Close Protection Course

Lesson 1 • Professionalism and Client Relations

Addresses communication standards, discretion, and relationship management with principals. Builds the interpersonal foundation required for effective protection work.

Lesson 2 • Threat and Risk Fundamentals

Introduces the concepts of threat, vulnerability, and risk as the analytical basis for protection planning. Students gain a shared vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Role and Scope of Close Protection

Defines the close protection officer (CPO) role, distinguishing it from general security. Grounds students in professional identity before technical training begins.

Lesson 1 • Producing Threat Assessments

Guides students through writing formal threat assessment documents for principals and stakeholders. Develops the reporting skills needed to justify and communicate protective measures.

Lesson 2 • Surveillance Detection and Counter-Surveillance

Trains recognition of surveillance indicators and counter-surveillance techniques in operational environments. Directly applies threat intelligence skills to real-time protective operations.

Lesson 3 • Intelligence Collection Methods

Covers open-source, human, and technical intelligence sources relevant to CPO work. Connects collection discipline to accurate threat picture development.

Lesson 1 • Venue and Route Assessment

Teaches physical inspection of venues and routes to identify vulnerabilities and establish protective measures. Directly informs route selection and protective positioning decisions.

Lesson 2 • Advance Documentation and Briefing

Develops skills for producing advance packages and delivering operational briefings to the protection team. Translates assessment findings into actionable team instructions.

Lesson 3 • Advance Planning Principles

Establishes the systematic approach to pre-visit planning, including timeline management and stakeholder coordination. Provides the organizational framework for all advance operations.

Lesson 1 • Foot Formation Fundamentals

Introduces standard close protection foot formations and the principles governing their use. Establishes the positional awareness and spacing discipline required for all movement drills.

Lesson 2 • Vehicle Protective Operations

Covers motorcade composition, vehicle positioning, and foot-to-vehicle transition procedures. Integrates foot formation skills with vehicular movement for complete principal coverage.

Lesson 3 • Immediate Action Drills

Develops rapid, rehearsed responses to ambush, attack, and medical emergencies during movement. Ensures the team can execute protective actions instinctively under stress.

Lesson 1 • Post Orders and Guard Procedures

Teaches the creation and execution of post orders, patrol routes, and shift handover procedures. Ensures consistent security standards across all personnel and time periods.

Lesson 2 • Layered Security Concept

Introduces the concentric ring model of physical security applied to residential and static settings. Provides the conceptual framework for all subsequent static security planning.

Lesson 3 • Physical Security Systems

Covers CCTV, alarm, lighting, and access control technologies used in residential protection. Enables CPOs to assess, recommend, and operate security technology effectively.

Lesson 1 • Ambush and Carjacking Response

Develops immediate action drills for vehicular ambush, carjacking, and roadblock scenarios. Integrates driving skills with team communication and principal protection priorities.

Lesson 2 • Evasive and Defensive Maneuvers

Covers controlled skid recovery, J-turns, ramming escape, and blocking techniques for threat scenarios. Builds vehicle control skills needed to extract a principal from a vehicular attack.

Lesson 3 • Protective Driving Principles

Establishes the mindset, observation habits, and driving posture required for protective vehicle operations. Differentiates protective driving from standard defensive driving techniques.

Lesson 1 • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and AED

Trains CPR and automated external defibrillator use to international resuscitation standards. Ensures CPOs can respond to cardiac events affecting the principal or team members.

Lesson 2 • Medical Emergency Planning

Develops pre-mission medical planning, including principal health profiles and hospital route identification. Integrates medical preparedness into advance work and operational planning.

Lesson 3 • Tactical Emergency Medical Care

Covers hemorrhage control, airway management, and shock treatment in hostile or austere environments. Prioritizes life-saving interventions that CPOs can perform before EMS arrival.

Lesson 1 • Team Leadership and Command

Develops leadership skills specific to close protection team command, including decision-making under pressure. Prepares students to lead teams effectively in dynamic and high-stress environments.

Lesson 2 • Close Protection Operation Planning

Teaches the end-to-end planning process for a multi-day close protection operation. Synthesizes threat assessment, advance work, and movement planning into a unified operational order.

Lesson 3 • Communication Systems and Protocols

Covers radio discipline, code words, and communication architecture for close protection teams. Ensures reliable information flow between all team elements during operations.