Close Protection Course

Lesson 1 • Role and Responsibilities of a CPO

Defines the close protection operative's duties, client relationship, and chain of command. Anchors all subsequent training in professional identity and accountability.

Lesson 2 • Threat Environment Overview

Introduces the categories of threats facing protected persons and the factors that elevate risk. Provides context for every protective measure taught in later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Industry Standards and Ethics

Examines professional ethics, conflict-of-interest rules, and industry best-practice benchmarks. Builds the moral framework operatives apply throughout their careers.

Lesson 1 • Risk and Vulnerability Analysis

Applies structured frameworks to evaluate principal vulnerability and asset exposure. Outputs a prioritised risk register used in protective planning.

Lesson 2 • Producing a Threat Assessment Report

Guides operatives through formatting, briefing, and updating a formal threat assessment. Ensures findings are communicated clearly to clients and team leaders.

Lesson 3 • Intelligence Collection Methods

Covers open-source research, human intelligence, and liaison with law enforcement. Establishes the information-gathering skills that feed every threat assessment.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Advance Reconnaissance

Introduces the purpose, timing, and documentation of pre-visit site surveys. Connects systematic reconnaissance to reduced on-ground reaction time.

Lesson 2 • Route Planning and Alternatives

Develops skills for selecting primary, alternate, and emergency routes for principal movement. Redundant routing eliminates single points of failure in transit security.

Lesson 3 • Venue Survey Techniques

Covers physical inspection of entry points, crowd flow, and emergency infrastructure. Operatives produce a venue security report used to brief the protective detail.

Lesson 4 • Safe Room and Refuge Planning

Teaches selection criteria and preparation of safe rooms and emergency refuge points. Ensures a pre-designated secure location exists at every venue.

Lesson 1 • Motorcade and Vehicle Formation

Covers multi-vehicle convoy composition, spacing, and communication for principal transport. Vehicle formations extend foot-formation principles to mobile environments.

Lesson 2 • Immediate Action Drills

Trains rapid, pre-rehearsed responses to sudden threats during principal movement. Immediate action drills reduce reaction time and prevent hesitation under pressure.

Lesson 3 • Foot Movement Drills

Develops muscle memory for transitioning between formations, navigating crowds, and maintaining coverage. Repetitive drills build automatic responses under stress.

Lesson 1 • Vehicle Selection and Preparation

Covers criteria for selecting protective vehicles and pre-departure security checks. Proper vehicle preparation prevents mechanical and security failures during transport.

Lesson 2 • Surveillance Detection While Driving

Develops skills for identifying vehicular surveillance and confirming hostile follow during transit. Early detection allows route changes before a threat escalates.

Lesson 3 • Anti-Ambush and Ramming Procedures

Trains operatives to recognise ambush indicators and execute vehicle-based escape manoeuvres. Procedures include ramming through blockades as a last-resort option.

Lesson 1 • Understanding the Attack Cycle

Explains the stages adversaries follow from target selection through execution. Recognising each stage allows intervention before an attack is launched.

Lesson 2 • Foot Surveillance Detection

Develops observation skills for identifying individuals conducting foot surveillance on the principal. Operatives use surveillance detection routes to confirm hostile interest.

Lesson 3 • Technical Surveillance Countermeasures

Introduces electronic eavesdropping threats and basic sweep procedures for venues and vehicles. Technical awareness protects principal communications and movement plans.

Lesson 1 • Trauma Response for Common Threats

Addresses gunshot wounds, blast injuries, and chemical exposure relevant to close protection incidents. Operatives apply appropriate interventions for each trauma type.

Lesson 2 • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and AED Use

Trains operatives in adult CPR and automated external defibrillator operation. These skills address sudden cardiac events that may affect the principal or team members.

Lesson 3 • Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Develops coordinated plans for evacuating the principal from medical emergencies and hostile incidents. Evacuation procedures integrate with advance work and route planning.

Lesson 1 • Leadership Under Pressure

Builds decision-making, stress management, and team motivation skills for high-stakes environments. Leaders who perform under pressure maintain team cohesion during critical incidents.

Lesson 2 • Resource and Personnel Management

Addresses staffing calculations, shift rotation, and equipment allocation for sustained operations. Proper resource management prevents fatigue-related security failures.

Lesson 3 • Client Relationship Management

Covers communication protocols, expectation setting, and managing principal behaviour. Strong client relationships improve compliance with protective measures.

Lesson 4 • Protective Operation Planning Process

Introduces the systematic planning cycle from client brief through operational order production. A structured planning process ensures no protective gap is overlooked.