Nearly every client thinks that when they hire security all they need is the bare minimum, especially if they are planning security for a trip or what might seem like a simple transit.
For instance, perhaps the client and a bunch of their friends are heading to Cabo for a resort break in Mexico. Nine times out of ten, clients will ask for just one security agent to escort the entire group.
Sometimes these clients will insist that all they want is a single security driver. While this can be easily provided by any high quality executive protection company, it will come with a clear disclaimer: one security driver is not a protection detail. A solo agent has huge limitations on what they can do to provide protection to the client.
Why the Client is Left Vulnerable
What are the potential dangers? One clear one is that there may be times when some of the clients are moving in and out of the car, but not altogether. This can be difficult for the security driver as they clearly cannot accompany every individual if they are in different places. This separates the driver from those he is meant to be protecting and puts everyone in a vulnerable position.
This also happens when the driver is dropping the clients off at the destination. He must then leave to go park the vehicle, leaving the clients without protection at the venue. These are just two simple and common examples of when the client is left without the security driver next to them and therefore left open to threats. With this type of arrangement it is imperative that the client remains in the car while it is being parked and then walks to the venue accompanied by the protection agent.
When clients demand one security driver for multiple people, it raises some important questions. For instance, is the security driver protecting the high profile executive or CEO or are they protecting the people around the CEO? This has to be established ahead of time before the driving takes place. If it is not established beforehand, then the security driver will likely default to focusing on just the CEO’s safety and ultimately not being able to protect those around them. The mission will always be to get the CEO out of harm’s way and away from the risk.
This demonstrates how limited the security driver is in their ability to protect. The driver has an important role, but his focus and attention should not be split between many different individuals because in many situations, he will not be able to remove them all from impending danger. One singular driver cannot form a security detail all by themselves. It is certainly good to have someone who is skilled and trained with evasive driving skills, but this needs to be supported by other members of the security team.
High Level of Protection
There should also be someone else who is carrying out the advance surveillance work, even if it is just an agent or driver taking a trip ahead of time to figure out escape routes on the way to the location as well as how to get out of the location should dange arise. There are so many advantages for the client for this to happen, including things like where the security driver will park the car, such as a spot that allows the client to exit the location in as fast a way as possible rather than just parking where it might appear convenient. All of these steps ensure that there is a minimum chance of something dangerous happening.
While clients might think that one guy is security and can stop 100% of any attack on the individual, this simply is not true. In real life situations, one security driver will not be enough to protect the client much less anyone else in the group. The minimum recommended by the World Protection Group is a team of two agents protecting one person. Clients need to realize that this is the only way to ensure safety.
