Close protection training is an integral part of a successful security career. From basic combat to defensive driving and advance training, these courses are designed to equip professionals or those aspiring to get into the field with the skills they need to thrive. Here’s everything to know.
What Is Close Protection Training?
Close protection is an umbrella term that describes security and protection provided to clients who are at risk of harassment, injury, or attacks. Protectees or principals are often celebrities, high net worth individuals, C-Suite executives, heads of state, or royalty, but can be absolutely anyone who needs protection.
The service is provided by experienced individuals who have undergone extensive close protection training.
Depending on the course and academy, close protection training can encompass a variety of skills. From risk assessments, firearms training, cybersecurity, first aid, and more, close protection training focuses on real-world skills for close protection agents.
Skills to Learn in Close Protection Training
The skills Personal Protection Specialists or PPSs can learn in close protection training will vary based on the courses, academies, and the PPSs’ existing skill set. Some go in for refresher courses, while others are only starting in the industry and need introductory courses.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment is one of the most important steps in close protection. It involves identifying potential dangers and taking proactive measures to keep a client safe. Before any movement, event, or travel, close protection teams assess threats, vulnerabilities, and security weaknesses to reduce risks as much as possible.
A well-done risk assessment helps prevent dangerous situations before they happen. Instead of reacting to threats, a PPS works to avoid them altogether.
Surveillance and Surveillance Detection
Surveillance and surveillance Detection are crucial aspects of close protection. Surveillance refers to the act of monitoring a person, place, or activity—often done by criminals, stalkers, or hostile groups to gather information on a target before launching an attack. On the other hand, surveillance detection is the process of detecting and preventing such monitoring, ensuring the client remains safe from potential threats.
Hostile surveillance is often the first step in an attack, whether it’s an ambush, kidnapping, or assassination attempt. Criminals and adversaries study the client’s routines, identify vulnerabilities, and look for the best opportunity to strike. This can include watching a home, tracking movements between locations, or monitoring social media for patterns. Surveillance can be carried out by individuals physically following the target, by using electronic devices such as GPS trackers, or even through drone technology.
Surveillance Detection Techniques
Close protection teams use counter-surveillance techniques to identify and disrupt hostile monitoring. The first step is recognizing the common signs of surveillance. Unfamiliar individuals appearing repeatedly in different locations, vehicles following the same routes at different times, or someone lingering near entrances and exits could all indicate potential threats.
To confirm surveillance, protection teams often use “pattern of life” analysis. This involves changing travel routes, varying schedules, and using decoys to see if a suspected individual or vehicle continues to appear. If someone follows the client despite these changes, it suggests they are conducting surveillance.
Protective teams also use defensive driving techniques to detect and shake off potential tails. This can involve making intentional turns, changing speed, or pulling into a parking lot to see if a vehicle continues to follow. In urban settings, moving through crowded areas or controlled entry points like hotel lobbies and office buildings can help expose surveillance operatives who are forced to reveal themselves.
Security and Defensive Driving
Security and defensive driving are essential skills for close protection officers. A vehicle is often the most vulnerable point for a client, as it presents opportunities for ambushes, surveillance, and accidents. Proper training ensures that protection teams can transport clients safely while anticipating and reacting to potential threats on the road.
Protection driving focuses on preventing threats before they arise. This involves planning safe routes, maintaining vehicle readiness, and using situational awareness to detect potential dangers. Before any journey, the protection team conducts a route assessment, looking for possible choke points, high-crime areas, and alternative escape routes in case of an emergency.
The condition of the vehicle is just as important. Regular inspections ensure that tires, brakes, and security features, such as reinforced windows or GPS tracking, are fully operational. Many close protection teams use armored vehicles, which provide added protection against gunfire, explosions, and forced entry attempts.
A crucial part of security driving is low-profile movement. The goal is to blend in with normal traffic and avoid drawing attention. Aggressive or erratic driving can attract unnecessary interest, while predictable routes increase vulnerability. By varying travel schedules and using multiple exit strategies, security drivers reduce the risk of planned attacks.
Some key defensive driving techniques include:
- Evasive Maneuvers – If a threat appears, sudden lane changes, U-turns, and reverse driving can help escape an attack.
