Vehicle-based incidents are one of the biggest risks to our clients during bodyguard and executive protection assignments. There are reckless and hazardous civilian drivers out there as well as undisciplined pedestrians crossing the roads illegally that cause the majority of accidents.
The security drivers we utilize during road movements for our clients must be top notch to detect and avoid potentially dangerous situations while delivering them to their destinations safely. The most important rule for our security drivers, without fail, is the need to maintain awareness every day. Their knowledge, preparation and route planning should be brought to bear each day as well.
Advance agents should ride along with the security drivers during rehearsals and motorcade drills. If utilizing an unfamiliar security driver ensure they are smart and capable people. Observed his or her competency in motorcade driving procedures and they are in accordance with your EP requirements.
To include safe motorcade formation, emergency procedures, route analysis and selection surveillance detection and evasive maneuvers. If the security driver does not meet your requirements, a replacement driver should be obtained swiftly and surely.
Detail Leaders or the number two man or woman should have meetings with their security drivers each day prior to the start of the assignment. Not just a quick situational brief, but a detailed route analysis, as well as dry runs and road condition reports. Keep in mind the better the plan, the more likely its success.
Most security environments mandate a minimum of one client car and a security follow-up car.
Additional vehicles may be furnished for use by the official party, but should not follow the two car motorcade alignment. This may appear simple but its important, as the other vehicles are not being driven by trained security drivers and could cause an accident involving the client or security car.
Historical attacks against well-known clients regularly occur during road movements. Large motorcades become more visible and predictable, and a predictable client is much easier to assault. Deliberately avoid being high-profile get your client from point A to point B while staying off the radar. Avoiding predictability and keeping your client under an envelop of anonymity during road movements. Keep safe and God speed.
Doc Rogers is the author of Corporate Executive Protection – A Manual for Inspiring Corporate Bodyguards and president and CEO of International Corporate Executive Protection Ltd. Doc has earned a Ph.D. in Security Administration from Southwest University and he is SE Asia’s leading expert on executive protection and corporate security. To learn how to make a full time living as a corporate bodyguard visit the websites below for more information.
http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707
http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927
Doc,
Another great article, I express a lot of opinions on these articles, but I have to say this article is PERFECT!!!
Every suggestion, nay, rule should be followed. I have had the unfortunate experience of driving the limo when there was a dramatic change in the next location to be visited. In a large, violent, west coast city I got off the freeway at the wrong exit and drove a three-vehicle motorcade through a gang infested part of town, fortunately without drawing unnecessary attention and only a few comments from the protectee as a more colorful drive than usual. On that mission I had no help from my fellow agents as to how to get back on track and only heard snickering comments and laughing on my earpiece.
The only thing that saved me was my knowledge of the area, no maps, no Thomas Guide, no GPS, and no Highway Patrol escort. Don’t be in my position. Know your routs, know your area of operation (AOR), and be ready for the curve ball from the protectee that’s coming.
Now, I push for a CHP escort if we need to go anywhere near traffic or highly congested areas. If the protectee can’t be flown in by helicopter and we have to go by ground than marked units are the only way to go. No lights and sirens mind you, but having a black and white as your lead and chase, using lights and sirens conservatively, makes snaking through traffic easier. We don’t block whole streets or overpasses like they do for POTUS, but it makes our job as drivers easier.
Thanks again Doc.
Be safe!
Thank you all for your kind comments and support. It is a privilege to write articles for bodyguardcareers.com and be surrounded by such esteemed professionals!
Ditto for you too Hucky
Agreed, motorcades are high exposure…
in some countries overt techniques is better than low key covert operations.
having access to various vehicles makes the job so much safer & give us the edge when people know the principal.
having a police escort sometimes helps in clearing traffic but draws attention to clients & makes them nervous even scared; same for military accompanied movements.
Covert is in my opinion the best way to go.
Thanks for your continually valuable comments doc.
I don’t comment on all of them but do want to show my apprieciation.
Cheers
Nick
Great article for the newer agents and great refresher for the more experienced operators as well. Most newer agents tend to think of their driver training as the high speed stuff (j-turns, bootlegs, thresh-hold braking, etc.)shown on TV, etc. The normal daily driving hazards experienced by a protective driver are often overlooked (especially if dealing with a corporate client whose threat level may not necessarily be . It’s these hazards, the low penalty/high probability events, that can creep up on you in an instant and turn an “ordinary day” into an extraordinary event.
THIS IS VERY GOOD INFORMATION DUE TO THE WORLD TODAY HAVING THAT DRIVER WHO MUST LOOK OUT FOR THOSE DRIVERS WHO ARE TALKING ON THE PHONE AND NOT PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD . THAT WHY IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TAKE THAT EVASE DRIVER COURSE . I DID .
Thanks for the article! I think “budget and risk” play big factors in determining motorcade size, scope and SOP. In some parts of the world, motorcades are commonplace. But in others, they can draw attention to your protective movement and raise the risk profile of your protectee. I think we have to be flexible and inventive in this business to meet both recognized and unforeseen threats. So, in some geographic areas, we run pilot cars in advance of the package; usually leaving between 30 to 120 seconds ahead of the Protectee’s vehicle. Also, we alter departure times and vehicle make/models so that movements cannot be studied or anticipated. I also remind drivers that security personnel and LE officers are almost twice as likely to die in traffic crashes as they are by gunfire. Stay safe!
It’s always the little things that get you. Having an extra set of keys is essential, Six many years ago I witnessed a famous comedian and his EP team get locked out of a vehicle while the paparazzi blitz them with flash after flash. The very next day, the whole team was fired.
Doc,
Great article, people often underestimate the importance of a qualified professional driver, as well as small details like carrying spare keys or having emergency assist services like Onstar. I recently was working a detail and observed an EP team, who was locked out of their vehicle because the driver had locked the keys inside and did not have a spare key with them, or a vehicle assist services to open the vehicle up immediately. While I am sure the driver was embrassed that was the least of the concerns as they had placed their client and the protection detail at an unnecessary risk.