By Matthew Parker, CEO, Independent Security Advisors
OK, Google executive protection training, you’re going to see different training providers with different programs, so before you commit to one you really need to know what the program offers? I will try to answer that question with a dissection of a typical ad and what to look for as a student.
It begins with the title, for instance, Execution Protection Training, pretty vague, look for specifics in the title such as EP Protection Specialist Course, Security Drivers Program etc.
Then you normally see marketing claims such as “comprehensive” “most in-depth” or “best” used to describe the program. Well, this is your invitation to really dig into their curriculum and see just how “comprehensive” they are. I mean you can read their curriculum right?
Rule of thumb, No curriculum or course description then no attendance.
If they provide a description look at the length of the class, this varies from three to seven days normally, but be careful at this point because days of training is not the same as hours of training. A full day of training should be 8 full hours at least with some exceptions. So seven days should be 60-70 hours of training. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Personal Protection Specialist program, for example, mandates 60 hours of training. So when I see three-day intensive training from 8 am to 2 pm I know we have a problem. That’s a seminar, not a course.
Look carefully at the day/hour ratio and avoid courses with less than an 8 hour day unless you’re not prepared for full or extended learning days. There are some programs that advertise 100+ hours of training in seven days, which is mathematically 14.2 hours per day. At some point, the learning effect may be lost due to fatigue, and often these programs include a 24 hour overnight training event, are you prepared for the lack of sleep?
