How to Properly Protect Your Client as an Oklahoma Bodyguard

How to Properly Protect Your Client as an Oklahoma Bodyguard

            When someone hires a bodyguard  like those at Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com to provide them personal protection, it is vital that they understand that they will receive the best protection possible.  Individuals seeking the assistance of a personal bodyguard need to understand several things before they hire someone.  Likewise, the bodyguard should thoroughly seek to find out all of the circumstances before protecting a client, so he or she can do the best possible job.  This way both the client and the Oklahoma bodyguard can find the most success and safety.

            One of the things that clients should look for in an effective bodyguard is the type of personal protection training he or she has.  Prior military experience, depending on the type and job classification the bodyguard had while serving in the armed forces, can sometimes prove to be very valuable.  Military personnel often have previous experience using different types of weapons and may have mastered advanced personal defense tactics.  Military service is not the only type of helpful experience though!

            Other bodyguards have served in law enforcement (i.e., police officers, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), etc.), and they, too, might know advanced weapon training skills and other special defense techniques.  However, the length of time and the capacity in which they served are both vital.  A desk sergeant might not have maintained the same level of skill and training as an officer who has been out in the field, so this is an area that a client needs to explore.

            Previous experience in the military, the police force, FBI, etc., are not necessarily essential.  Some of the best bodyguards have taken specialized courses which have given them a wide variety of experience.  Classes in judo, karate, and other martial arts can prove to be very useful when protecting someone.  Other training courses are specifically designed, and sometimes required by a state’s laws, to certify someone as a bodyguard.  These can also help an Oklahoma bodyguard become familiar with the laws and can teach them how to provide the best possible protection.

            Other bodyguards have taken it upon themselves to undergo extensive firearms training.  Some bodyguards in Oklahoma have practiced firing weapons extensively on their own, and they are already well-trained in how to use them.  A person seeking to hire a bodyguard would be well advised to inquire as to what courses they have taken, as well as if they are certified – and by whom. 

Oklahoma bodyguards generally require some time of CLEET training, and they should be licensed to carry firearms.  Many of those who are certified as armed security are also licensed as armed private investigators.  In addition, other individuals carry a license to carry firearms under the Self Defense Act.  Each license comes with different advantages, and bodyguards should be able to present their certifications to their clients and, if needed, to law enforcement personnel.

When one is considering what type of bodyguard to hire, an ability to use guns and fight in hand-to-hand combat are not the only things a person should look for.  Sometimes the best types of protection come from having the ability to prevent attacks and know when security risks abound.  The old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of medicine is quite true!

In serious cases, special surveillance devices and training can prove especially helpful in helping a bodyguard determine when someone is following an individual, trying to break into a home, has tapped a phone, etc.  Bodyguards who have served as armed private investigators have a special advantage in this area, as they often already have this special equipment and experience.  Preventing a possible attack or other threat is so much easier – and safer – than having to fend it off!

            Knowing all of this, size does not always matter when hiring a bodyguard.  Just because someone is bigger does not mean he or she can necessarily do a better job than an Oklahoma bodyguard whose physical build is smaller.  Indeed, while hiring a bodyguard who is 6’10” and who weighs 280 pounds might intimidate others and thus stave off people from wanting to cause harm in the first place.  This kind of bodyguard might have an advantage over one who is smaller in stature, but this is not always the case.

            Bodyguards who are smaller in physical size can also prove to have exceptional advantages.  It is fairly easy to “size up” a bodyguard who is really tall and muscular.  However, a smaller bodyguard is often underestimated by a would-be attacker.  If he or she has the right training, special moves can be used that can immobilize even the biggest of thugs.  An attacker who underestimates the training and skills of a smaller opponent can put himself or herself at a serious disadvantage.  Besides, if all else fails, a nice shot of pepper spray, the use of a stun gun, or another weapon of choice can often do the job.

            Having said all of this, whenever possible the focus of a bodyguard’s work should focus on prevention.  The use of force, especially deadly force, should always be a last resort.  It is important to only use the force necessary to protect yourself and then retreat and get law enforcement officials involved whenever possible.  An Oklahoma bodyguard has the right to expect his or her bodyguard to protect him to the best of his or her ability.  However, causing physical harm, especially serious harm, should only take place if nothing else can be done to keep the client and the bodyguard safe.

            Having more than one bodyguard and someone to act as a “second set of eyes” can also be very helpful.  Clients and bodyguards should talk together and carefully consider how many bodyguards they need to provide adequate protection.  The severity of the risk factors might call for a greater the need for a team of bodyguards rather than just one person.  One bodyguard can provide protection, but he or she might not be able to fend off five or ten people who are brandishing guns and knives.

            One of the most important parts of protecting a client is for the bodyguards to have all possible needed information.  The more a bodyguard knows about the situation and possible threats, the better the job he or she can do setting up the proper security measures beforehand and while on the job.  For example, if the known threat is a white male stalker who is about fourty years old and who has a history of violence using handguns, it is important to know that.  If the potential perpetrator is known to be technologically savvy, the client should tell the bodyguard this, too, as the types of threats may come from different sources (i.e., explosives, computer hacking, sniper fire, etc.).

            Many bodyguards have some type of insurance that can cover both them and their clients, in the event someone gets hurt.  However, this type of insurance can prove to be very costly, so those who work as bodyguards may not have it.  It is important for clients to ask a protector up front whether or not they carry any liability insurance. 

            Clients should also clearly understand that while bodyguards can provide additional protection, they are not invincible and cannot do everything.  Bodyguards can also get hurt and may not always be able to completely protect an individual or group of people.  They are only human, and in this sometimes dangerous field there are no guarantees.