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.