- Threat Detection – Constantly scanning mirrors, monitoring unusual driver behavior, and identifying potential roadblocks before they become a problem.
- Controlling Speed – Avoiding excessive speed that could lead to loss of control but maintaining enough momentum to escape danger quickly.
- Ram and Block Techniques – In some situations, security drivers may need to push through obstacles, such as another vehicle attempting to block the road.
- Attack Response – If an attack occurs, drivers must decide whether to escape by vehicle or abandon it and extract the client to safety on foot.
Firearms Training
Firearms training is a crucial component of close protection, but it is not always the primary solution to security threats. The main objective of a protector is to avoid danger whenever possible rather than engage in gunfights. However, in high-risk environments where armed threats are likely, proper firearms training ensures that protection teams can neutralize threats effectively and safely if needed.
It’s important to note that not all close protection roles require carrying a firearm. In many countries, strict gun laws regulate who can carry weapons, and unarmed protection is often preferred to maintain a low profile. However, in high-risk zones, firearms may be necessary for deterrence, self-defense, and emergency response.
Firearms training focuses on accuracy, speed, and decision-making under pressure. Protectors have to be able to assess threats quickly, react with precision, and use a weapon only as a last resort. During close protection training, they will also learn to operate in team-based scenarios, ensuring that any firearm use does not put the client or bystanders at risk.
Travel Security
Travel security is a critical aspect of close protection, as clients are often most vulnerable when moving between locations. A well-planned security strategy ensures safe, smooth, and discrete movement while minimizing risks such as surveillance, attacks, theft, and logistical disruptions.
Before any journey, the close protection team conducts a detailed risk assessment. This involves analyzing the destination, identifying potential threats such as crime, terrorism, political unrest, or health hazards, and evaluating local emergency response capabilities. If the client is traveling internationally, the team also considers border security, visa regulations, and airport procedures that could impact security measures.
First Aid
Close protection is not just about preventing threats but also about ensuring the overall well-being of the client. Medical emergencies can occur anywhere, and a PPS’s ability to assess, respond, and provide immediate care can make the difference between life and death.
That is why first aid is a vital skill for close protection officers, as they are often the first responders in medical emergencies involving their clients. Protectors have to be prepared to stabilize the situation until professional medical assistance arrives, no matter the situation.
First aid training for close protection includes:
- Basic life support (BLS) – Handling breathing and circulation emergencies.
- Trauma care – Managing gunshot wounds, stab wounds, fractures, and blunt force injuries.
- Medical condition management – Assisting clients with allergies, diabetes, or heart conditions.
- Environmental emergencies – Responding to heatstroke, hypothermia, or dehydration
Physical Interventions
Physical interventions are a critical aspect of close protection, focusing on non-lethal methods to control threats, protect the client, and de-escalate situations before they turn violent. While avoidance and prevention are the primary strategies in executive protection, there are times when hands-on action is necessary to ensure safety.
Physical intervention techniques allow a protection specialist to:
- Defend the client against physical attacks.
- Restrain or remove aggressive individuals without excessive force.
- Escape and create distance from dangerous situations.
- Control access to restricted areas.
Unlike law enforcement or military combat techniques, close protection physical interventions emphasize quick, efficient, and controlled actions that neutralize threats with minimal harm and legal repercussions.
Close Protection Training and Courses With EPI
The Executive Protection Institute (EPI) has been at the forefront of close protection training for decades, offering programs that prepare professionals for the real-world demands of the profession.
EPI’s training covers every critical aspect of close protection, including threat assessment, surveillance detection, defensive tactics, protection driving, firearms training, and emergency response. With a strong emphasis on practical application, courses ensure that trainees are ready to handle the complexities of protecting high-profile individuals in any environment.
EPI’s programs are designed to instill confidence, adaptability, and precision and are led by experienced professionals with extensive backgrounds in executive protection, private and government security, military and law enforcement. Training is based on proven industry practices and evolves to meet the latest security challenges, ensuring that graduates are prepared to operate at the highest level.
For those committed to advancing their career in executive protection, EPI provides the foundation and expertise needed to succeed in this demanding profession.