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Conducting the Advance: The Most Important Phase of the Executive Protection Process

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You finally get the nod from your supervisor; after months of doing “halls and walls, (standing posts), you are going to perform your first Protective Security Advance. In other words, you have been designated to proceed ahead of the principal’s security detail and will be charged with protecting your company’s principal and liaison with officials at each of the sites he will be visiting.

In this case, let’s assume your principal is a CEO of a firm headquartered in Chicago but he will be traveling to New York City to attend a three-day conference. Generally, especially in government protective security organizations, an advance is completed by a team of agents; however, in this case, you work for a moderately sized private sector company. This particular principal is frugal and is attempting to acquire top-notch security on the cheap.

First, although your agency’s travel representative should already be aware of your detail’s itinerary, it is usually the responsibility of the detail leader to inform the travel office that agents, or an agent, will be traveling in advance of the detail.

However, it is a good idea to contact your firm’s travel agent to ensure they have taken the appropriate steps concerning appropriate air travel, rental car reserved for you at the correct NYC airport, and hotel reservations for the entire time frame you will be in the Big Apple.

Generally, you will need about three to four days to advance the detail itinerary and the same number of days the protection team will be on the ground. Not only will you advance each site prior to the arrival of the detail in New York, but you will then hop and skip from site to site advancing each one and in essence staying one step in front of the security unit.

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Bodyguard Careers Special Announcements

Announcements

The author of this week’s Feature Story (THE ADVANCE) is someone who will be joining the BodyguardCareers.com staff as an ongoing contributor. Please allow me to introduce you to James A. Devino.

James is a seasoned and extensively trained Executive Protection Specialist, possessing over ten years experience conducting or supervising protective service details as a member of several federal law enforcement and/or security agencies. He graduated from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) special agent training program, a course of study which covered protective security advances, evasive driving tactics, protective choreography, special weapons, emergency medical basics, and protection communications. He has worked as a DSS special agent and has conducted special event protective services for both U.S. and foreign dignitaries, and worked as Special Agent and Special Agent Supervisor with the Coast Guard Investigative Service. James also possesses a Top Secret-SCI Security Clearance and is working toward his CPP designation via ASIS.”

He has his MA in National Security Studies from California State University San Bernardino, and a BA from Chapman College, Orange, CA.

James brings his unique experiences and perspective to Bodyguard Careers and we are pleased he wants to share his extensive knowledge and background with our readers.

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I would also like introduce our Content Editor, Cynthia Uhrich. Cynthia is a writer, responsible for conducting the interviews, editing the stories and in general, makes sure the content is interesting, informative and concise. She also serves as “Virtual Secretary” writing letters, emails, and helping to keep us on track with our deadlines.

***

Lastly, I would like to announce a new very worthwhile service of Bodyguard Careers: Career Advancement Tools

I have looked at hundreds and hundreds of resumes, and have discovered the quality and professionalism in the vast majority of these materials to be sorely lacking.

[Read more…] about Bodyguard Careers Special Announcements

Former Bodyguard to Benazir Bhutto Killed: Was Televised Footage to Blame

In The News

Khalid Shahenshah, 45, a longtime loyalist of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was killed on Tuesday when unidentified gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on his vehicle in Karachi. Shahenshah was former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s Chief of Security, and was with her when she was assassinated December 27, 2007.

Police believe it was a targeted killing, and have opened an investigation into his death. Although they don’t yet know the motive of the attack on Shahenshah, rumors are widespread in the southern port city as to the mysterious forces behind his murder, which occurred outside his home.

Shahenshah has been providing security for Bhutto’s widower, Asif Ali Zardari. Zardari took over her party following her death. Zardari and is a prominent leader in Pakistan’s present coalition government.

There has been some speculation that Shahenshah may have been involved in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. In video footage of the event, which aired on Pakistani television on Tuesday, Shahenshah was shown

READ MORE: Times Online

True Bodyguard Stories #8 When In France

True Bodyguard Stories

This story is a reminder of how working an Executive Protection detail requires the ability to make split-second decisions based on the best information available at the time.

In 2004, I was working overseas in the South of France, working with a television production team. My protectee was an American actress, and my contract and arrangement with the show’s Producer was that my energy and focus should be strictly on keeping her safe.

We were all at the airport in Nice, France, waiting for our luggage and equipment. Everybody was dead tired because the night before, the entire cast and crew had attended a VIP party to celebrate and promote the show. It had been a long day, followed by an even longer night, and everybody was over-tired, some a little hung over, and all of us desperately needed some sleep. My protectee had invited some friends to the party, and they were along with us at the airport, when one of her male friends lights up a cigarette–ignoring the “No Smoking” signs.

A local French man with a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Americans, starts yelling at him, insisting in broken English that he put out his cigarette. Clearly, the guy was breaking the rules. And they start getting into it, yelling and wildly gesturing. I was annoyed, but what was I supposed to do–my responsibility was to look after the star of the show–not her friends. Well, her friend is not only breaking the rules, but he starts acting like an “Ugly American,” and things start to escalate.

The French man is yelling loudly and then starts the shoving. My protectee turns to me and implores “Don, DO something!”

[Read more…] about True Bodyguard Stories #8 When In France

Family Claims Bodyguard Victim Of “Excessive Force” By Police

In The News

The former bodyguard of Louis Antonelli, a jeweler who was shot on April 29, was himself shot to death Tuesday morning by law enforcement. The deceased, Jason Aiello –36, was a retired police sergeant and one-time protector to Antonelli.

Police officers were dispatched after two 911 calls from the Aillo home.

The first call was for shots fired and 5 minutes later a second call was made for a domestic dispute between the couple.

