Guarding Lives

Jan 17, 2007 11:41 AM, By Ashley Roe

Veteran personal security specialist shares his experience in the industry

When assassins threaten famous people, it only takes seconds for bodyguards to spring into action and offer protection – a skill that Sunil Ram, a veteran personal protection specialist, says “only comes with training.”

Ram is the owner of the Huntsville, Ont.-based Executive Security Services International (ESSI) and has worked in the personal protection industry for 21 years. He shares his perspective of the personal protection business in an interview with Access Control & Security Systems. More information on ESSI can be found at http://www.essi.cjb.net/.

WHAT TYPE OF protection services do you offer? Our specialists protect executives, celebrities, entertainers, athletes, doctors, lawyers, abused women and witnesses. We provide our services to clients around the globe, and currently, we have 20 on-call security specialists.

Why do you prefer using the term “security specialist” over the term “bodyguard? The image one sees of a “bodyguard” is usually that of a 250-lb. “goon.” In the industry, when we refer to individuals as “bodyguards,” it usually means someone who does not have any professional training in the field. He or she may have a martial arts background, may have done some bouncing work and may have worked in law enforcement, but they do not have the proper training and understanding of what the job entails.

Does it take certain personality traits to work in your field? We want people who can take directions and yet be able to take the lead role if it comes to that. Physical fitness and keen observation skills are important. You need to be a “people person” and someone who commands respect, but does not come on too strong.

What Experience is needed for this profession? Our staff is comprised of former government operatives and individuals who have worked on presidential, diplomatic and dignitary protection units.

What kind of training do applicants typically undergo? We offer courses on risk evaluation, threat assessment, personal security skills, building security, search procedures and intelligence gathering, among many more. The courses can run in length from a couple of days to a month, and we custom tailor them depending on the person we are training.

Is there an elimination process for prospective candidates? We try to weed people out right from the first time they call us about our training courses. I clear up any misconceptions about the job. Individuals have called us thinking that this business is all about fast car chases and gun battles, but there is a great deal of advanced planning involved.

How might this profession affect someone’s personal life?What additional stressors would they have?This is a great line of work for a single person, but most of our staff is married. It can be difficult on relationships. You can be away for long periods of time. The stress of taking a life itself is something the security specialist will need to deal with and may not ever get over. I personally know of individuals who quit the business because they had to take someone’s life while protecting their client. It happens. But you do everything in your power to make sure it never gets to that point.

Is there any distinction between the sexes in performing this job? My staff is about 75 percent male and 25 percent female. I’ve found that females seem to have better observation skills and pick up on small details. Female police officers are often used to diffuse volatile situations.

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© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

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