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When there is a heightened risk of criminal activity or other threats, close protection security can offer a higher level of safety to a VIP and their loved ones. But what is close protection security, and how can it benefit you?

Close protection security refers to specialised security officers, or bodyguards, who are trained to keep people safe from any and all threats, including physical attacks, criminal activity and unwanted attention. In any situation that may be deemed unsafe, close protection security officers will keep you and the people you care about safe, whether that be through unarmed combat, physical restraint or verbal negotiation.

Close protection and close protection security is often utilised by people in the public eye. These can include celebrities, politicians, royalty, business executives and other high-profile individuals. While it is often the case that close protection security will be used by prominent figures, it is not just them who can benefit; anyone willing to pay for personal protection can hire a bodyguard.

What can close protection security protect you from?

Nobody is safe from criminal activity, but high-profile individuals are often at a higher risk of danger and will therefore need closer protection in their day-to-day lives.

Professionally trained close protection security officers can keep you and your loved ones safe from a number of threats to your safety and privacy, including:

• Terrorism
• Organised Crime
• Stalkers
• Invasions of privacy
• Crowds and/or overly enthusiastic fans
• Political Rivals

Key skills of a close protection security officer

Bodyguard services in the UK require their officers to have a number of qualifications, including an SIA License and a minimum Level 3 vocational Security Qualification, and must also have passed a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

These qualifications ensure that bodyguards for hire in the UK possess all the requirements needed to keep their clients safe. Bodyguards often have a background in law enforcement or the military. Due to the nature of gun laws in the UK, most bodyguards aren’t permitted to carry firearms, but are fully-trained in unarmed combat and physical restraint so they can keep the client safe whatever the threat.

All Time Security is one of the top bodyguard companies in the UK, and as such our close protection security officers are fully-trained and are equipped with a number of vital skills that help keep a VIP safe. These include basic ‘hard’ skills such as driving, training in unarmed combat and first aid skills.

Close protection security officers also possess key ‘soft’ skills that can make all the difference on the job. These range from strong communication skills, discretion, creative thinking, resourcefulness and poise. As every job is different, close protection security officers often possess a range of abilities to complement the basic skills. These can include trauma management, linguistic skills or chauffeuring.

What do close protection security officers do?

First and foremost, the most important role of a close protection security officer is to keep their clients safe from harm, allowing them to go about their day-to-day lives without having to fear for their safety. Keeping the client safe involves strategic planning to identify any potential threats to the client and prevent them from occurring and reacting immediately in the event of an incident taking place.

Whether it’s an overly enthusiastic fan or a terrorist threat, keeping the client fully safe is a highly complex role, so when hiring a bodyguard in the UK it helps to have a full understanding of the variety of tasks associated with keeping a client safe.

When hiring from a bodyguard company in the UK, this is what you can expect:

• Deterring physical attackers
• Strategic Planning
• Security in the event of an attack

The goal for any close protection security officer is to ideally prevent any potential incidents from occurring, rather than having to react when one such incident occurs. Therefore, considerable amounts of a bodyguard’s time are spent planning tasks well in advance. While prevention of an incident is always preferable, it is not always possible to prevent something from happening and therefore bodyguards must always be ready to react to any potential dangers to their client.

Whether it’s a single bodyguard or a security team, when you hire a bodyguard in the UK, you’ll be getting highly trained professionals who can carry out a number of tasks to keep you safe. These additional tasks include project management, tactical driving and conflict management.

Most clients hiring bodyguards in the UK are looking to go about their business inconspicuously and are looking for a service that values discreteness. Therefore, bodyguards that are calm and unassuming are often preferred to those with a more intimidating disposition.

Benefits of close protection security

Hiring a close protection security service will bring you and your loved ones peace of mind, whether you’re attending a special event or simply going about your day-to-day lives. Close protection security provides a range of benefits, including:

• A substantially reduced chance of attacks and injuries
• Keeping your valuables safe
• A rapid reaction to any incidents that may occur
• Strategic planning to pre-emptively combat any threats
• The dispersing of potentially threatening crowds
• Being able to roam freely in public
• Expert help at any risk level

How our close protection security works with All Time Security

Looking for bodyguards for hire in the UK? All Time Security offers you everything you need when it comes to close protection security officers. When you first get in touch with us, we will carry out a risk and threat assessment to ensure that all your needs are fully met. Whether you want close protection security for a specific event or just for day-to-day routines, our close protection services will be adjusted for your specific needs.

