Thanks to Hollywood, the life of the bodyguard can be perceived as glamorous, exciting and very lucrative – but is it really? Probably not!
So, just what can you expect to get up to during your average day? Well, the chances are you won’t be called a bodyguard (unless you snag yourself a celeb), and will have the title of close protection officer instead.
Despite what they show in the movies, there is a LOT of waiting around and whilst you may only be called into action a number of times during your career, you have to be ready, like a coiled spring, ready to pounce at all times! Most of the time you are stood in the background whilst your boss has a business meeting, eats dinner, goes shopping or hits the town.
Whilst the industry isn’t officially regulated there are a number of training courses recognised by peers within the close protection industry. It is expected that you would have the following training:
The Letter of The Law
You should have a good understanding of the local laws – everything from gun laws to harassment. This is primarily to ensure that you stay within the law but also that the advice you give your client or your colleagues is sound and won’t get them into trouble!
Knowing The Situation
You will be required to have an awareness of every situation whilst on duty, so training here would include things such as planning, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.
Combat
There may be times when you physically have to intervene, be it an over enthusiastic fan getting too close, or worse case, an armed person wanting to harm your client. Combat training will include hand to hand to firearms and everything in-between.
Driving
You will also need advanced driving skills. Even on a day to day drive with nothing unusual, you still have your client’s life in your hands when you are behind the wheel. You will, of course, need to be trained in evasive driving, should you need to get out of a sticky situation.
There are many, many more elements to being a good close protection officer and although this may be one of the most stressful careers out there – you are after all putting your life on the line to protect someone else – it also has its rewards. Can there be any better job satisfaction than to know your actions have saved a life? The financial rewards can also be great with day rates ranging from the hundreds to the thousands.
Alex Pickering has previous knowledge of the security industry, here he writes for Millennium Chauffeurs
Close Protection Officer – Is It All About The Glamour?
