After listening to a podcast on Executive Protection, I am starting to see how EP tactics overlap with family security. The same principles used to keep a high level CEO safe, can also be used to protect your spouse and children.

I've started learning about "Advance Work," and how it is used to prevent dangerous incidents from occurring. Many hours are spent strategizing travel routes, hotel accommodations, home security, ect. It is amazing how little details like knowing your spouses blood type, or where the nearest hospital is can be overlooked in our preps. Even at work, do you know where all the fire extinguishers are on your floor? We tend to live very busy lives, and should probably slow down to make time for planning.

I also started reading The Art of Executive Protection by Robert L Oatman, and highly recommend it. It talks about how needing to draw you gun, or evacuate, means that something has already gone wrong. 

This thread will be used to share the info I learn, and hopefully those of you with experience in this area or advice can comment. 

I agree with the ideas you're bringing up and practice them regularly. Most people go on a trip to get away form it all and tend to get away from all their good sense. When on a trip some place more than an hour away I pay attention to mile markers on the highway or any substantial landmarks. If we break down or have some emergency on the road I would rather be able to tell the dispatcher " we just passed mile marker 146 on hwy so and so" instead of  I think we are between two places that may be a hundred miles apart. Also if we are staying in an unfamiliar town I tend to look for the blue "H" road signs indicating the location of the local hospital. I look for a secondary way to get home also. We have a huge amount of tourism in my area that tends to snarl traffic on Fridays and Sundays. Also the winter weather around here can close roads. Usually it's the people's poor driving in the poor conditions, but a foot of snow and high winds make some roads impassable as well. In my line of work, commercial construction, the thing to look for is the location of the first aid kit, and to know what is in it. Once the building is up then the location of fire extinguishers also becomes important. I wonder how many people that work in large office buildings know more than one or two ways out of them.  Good topic

Today I read about selecting a hotel room near a stairwell or emergency exit, and counting the number of steps to it. This will provide you with a general distance approximation, if your vision is impaired by smoke or power outages. Also The book talked about automobile security. Although most of us don't have to worry about IED's, it is still important to visually inspect your car before getting in. Are there wire clippings on the ground under your car, or finger print smudges around the door locks? Does the contents of the car appear disturbed? Be sure to  look in the back seat before taking off. You never know if someone could be hiding back there. It is also good to get in the habit of locking the door immediately after you get in a car. This way somebody can't walk up and pull you out while you fumble with the keys. The book also recommends gas cap locks and exhaust tip screens.

More to follow.

For most people, the greatest risk of injury or death occurs while driving. This is why it’s extremely important to drive safely whenever possible. Below are some defensive and offensive driving tactics.

Don’t follow too close- You may think that you can stop in time, but odds are you won’t.

Always keep at least a full tank of gas- Puttering into a gas station on fumes is a good way to get yourself stranded.

Driving under bridges- If you are about to drive under a bridge and a suspicious person is standing above your lane, you may want to quickly change lanes just before going under. I watched a documentary a while back on Executive Protection in South Africa. Thieves were rolling large boulders off bridges onto cars and robbing the car after it crashes. This may also protect you from accidentally hitting someone committing suicide.
 
High speed turns- A tactical driving class at my local police department taught me that the key to taking a turn at high speed is to brake before the turn (which will load up the front shocks), coast through the turn, and accelerate after.
 
J-turns and Boot leggers- There are plenty of tutorials online for learning how to do J turns and Bootlegger turns. You can also look up how to pit a moving car.

Ramming – If you’re stopped by a car roadblock and your only option is to ram it, the book says to slow down and pretend like you are about to stop. Figure out which part of blocking car to ram. Usually the rear quarter is a good place to ram, because it doesn’t have the weight of the engine. Just before you come to a complete stop slam on the brakes, and as the car begins to rock backward hit the gas . This will load up the rear shocks for traction, allowing you to accelerate into the blocking vehicle. Ideally you want to ram the other car at 5-15Mph without letting off the gas. This will provide you more than enough force to move the blocking car.

Good stuff. Looking forward to more.

Black - On following too close, always stop behind traffic with enough room for you to pull your vehicle out of the lane in case you need to take off.

As for RAMMING with newer vehicles, be prepared for your AirBags to deploy. Have eaten a few over the years, it can upset your concentration. .... Just prior to impact, lean back as far as you can from the steering wheel and dashboard. Remove your thumbs from your steering wheel grip or they may be sprained or broken from being forced off the wheel very quickly by the airbag.

Also, be mentally prepared to take the hit from the airbag. They are not a soft pillow. It's just like bracing for a punch. If you know it may connect, you are better off than getting hit flat footed.

When you aim for the stopped vehicle, center your front end on the rear axle to spread the impact across the front of your vehicle or you risk disabling your vehicle with a crushed front quarter into your wheel.

Size does matter. If you are in a compact car, DO NOT attempt to ram a large truck. I had a Honda Accord broadside my RAM2500 and it totaled the Honda, moved my truck 6 inches and flattened my rear tire. Remember modern small cars are made to collapse on impact, dont test it.

HOME SECURITY

The book describes how you should never let anyone into your house unless you can verify who they are. Many people have been robbed or worst by criminals posing to be from the cable company or a vacuum salesmen pushing their way into your house to clean your carpets. This even goes for Police officers. If a police officer or other government agent wants to come into your house, call the agency that they represent to authenticate their employment. Look up the number yourself, even if they try to provide you with one.

*Even if they aren't there to rob you, they could be there to plant a bug.

[Side Note: If I want to do a quick background check on regular person, I use free online tools like Zabasearch.com, County assesors office, Google, and facebook. 