Whether it’s a single security officer, a full security team or a team of residential security officers, our close protection security officers will keep you safe wherever you are and can provide a hidden safety procedure in the event of an incident occurring. To find out more about how we can keep you and your loved ones safe, get in touch with us today.

If you’re planning a high profile event, your first question may be regarding the number of security staff you should look to hire – after all, the safety of your guests is surely paramount. It’s a difficult question to answer without the relevant expertise in the area of security, which beyond the industry itself can be tricky to grasp.

Ultimately it all comes down to what kind of event you are looking to provide, but in this article we will break down all the different kinds of security, from VIP events, to crowd control, to close protection security. To start with, we should ask the question; what constitutes a high profile event?

High Profile Event Security

A high profile event is likely to have VIPs in attendance, meaning security risk undoubtedly increases. Those involved in VIP event security will be highly trained in ensuring the safety and security of those high profile individuals. Risk assessments and logistical know-how are vital for any good high profile security agency.

Good security patrolling practices include, but are not limited to, checking the toilets for substance misuse, looking for fire hazards, checking for health and safety hazards and so much more. VIP security services involve a lot more than you may initially think, so it’s vital that you are able to make the right calls on numbers and expertise needed.

As well as risk assessment, event security teams are also responsible for other elements of safety and security behind the scenes, such as CCTV monitoring. Depending on the scale of your event, you might consider using both forms of security to ensure your event runs smoothly.

You can never take too much care when it comes to protecting and looking after your guests to the highest possible standard. Preparation and planning is paramount, so keeping in contact with your security services on all aspects of the event is something that should definitely look to do.

You should also take time to consider the kind of security you have on the door – the old style aggressive ‘if your name’s not down, you’re not coming in’ style of bouncer is thankfully a stereotype of days gone by in the security industry.

Nowadays, a good door security officer should be able to handle enquiries and deal with potential situations with minimal fuss. Of course security is primarily about protection, but that should never be to the detriment of personability or friendly demeanour.

Alcohol is a Factor to Consider

If your event is serving alcohol, then the security risk increases considerably, given that attendees under the influence are more prone to requiring assistance. So, how many security guards do you need per person for your event?

The general number for each event should be around 1 security per 150 people, but this halves in the event of alcohol being served, so factor this into your costs. It is essentially a judgement call in many cases, depending on the kind of event you plan to provide.

It may not always be that things are likely to spiral out of control when serving alcohol, but it’s important to consider the risks and decide whether or not it is the kind of event in which attendees are likely to consume a great deal of alcohol, or if it’s likely to be relatively calm.

As mentioned, a lot factors into what kind of event you want to host, whether it’s an exhibition, a concert, a product launch, a sporting event, or regarding a public demonstration – this will ultimately factor into how many security staff you need. The 1 per 150 is a generally good rule of thumb, though of course it’s worth making judgement calls as to whether you need that much, or if you need more.

You might also look into hiring stewards who can assist with extra supervision where needed. Though they lack the training of security guards in general, they can still be a huge part of your event if it happens to be larger. They are also likely to be first aid trained, which is a huge benefit. It would definitely be worth consulting your security company as to how stewards can assist, if needed.

How Much Will it all Cost?

Again, this will depend entirely on your needs, as well as the size and scale of your event. The best way in which to find out is to contact the security services directly and ask for a quote, providing as many details as you can.

It will also depend on the VIP factor – higher profile guests would require higher profile services. A high profile security guard may sound like an unnecessary expense compared to a standard one, but with increased risk comes increased need for security. You may need to even invest in other kinds of security, such as close protection security. But, what is close protection security?

Close Protection Security

Known generally as bodyguards, a Close Protection officer will protect your VIP guests from unwanted attention or physical harm, using risk assessments and discreet surveillance in order to do so. With all kinds of threats to security existing nowadays, it’s vital to be one step ahead.

VIP security services are essential for higher profile guests, as they provide a service on an individual level that general security is unable to do. Close Protection guards tend to have Commercial, Government, and Military backgrounds, and are trained to the highest level, meaning your special guests are in highly capable and safe hands.

Threats to consider could be anything from potential stalkers to terrorist organisations or organised crime. This is essentially another factor that will need to be taken into account when planning your event – how many high profile guests are likely to need a Close Protection guard. Your choice of security is crucial to ensuring your event runs smoothly, and that all potential risks are accounted for and minimised. The call is yours to make, though you can contact us for more information on how we can meet your needs.