A Close Protection Officer or a Bodyguard is a kind of security guard who is entrusted with the responsibility of the security of a person, who is usually a famous personality from any field. The Close Protection Officer is expected to protect the person from any possible threat to his life in the form of an assassination attempt, kidnap, assault etc. The clients may include people from politics, royalty, TV, Film, Music and celebrities of all other fields also. 

The top important functionaries in the public service sector are usually protected by a group of these bodyguards who might be hired from a professional agency. People next in the hierarchy are usually given one or two bodyguards. We even observe some famous personalities using the service of the bodyguards to protect themselves from any unusual attack by their fans or from any mishaps during their public appearances. 

Training Given 

The bodyguards or Close Protection Officers employed by these agencies are expected to be skillful in various attack strategies. Special training is given to them to handle weapons and arms, to act appropriately in a combat situation. In some agencies, different bodyguards are trained in different aspects. In other agencies, a single guard may be trained in various aspects depending on his portfolio. 

The Close Protection Officer is generally trained to assess the security level of the venue (where the personality is arriving). He is also given the training to find all possible security threats in any form. He is expected to be extra alert always and also expected to use his intutionary skills in dealing with any kind of emergency situation.  

There are some basic training schedules that a Close Protection Officer will go through. These schedules will cover the basic elements of a security system like  

• fire safety

• firearm safety

• first aid

• self defense

Qualifications of a Close Protection Officer 

To perform the above mentioned functions, the close protection officers need to observe their surroundings very carefully and be vigilant in their duties. They should be able to gauge the level of threat in any situation and act intelligently and calmly so as to prevent any loss of life. They should asses the security requirement in every situation and provide tailor-made solutions with the highest degree of efficiency. 

These officers are generally found having a background in the armed forces, police services or prison forces. Physical fitness must be at high levels for these officers. Emphasis will be given to accurate eyesight and sense of hearing. Martial Arts skills will be required. License to drive is expected. Good inter-personal and communication skills are a must so as to enable the officers to work hand in hand with the other members of the team. Knowledge of one or more foreign languages will be an added advantage. 

Close Protection Companies 

There are a lot of companies which provide the service of Close Protection Officers (CPO).  A well-known agency is United States Secret Service. We also have the US State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security which provides CPOs for certain dignitaries. 

Archangel-Group is a famous CPO Provider in the European Union. In India, the National Security Guards is an organization which provides security to VIPs. The Ronin Protective Services of South Africa has been one of the most reputed CPO companies in the world 

Close Protection Services 

Close Protection Services may include varied kinds of functions expected to be performed by the CPO. The company may sometimes provide services related to close protection. Some companies specialize in threat assessment and some others will concentrate on security consulting. The company may provide Close Protection Services round the clock or only for public entourage. Services provided may differ according the need of the situation and CPOs with the adequate capacity will be employed accordingly. Some companies will provide security officers for chauffeuring the client. These officers are expected to possess defensive and evasive driving skills. 

The Close Protection Companies always face the challenge of providing professional and sustainable close protection or body-guarding services. This is linked to the ever increasing sophisticated need of the clients, all of whom emphasize on efficiency. They also incessantly try to improve the qualifications of their officers by changing their training method to suit the requirement of the changing times. Close Protection Companies are coming up with more and more new strategies to handle protective intelligence and threat mitigation. These strategies will definitely improve the quality of services offered by the companies and will strengthen the security element of the clients. Changes are being made in each and every element of the training provided by the company. The medical training is a field of experiment and innovation are being added constantly. Life saving medical skills are being improvised so that the Officer is able to save as many lives as possible.  

This dynamic industry of close protection services is ever improving to adjust with the rising security needs of its clients.