive posture. TL and truckers hold up with comms in one of the trucks, making numerous phone calls. I extricate my long gun from its case, brought for this very reason, and several jaws hit the street. (Fuck ‘em, it’s my ass.) After 2 hours of chatter and delays while the snow has continued to fall and accumulate, I go over to the “meeting truck” and pound on the door, climb up into the cab. More conversation and I finally convince the driver to continue. If we see an open weigh station, we will pull over, stop and deal with it then. Until then, we roll.

1830: Depart the truck stop.

2000: Approaching Wheeling, WV. The snow has increased from light to something else. Visibility is lowering, as is our speed. We are now traveling at an average of 40 MPH. The chase vehicles are 4WD but the TT trucks are carrying precious cargo, so the speed drop is critical and necessary. We are losing precious time, but still have plenty of time to complete the trip with a few hours to spare.

2130: Approaching the Ohio border, truck 3 calls out over the radio that he has a mechanical problem. Snow has continued and speed has dropped to 25 MPH. His alternator light has come on and his truck computer has dropped his power output to half to save the batteries. Truck 1 informs the convoy that there is a truck stop not far from where we are, and since truck 3 has a small internal generator, he should be able to make it.

2150: At the truck stop we lift the engine cover to find that the serpentine belt on the engine of truck 3 has broken. The broken belt whipped around and also took out the tension pulley. Not good. The truck can not go far without proper repair. Several phone calls are made and a repair shop is open within 4 miles of our current position. They however do not have the parts. The parts will be have to be brought in from another location. This truck is the climatically controlled truck of the 3 and the seals of this truck can not be broken in an uncontrolled environment, so calling another truck to transfer the cargo is not possible. We load up and drive to the repair shop. Good news is the sick Egyptian principle is feeling much better. She wants to know where the “doctor” studied medicine.

2230: After arriving at the repair shop, truck 3 is pulled into the repair bay. The owner wanted to disconnect the tractor from the trailer so that the climate control generator fumes would not make the air in the shop foul. I was tasked with staying with the truck in the repair bay while the rest of the team set security outside. (Remember the long gun?) I told him to open a window. The repair guys were not happy with the fact that I was carrying a rifle in their shop. I told them to get over it and I guess they did.

2300: Parts arrive along with a mechanic that is a specialist with this kind of work. He can not give me a timeline for the repair. I ask him to please hurry.

2345: The mechanic informs me that the shop will be closing at midnight and he does not know if the repair will be completed by then. I tell the mechanic’s helper to go and find the shop owner, and call the TL on the radio and ask her to come inside. With all players there, I inform the TL of the problem. She asks me what I think and I state that I think the shop will be extending hours for the evening. The shop owner agrees. (I sincerely believe this had everything to do with the fact that I had an M-4 slung over my shoulder.)

0030: Repair complete. Per the TL’s orders I flip the owner of the shop a hundred bucks and the mechanic fifty for being good sports. The next obstacle will be the weigh stations.

0045: Order of march is resumed. Snow continues to fall heavily and roads are becoming covered and slick. Average speed is 35 to 40 MPH and we are still some 200 miles from the destination. Luckily for us the weigh station that caused the earlier concern is closed due to the crappy weather. We roll by without incident.

0245: Approximately 100 miles from destination we stop at yet another truck stop for fuel and coffee. Snow continues to dog us and everyone is a bit irritable and tired. We have been switching off drivers, but the contract calls for 100% alert, so no one has slept.

0315: Back on the road. Visibility and road conditions have continued to deteriorate. Lead truck driver is considering calling the roads to hazardous to continue. The TL calls him on the radio and tells him this is unacceptable and we need to continue even if at 25 MPH.

0415: Like magic, the snow suddenly stops. 5 miles further up the road, there is not even any sign of the snow. Ohio is a weird place. We push to 70 MPH and start to make some time. I am driving and tired and beginning to see ninjas with poison dart blowguns peering out from the bushes on the side of the road.

0630: Arrive at the venue with 1 and a half hours to spare. That’s right, we bad. Despite the need to overcome a number of obstacles…success.

0730: Trucks are staged at the loading docks. Local union workers begin unloading the first of the 3 trucks.

0800: Press and television crews begin to arrive. They are filming the unloading and set up process for the statue. Our team is asked to help with securing the area and checking entry credentials, since this is a private event.

0900: The press conference begins.

1100: Press conference runs overtime. Unloading of the trucks begin. This process is incredibly slow as the Egyptians insist on touching every crate as it comes out of the trucks, then mumbling a few words. This is compounded by the fact that every piece of the display is considered “priceless” and must be handled with utmost care. We are contractually bound to supervise the unloading process.

1500: Unloading is complete. We say our goodbyes and head to Daton airport to catch a 1700 flight back to Philly. Downtown traffic is bad and we are delayed enough to miss our flight. After an hour at the airline counter, we are finally put on a flight to Philly via Newark. We have very little time between flights, and we are all traveling with weapons in Pelican cases. If we miss the connector in Newark, out weapons will be on the baggage carousel unattended in Philly.

1935: Depart Daton.

2050: Arrive Newark.

2150: Depart Newark.

2230: Arrive Philadelphia.

2245: Wife and son arrive at the airport to pick me up.

0000: After a shower and a stiff Jack Daniel’s (hey I earned it), off to bed. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Seriously.

Do you know who you are hiring?

LeMareschal1 Comment

Do we really know what the role of the Close Protection Agent is? Do we really know what characteristics they must have before we start hiring people?

We have taken many times in the past analyzing what kind of training a CPO must have gone through, but this time, after the recent incident with Kate Middleton’s bodyguard I thought to share with you my thoughts in a different topic.(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352267/Kate-Middletons-bodyguard-accused-victimising-black-policewoman.html?ito=feeds-newsxml).

Besides being well trained and licensed, a Close Protection Agent must be someone who you can trust, if you trust him/her your life then don’t you think they need to meet some ethical requirements? A CPO must be someone who will not use your personal or business information to write a book or make ‘’a story’’ in the TV. We have seen way too many bodyguards, that after being fired they discovered the author inside them and start putting on a book all the personal details of their ex client. Professional? I don’t think so. Remember that being responsible for your safety they are there with you, in almost every moment of your daily life, in your dates, when you discuss or arrange important business deals etc, so it is very important that person to be discreet and confidential.

What about their personal ethics? Would you hire someone that has been accused or charged for illegal actions? Of course we all deserve a second chance in our life. But it is necessary for you to investigate and do a good research on the person’s you are going to hire background. In my experience I have seen people who have been charged for financial frauds and run security companies, people who have pending accusations against their convictions of violence and many more examples.

So would you rather trust those kinds of people or stay away and look to hire those with Clean Criminal Record?

Denida Zinxhiria

Athena Academy Founder