Category: Testimonials

When I first received the invite from Executive Protection Institute (EPI), I must admit… I was very excited, absolutely honored and a little bit worried. I was excited because I’d only heard of these guys out there in the executive protection game as one of the two top schools in the industry. Based on all the conversations I had been part of up to this point Executive Protection Institute (EPI) and Executive Security International (ESI) were referred to as the Harvard and Yale of the executive protection training cadres. Unfortunately however I have had some negative experiences with training like many other agents and I was worried that maybe this world-renowned and much respected school had fallen into tradition or even dogma to the point that it’s relevancy may have faded over the years. My primary mode of learning when it comes to the executive protection industry had simply been on the job training for the most part. I got my first security detail right out of the Marine Corps at age 21 and didn’t go to my first school until I had already successfully conducted executive protection operations in over 60 countries and seven years later. Much of what I heard was being taught in classes and things I’d seen were not necessarily relevant to what I was seeing in the private security industry. Many things were very State Department centric rather than being private security centric with regards to techniques, tactics and the amount of agents present in the drills for moving principles. If in fact my experience at EPI was not positive then I simply wouldn’t say anything about the school either way publicly. However Executive Protection Institute far exceeded my expectations and opened my eyes to many things I had not yet seen in our beloved game of executive protection.

I cannot express the amount of appreciation and respect I have for the teaching cadre at the school. They all did such a fantastic job. They all came a crossed as very professional, very thoughtful, inspirational and genuine. You could tell that they deliberately created an environment that would foster learning. Everyone was held in high regard, well-respected and encouraged to ask questions. This deliberate positive environment made it possible for us to more easily digest, comprehend and retain the very intense and extremely high volume of information they presented to us daily. A day at this course started promptly at 8 AM and continued beyond 12 AM into one or two in the morning. As a military guy I was expecting them to bring out the stress monster just for kicks but they never did and I relax because I realized it wasn’t their way of teaching… I think it really truly helped me learn better.

They trained us on virtually every component and sub component imaginable on and around the subject of executive protection. Topics such as emotional intelligence, financial management, health and mindset were not overlooked. There were courses around both hard skills and soft skills during this 100 hour journey. The volume of information was so intense and the time we spent so high-quality but rigorous that it honestly felt like I had just done a detail with these guys on the road by the time the course was over. You get close to people you work next to and I must admit this felt like a little family by the time it was our turn to leave the classroom and go back out into the world.

This course didn’t only teach techniques and tactics for executive protection but also gave you an extremely accurate understanding of what it’s like to be on the job as an executive protection agent. This is one of the primary reasons I would recommend this course to anyone getting into the game. Many courses you go to may teach you the right techniques and tactics but you will leave there was no concept of what it’s really like to do the work. I had a hard time not saying amen to so many of the statement’s instructors made about how the real world works because the content was so relevant to how things are on the job. Because you get to learn from such an assortment of different instructors who are all operating at the top of their respective game either in the government or private security industry. There’s something for everyone to learn from this school no matter where you are in your private security career.

Beyond all of this you will become an alumni of the “Nine Lives Associates” if you graduate. The Nine Lives Association (NLA) is a special brotherhood of alumni who are committed to delivering a special kind of professional service. This membership and brotherhood widens the agents sphere of relationships and thus their opportunities also multiply as a result. There are NLA members also known as “cats” in many very high places all throughout the private security industry so it is an absolute honor and to be considered a very prestigious achievement to join our ranks upon graduation.

It has been a very long time since I had experience this feeling of family after training with anyone or any group and it was a beautiful thing to experience on graduation day at EPI. I came out of this course not only feeling in my heart but knowing in my mind that I am definitely going to perform at a higher level as a private security agent moving forward as a result of my time at this learning from this fine institution.

Special thanks to Mr. Jerry Heying for being such a fantastic industry leader and the many contributions he has made to the private security industry as a whole and future generations to come.

The EPI Protection Driving Program has been the best driving course I have ever taken. Simply because the instructors have taken this course and broken it down to its most essential principles, applied the science of why and how, then instilled a skill into the student. The program does not teach you how to be a good driver but builds upon your existing driving abilities and teaches you how to be a conscious and active driver. Everyone from protection specialist, law enforcement and civilian will benefit from the hands-on courses you get to drive as well as the science and philosophy behind it. Most of all, there was 3 days of fun and camaraderie from all involved.

Shaun Marks
Nine Lives Associates Member

I attended the Executive Protection Institute‘s Protectors Pistol Course in the fall after I had completed their 7-day Providing Executive Protection Program earlier in the spring. Before the course, I had a fair amount of firearms training through a law enforcement academy and local firearms classes. I decided that I wanted to continue to train and develop myself through EPI’s classes after completing their Providing Executive Protection Program and having such a positive experience with the program. My expectations were set very high going into the Protectors Pistol Course.

Safety was paramount during the course. Never at one time did I ever feel unsafe, which is something that I cannot say about other classes I have taken in the past. The first day of the program focused on range safety and the basics, which is to be expected, but EPI took it to a new level. They introduced a theory into their program that I was not familiar with. This theory took an in-depth look at the psychology behind shooting and gave advice on how to overcome several situations experienced by all shooters. As with all other EPI programs, the cadre of instructors was filled with experienced professionals, who have put the same tactics on the line during their careers.

The following day, I was able to put this theory into practice. I have a tendency to “think too much” at times and this process helped me to focus on the task at hand, and not so much the individual sight alignment. One of the first things I noticed about the instructors was their willingness to accept other techniques students have become accustomed to in the past. As long as a student was operating safely, they were not forced to change their muscle memory. If an instructor noticed how they could improve their technique, however, the student was shown an alternative method, and was encouraged to use it.

The course also focused on accuracy, immediate action drills and malfunctions, dim light firing, holsters and equipment, legalities, various shooting positions including protective tactics during firearms engagement and a firearms qualification for handgun, advanced handgun and shotgun. I was especially surprised that the advanced handgun qualification requirement was a higher level of accuracy than I had to achieve for law enforcement firearms qualification in my state.

I had always considered myself to being able to obtain a decent level of accuracy before the course. By the end of the class, however, I had achieved and advanced to an entirely new level of speed and precision. My high expectations were exceeded by a far margin! After returning to my home state and attending a local firearms course through a group I had previously trained with, they noticed the improvement right away and immediately asked me what I had done differently. It wasn’t a new firearm, or some modifications done to my firearm, it was a five-day course through the Executive Protection Institute. After attending my original class, I continue to return to their classes at least once a year, not just to re-qualify, but to brush up on my skills and network with the other professionals.

Nathaniel Smith, PPS
Nine Lives Associates Member