Executive Protection and Personal Defense? Which option is most viable and how do you choose?

Robert A. Arabian, esq.

So you have purchased a firearm and gone to the range to cap off a few rounds at a target. A paper target that does not threaten you from a sound sleep and isn’t charging at you with a knife. Are YOU prepared to handle this situation? Most of us aren’t, but many are starting to learn these valuable skills to defend themselves and their loved ones.

Of course, it is easier to hire a professional to guard you 24/7. If money is no object, then I would always rather have someone ready and willing to be my private “Secret Service,” willing to take a bullet or knife to the heart to protect my family and myself. The average cost for an armed guard who isn’t an off-duty cop is about $25.00 per hour on the lower end of the spectrum. That cost adds up daily, and the number is daunting when compounded annually.

Unfortunately, in desperate times, people resort to violence in the workplace. You are allowed to protect yourself, either with a quality executive protection firm, or by your own means. Active shooters do not just infiltrate college campuses. They find hair salons, banks, jewelry stores and every other business where we shop, work and play.

We are all familiar with the availability of new technology; smart phone controlled alarm systems; fancy surveillance from your ipad and the ability to be in near constant communication with each other. However, the police are generally only 3-16 minutes away once you call 9-1-1 for the emergency. It’s like holding up a paper restraining order to the restrained party as he or she is standing on your doorstep with a loaded firearm. Facebook can’t save you and your “Tweets” will not get help there any faster.

With thousands of our fine troops coming home from our longest war, many companies are advertising their “executive protection” options, utilizing their “military” experience as a hook. These military types are flooding the market with executive protection offerings and sexy military based security consulting companies. Saturating an already filled market, it is harder for the average person to decide what level of private security is appropriate. Even worse, you have to figure out how military special operations training relates to home security in Beverly Hills. Is the enemy really hiding in your bushes awaiting the perfect opportunity to ambush, or can you handle this yourself?

“Do I buy a gun?” is a commonly asked question. The short answer is, “only if you are mentally prepared to use it.” If you are mentally prepared, then you have already committed to yourself that you refuse to become a victim, and are willing to protect those you love. You are the sheepdog, and no predator will enter through your door. Having a concealed weapons permit will make you more prepared to handle any dangerous situation, but how do you get one?

Many people buy a firearm based upon what someone told them; their police officer friend’s advice or what the gun store recommended. Unfortunately, what works for one person does not work for another. Size. Grip. Capacity. Caliber. Color. Most cops know what they know from the academy, and what works as a “duty pistol” isn’t always the best for your personal protection. Gun stores work on commission and incentives much like car dealers – rotate the inventory to find out who is “salesman of the month.”

The point is, if you are in the market for personal protection, home defense, and or executive protection it is best to consult a verifiable expert with a proven track record, established business site, and a client list that does not fall under the usual “non-disclosure”.

While military experience and law enforcement backgrounds add unique and pertinent perspectives, it is best to seek out organizations with several different instructor backgrounds. Take into considerations like the types of programs offered. Do they offer “Solo Man Tactics”, “Simulator Training” or “Force on Force” training?

You won’t have a full SWAT team defending you in the middle of the night during a break in, so why train like you will? Video simulators create stress in a controlled environment allowing you to practice making decisions that have ramifications beyond the use of deadly force for self-defense. What legal experience do they have to train you to win the battle in court, which may be the real fight for your life?

It is one experience to shoot bullets at a paper target. It is adrenaline overload to shoot at each other with realistic firearms that won’t harm you. Your best training happens when you are put into realistic situations and have to rehearse what “could” happen. Your heart pumps; your hands shake; your decisions are tested. You become ready.

Once you have built a solid foundation of confidence, you will have the skill set to defend yourself in a legal manner without hesitating.

Your best decision starts with a quality training company. Don’t end up on a dirt lot and a “square” range with little versatility. These companies limit themselves to donning cool gear, running relays and shooting expensive ammunition. While it is fun, it isn’t preparing you for the “Fight of your life.” Good firearms training is important, but it plays smaller part than you think in surviving an actual hostile encounter at your residence or workplace.

It is a well-known fact that millions of gun owners normally acquire their life or death gun fighting skills from Uncle Buck. I have often told my students that the physical fight or the deployment of a firearm is only part of it…what you do before and after the encounter is more significant to the final outcome. Survival of the encounter in my mind encompasses the aftermath in court, the media, your family and your moral convictions.

Ultimately, the question is what makes a good personal security expert? Be wary of the guy or gal who says they have “twenty years of experience.” Make sure his or her experience is not twenty years of mediocrity. Experts that continue to update their expertise with actual profession of arms details or active duty training are the ideal choice. Once you retire, the clock starts ticking on relevance and current tactics. Make sure what is being taught makes sense to you and your ability. Most of all know yourself and your limitations.

Oh yeah, I mentioned you’re in a “Fight for your life.” Police Officers around the world spend numerous hours of training to prepare for that day. The day of the ultimate fight, when somebody challenges you, threatens your life, and you emerge victorious. As the perpetrator is lying in their own pool of blood, breathing their last gasps of cold sweet air, knowing that on their very best day, they could not beat you. That is your day in the sun. Are you prepared?

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