Critical roles and responsibilities of a bodyguard

by Executive Protection Institute EPI was founded in 1978

It is vital to know if you are planning on becoming a professional bodyguard; you have to perform several essential functions and responsibilities. With society's obsession with Hollywood films, celebrities, and other influences, the overall idea of what it means to be a professional bodyguard has now been romanticized.

In this article, as an attempt to clear some of the misunderstandings surrounding bodyguards, we will look at the top roles and responsibilities of a professional bodyguard.

Safety of your client

High net worth individuals and celebrities often hire protection officers to keep them safe from several types of threats. A professional close protection officer is essentially employed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their client. The client is often an individual or a family who could be a target of a terrorist attack, kidnapping, assault, and other threats. However, if you wish to keep your client from harm's way, you must get professional bodyguard training.

Understand the level of risk

High-risk clients such as government officials may find their lives at risk if not protected at all times. The key responsibility of a close protection officer in such cases would be to check for any improvised devices and watch for snipers, anticipating any dangerous areas on your route, etc. Ideally, someone of this nature will undoubtedly have a team of professionals protecting them. When you join a personal protection course, they will train you to properly use firearms, provide first-aid, and teach you how to work with a team efficiently.

Your responsibilities tend to vary depending on your client.

A celebrity is much less likely to feel like their lives are in danger. The most common risk in the case of a celebrity client is their privacy being abused. If this is the case, a professional close protection office needs to ensure their fans don't get problematic and to keep celebrity photographers at a safe distance from your client. Remember that each client will have some tolerance level, and an excellent close protection officer needs to gauge this.

Since the overall risk for such type of client is generally low, a professional bodyguard will often choose to work alone under these circumstances. It means that the client's safety is 100% your responsibility as a professional bodyguard. It's your job to be discrete, especially as the client will often be in the public eye.

You need to understand that all bodyguards don't need to deal with violence all the time. If you're working as a part of a team, you will often be assigned one rule. For instance, your primary task could be that of a driver. You can also be a part of the planning team, which works from a distance from the client. This is why you must get appropriate training before you begin your career. Your training and on-field experience will showcase all your capabilities and strong points to the client, giving you the ability to have a successful career as a professional bodyguard. So what are you waiting for? Enroll yourself in a professional bodyguard school today!