Executive Protection Blog

Why I continue to train even after 40+ years in this profession…

Many years ago (ok, it was back in 1996) when I attended the Executive Protection Institute’s Providing Executive Protection Program (7 days, 100+ hours of training). I went into the program somewhat full of myself (ok, a lot full of myself) and I went into the program thinking I knew EVERYTHING about executive protection as I had been doing it for a few years and had attended some prior training (hell, I even had the T-shirts too). I was in for an awakening.

During the first few days, on every break, I was pretty quick to tell everyone around me how smart I was and that I pretty much knew everything they were teaching. And then we went out on a practical exercise and the instructor could see that I was a bit cocky (ok, he probably saw that I was a lot cocky), and right out of the gate, he threw a few wrenches into the mix, and within about 10 minutes, I was stumbling so bad he had to stop the exercise and ask me what the hell I was doing! It was at that moment I realized a couple important things. Number one, if you think you know everything, you can’t learn anything! So, I determined at that moment that I would always be a student of my profession and would always continue to learn.

Practical Exercise at Executive Protection Institute

The second lesson was that I had paid a lot of money to attend the course, so I should get my money’s worth, and learn something, instead of telling myself how much I already knew (ok, I’m a cheap bastard). I came to realize that we “don’t know, what we don’t know”. And the only way to learn what we don’t know is to continually be learning. Overtime, I also realized that one of the best ways to learn, is to teach. I often say to students in front of me in a class is that I am not there to teach, but to learn. As an educator and as an Adult Learning Facilitator, we often say that you teach dogs and kids, but you don’t teach adults; you provide facilitation for them to learn.

Now that I own and operate the Executive Protection Institute, I’m fortunate that I am able to facilitate the learning of subjects that I am quite passionate about: Executive Protection, Protection Driving, Firearms, and numerous other related security topics. I hope that all professionals continue to learn, attend training programs, seminars, and conferences, and to keep learning. I know I’m probably preaching to the choir, but I have recently met a few professionals who told me they do not need to train, because they have already been trained. Hopefully, these folks are in the minority, but I do know that most professionals are quite busy, and time is precious. But don’t forget to train and learn, no matter how old you are or how many years you’ve been doing what you do.

Jerry Heying CPP, PPS, CST

President/CEO International Protection Group, LLC
President/CEO International Protective Service Agency
Executive Director Executive Protection Institute

Networking

For those of you that attended the Close Protection Conference in Vegas a couple months ago had the opportunity to hear some world-class lectures and panels from some of the best in the business. Topics ranged from EP to disaster response to international cyber invasions. It was fascinating and INCREDIBLY informative. And the best part about it was, that after the speakers and panel members spoke, they hung around to chat and network!

Another topic that was discussed was the importance of networking in EP/Protection/Security. A couple of panel members spoke on it in The Business of EP panel. One panelist mentioned how networking was big for gaining new clients minus the cost of marketing and another how networking WITH his existing clients (read “customer service”) prolonged and secured future business.

Before we get to far, let me say that networking is seldom about what the other person can do for you. That gets overlooked. If one is a solid individual and performer, business and favor may follow but it is not WHY we network.

Here are a few reasons WHY we should network:

We should network to build relationships. But why should we build relationships? To get to know someone and let someone get to know you, if even only in a professional sense, can build credibility. This is where the business can happen. This is where I get a call in Vegas from an East Coast protector I’ve never met face to face (and still haven’t to this day) saying I was referred by a mutual contact that said I’m “the guy” in Vegas and can I help him. Turns out I couldn’t but, because my credibility came before our relationship, I directed him to someone else he never met and there was an instant level of trust. That’s how networking can work.

It can keep us current on the happenings of our chosen industry. EP in particular has many challenges potentially domestically and internationally every hour of every day. The ability to be able to offer intel on an incident or gather it easily from someone you’ve met and built a relationship with can be priceless. But it doesn’t end at international incidents. Anything industry specific or that greatly affects the industry (like maybe a CCW bill) can be shared quickly with and from trusted resources.

And finally, at least for this write up, networking can keep a group of like-minded professionals moving toward a common goal. Events such as the CPC are so valuable. It’s a chance to promote best practices, share lessons learned and offer reasons to continue to professionalize this or any industry.

Networking is not for the faint of heart. It’s not netsit or neteat or netdrink, its Network. Networking takes time. It takes time to build a network and it takes time to maintain it. But the time taken will definitely be worth it.

Thank you for your attention!

Craig McKim, PPS; Executive Protection Institute Graduate, NLA Member

For questions on networking, feel free to email me at Craig@craigmckimbizdev.com or follow me on FB (Craig McKim Business Development) or Instagram (@craigmckimbizdev)

Sounds too good to be true – Realities and Pitfalls of Post-Disaster Security

Every year during hurricane season EPI and its parent company International Protection Group, LLC receive numerous calls and requests about post-disaster security. 2017 has been no exception. Following the destruction caused by Harvey, Irma and then Maria we have received and reviewed many of these requests.

It becomes extremely important during times like these to remember that scams and scam artists run rampant and unfortunately tend to go on un-checked until it’s too late. Regulations in affected areas tend to be reduced due to emergent needs and there will never be a shortage of those scheming to get a pay day out of someone’s misfortune.

In times like these, due diligence is an art that MUST be practiced by everyone, especially individuals and companies in the security industry. At EPI, we stress the importance of listening, verifying and confirming information. All too often we see “posts” stating “I’m not the POC…” or “send resumes to xx##@Gmail, yahoo or Hotmail.com”. As admins of several groups in social media, we tend to allow these posts as this has become the new norm and way of finding qualified personnel. Unfortunately, we also become the recipients of phone calls, emails and messages from our graduates and friends who have been taken advantage of or realized just in time that what they thought sounded like a great thing was in fact fraudulent.

This is a very small community when you dive into the heart of the industry. Typically, everyone knows someone who knows a guy or knows a gal. Most states have online verification systems where you can check a company’s/individual’s licensing/credentials. Most states also have their regulations regarding private security published on their regulatory agencies websites. When in doubt, ask questions. If a company is established and licensed, there should be no issue finding them in an open source search. If you have questions as to the legality of certain aspects of practicing in a particular area, again, most of that information is available in an open source search. Bottom line, don’t fall victim to illegitimate contracts/assignments. Perform your due diligence and when in doubt, ask.

Jessica Ansley, PPS

Risk Assessment

Understanding the factors involved in calculating risk and the process of choosing and implementing appropriate counter-measures may be useful. The following article was written by John Musser and published September 28, 2016 on the Starting Strength website.

The Risk Model I invite you to consider is used by many for protecting people in Executive Protection (EP), protecting information in Operational Security (OPSEC), and protecting a variety of resources in physical security and other disciplines. There are other models than the one we are going to explore, and some of the terms are often defined differently. We are simply brushing the surface of the process, and it can be very involved; however my goal is to introduce you to a simple tool, useful for a variety of situations.