Aiello was at Bayley Seton Hospital, where his family had checked him into the psychiatric ward at 10:00 p.m. the night before. Aiello had been under extreme pressure to answer questions from detectives and the FBI regarding Antonelli’s shooting, and had become “delusional.” Sometime between 3 and 4 a.m., after becoming agitated, Aiello escaped, according to the family’s attorney Peter Antioco.

Law enforcement claims that Aiello brandished two guns and fired at officers seven times. The police returned fire–a total of19 rounds–three of which hit Aiello. Officers claim they repeatedly asked Aillo to drop his weapon, but he refused and then fired at him. Law enforcement sources believe Aiello was seeking to commit “suicide by cop,” but family members and their attorney are denying Aiello was suicidal.

Antioco reported that when the police arrived, one of Aiello’s family members had taken away one of the two 9mm guns Aiello had in his possession. Aiello’s wife took away the second 9mm gun and threw it out of the car window, and screamed to the police “I have the gun, stop shooting!” But officers continued shoot. According to Antioco, “There is a serious question whether or not he fired his gun, at all.”

The family is claiming that 20 to 25 shots were fired at Aiello, as he sat in his cousin’s car. His wife was in the passenger seat with him, but was not shot. The couple’s three children, aged 2, 5, and 6 were in the vicinity and were quickly removed from the scene.

Police detectives and the FBI had been questioing Aiello repeatedly regarding the circumstances of his employer’s shooting death. He was never charged, but there was some suspicion as to what role, if any, he may have played in Antonelli’s death. To all appearances, Aiello was one of the only people who knew he and Antonelli would be at the El Sabor Tropical Restaurant the night Antonelli was shot, and the usually armed Aiello was without his fire arm that night. Antonelli had also walked out of the restaurant alone.

Aiello claimed he had nothing to do with the shooting. He also claimed that he didn’t know any of the suspects arrested in connection with the crime.

His family called him “a family man” with a 15-year history in the Brooklyn police department. He’d been retired from the police force for the past two years.

 

Elijah Shaw

A Professional Speaks

Elijah  Shaw is the President and CEO of Icon Services Corporation. Entering into its 10th year, ICON is a full service, security and investigative agency, specializing in Executive and VIP Protection. With 15 years in the industry, Elijah’s company services corporate executives as well as celebrity clients which have included Usher, Naomi Campbell, Michael Bolton, and rap star 50 Cent. With tours of duty that frequently take him across the globe, Mr. Shaw acts as a personal bodyguard to these artists providing close protection and security consultation and staffing worldwide.

Elijah has received advanced bodyguard and executive protection training from prestigious associations such as Trojan Securities International (TSI), R.L Oatman and Associates (w/ASIS), and Elite Protective Services and currently acts as an guest instructor with TSI teaching a course on Celebrity Protection.

BGC: It is interesting to note that you don’t have a military or law enforcement background. What drew you to the Executive Protection industry?

ES: I “stumbled” into this work. It was something I was doing to pay for college. I took a job working as a nightclub security guard (bouncer) to pay for college. I wasn’t the biggest guy in the group, but I had an innate ability to talk to people and manage situations. Because the owner liked me and I had the right attitude I worked my way up from the back door guy to the Head of Security.

BGC: What was the very first “celebrity” detail you worked?

ES: It just so happened that a celebrated sports figure owned the club, Well, after working my way up through the club, the owner would put me on personal details. He had alot of interaction with the public, so he didn’t want that “tough-guy security” approach. He needed someone to finesse sticky situations and I had good problem-solving skills. Once that assignment came to an end I was basically back at square one. I knew it was important to be well-rounded, so I worked every aspect of protection you can think of; uniformed security guard to undercover department store theft prevention – Anything to gain further training and experience in the security industry.

BGC: What was the worst mistake you ever made on a security detail? (Behonest! Our readers learn from the missteps of the seasoned pros!)

ES: I remember working with this guy who I thought was really nice and had great credentials. His background was in law enforcement, and he was very personable. I had a celebrity detail come up that I couldn’t work, so I thought I’d give this guy the opportunity. When I called the client the next day to see how it was working out, she said that he was nice, but at the star-studded event they attended, he would make the client stop so he could have his picture taken with celebrities!! He was completely star-struck. I was on the plane that night to replace him. The thing that’s important to remember with these celebrity clients is that they don’t want to “notice” their bodyguards. They just want to go to an event and enjoy themselves and should almost forget you are there. There are a lot of guys out there who have an impressive resume, but their personality needs to fit with the client–and you have to earn their trust. I learned that the right person for a celebrity detail can’t be found just by looking at an impressive resume -They have to have the proper mindset to work with a figure in the public eye.

BGC: How has Bodyguard/Executive Protection work changed from “back in the day” when you first started?

ES: The industry has become far more professional, with a great deal of emphasis on training. It used to be rather “loose” in the way an employer would hire a bodyguard. There was a time when the only qualification for a bodyguard was being either a big bouncer from the club, off-duty cop or retired Navy SEAL. It is more “formal” now–including the terms. Executive Protection Specialists is slowly replacing the term “Bodyguard”. But the majority of the public still uses and knows the term “bodyguard” so it’s important for us to make sure we continue to disprove the misconceptions. Quality training is preparing people in an entirely different way, which I think it’s great for the newcomer. One important thing to remember is that a lot of times guys think previous military skills or law enforcement skills are ALL that’s needed to make it working with the private sector. Many times the great skills just don’t fully translate to actually working with executives or celebrities hence the need for specialized training.

BGC: Have you personally worked with or seen many women in the field?

[Read more…] about Elijah Shaw

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