ITS tactical has a good article on Protecting You and Your Family Against Home Invasions

*The only thing I have to add is: Remove the red emergency handle from the cord hanging from your garage door opener. I have hear of criminal running a coat hanger along top of a closed Garage door to hook the handle. Once the handle is pulled they can easily slide the garage door open.

Here are some more great tips from the website of a local security company in my area.

SilvaConsultants.com

IDENTITY PROTECTION

Here are a few tips on how to better protect your identity:

1. Establish a junk email address and forward it to your real email account. Only use your real email for those you trust and provide the junk email when prompted by websites or businesses.

2. Keep you anonymity by signing up for rewards programs under an alias. Most places just want a name and email. My Safeway Grocery store rewards card is under James Bond. Every time I shop there the say "Thank you Mr. Bond"

3. put your credit cards in a mylar bag, or keep a dollar sized piece of aluminum foil in your wallet. Most credit cards have an RFID that can be easily scanned by someone near you.

4. Consider getting a prepaid credit card for online purchases. At a minimum refrain from using your debit card.

5. Like Jack mentioned, don't broadcast personal information by having car decals with your family member’s names on it, or stickers promoting the school that your kids attend.

6. Cover your Debit pin!!! Everywhere I go, I see people entering their debit pin in plain view of the general public. People behind you in line at the check stand, or people waiting to get gas at the gas station can see your pin, not to mention the security cameras of the business. A teller at my bank, laughed at me because I covered my pin. She said that hardly anyone covers their pin anymore, and that she had my all my info, including pin, on the screen in front of her. I told her that "security is important to me", and I continued covering my pin...... knowing that some college kid working as a bank teller has my pin makes me uneasy.

7. When cutting up credit cards, or throwing away receipts, make sure to tear them into pieces and throw each piece away in a separate trash can. One can could be at home and one at work, ect. Make sure they are taken out on different days.

8. Also shred unwanted bills, statements, or cell phone deposited checks. It is mind boggling how many people just wrap up their financial data in a nice plastic bag, and put it on the curb for anyone to pickup. I securely dispose of my financial paper shredding by adding them to my Verimicomposter.   

9. Question those asking for Your Social Security Number, Birth date, or Mothers Maiden name, ect. You would be surprised how many websites have security questions that ask for private data. I usually tweak the questions in my mind, So if it asks for my dogs name, I put the name of my cat.  Or if the ask my favorite teacher I enter my least favorite. I even sometime enter a birthdate close to mine but not correct.

As for RAMMING with newer vehicles, be prepared for your AirBags to deploy. Have eaten a few over the years, it can upset your concentration. .... Just prior to impact, lean back as far as you can from the steering wheel and dashboard. Remove your thumbs from your steering wheel grip or they may be sprained or broken from being forced off the wheel very quickly by the airbag.

Also, be mentally prepared to take the hit from the airbag. They are not a soft pillow. It's just like bracing for a punch. If you know it may connect, you are better off than getting hit flat footed.

When you aim for the stopped vehicle, center your front end on the rear axle to spread the impact across the front of your vehicle or you risk disabling your vehicle with a crushed front quarter into your wheel.

WOW, seems like you have a lot of experience with ramming vehicles!

I took a 40 hour EP class a couple of years ago.
Day 1 was class room
Day 2 was hand to hand combat and joint locks in the morning and moving in the diamond formation and protecting the principle from threats in the afternoon
Day 3 was high speed driving and escorting in a 3 to 4 vehicle convoys.
Day 4 we had to plan out an escort senerio. Took about 10 hours to do with a 12 person team.
Day 5 we had the senerio. picked up the principle from the airport and had to escort her all around the city. the instructors tried several attempts to take out out principle but all the attempts failed.
It was a great class. Stressfull staying on high alert all the time trying to protect someone.

The early bird gets the worm.....But the second mouse gets the cheese.

K9 Detection Training

Many people consider dogs to be part of their family. However nobody likes a freeloading relative. Even dogs have ambitions above and beyond sitting at home while you’re at work. Consider training your dog to be a family asset instead of an expense, they will be much happier earning their keep.

I’m fortunate enough to have a K9 Nosework training facility in my area. Our Labrador began detection training/Nosework classes at a very early age from one of the premier trainers in our state. Now our dog can detect firearms in buildings and in vehicles. We are working towards identifying firearms carrier concealed on a person.

Most people don’t have a training facility in their area, but the good news is that training you dog is easy. It just takes patience and consistency. There are many online resources and DVD’s for the DIY trainer at home. Below are some tips that I have learned over the years.

Stinky Treats - hide treats in a controlled location like your living room. Start off easy by placing the treats in plain view, and letting your dog hunt for them. Gradually start hiding the treats in more difficult locations like inside a closed card board box.  Only use these stinky treats when detection training.

Short Sessions - Dogs are like ADD kids, they are only able to focus for a short period of time. Train for only 3-5 minutes, then take a break, then another 3-5 minutes. Total training time should not exceed 1-2 hours.

Hide high and Low - Get your dogs accustom to finding treats above their head. Start low like on top of chairs, and work up to tables or counters. Also hide in confined spaces, and makeshift tunnels to build your dogs comfort level in strange situations.

Introduce other scents – poke holes in a small tin and place inside a q-tip head dipped in birch oil. Hide this scent box alongside your stinky treats. Your dog will begin to associate the birch oil with treats and lock onto that scent. Pretty soon you can just used the birch oil container and enthusiastically reward your dog with treats when they find the birch oil. Once you introduce one scent you can introduce any. To minimize contamination, we were instructed to put our scent box in inside 2 layers of Tupperware and keep the Tupperware inside the fridge. This may seem like overkill but dogs noses are so sensitive that Cadaver dogs can find bodies at the bottom of a lakes.

Minimize Contamination – Wear latex gloves when handling scents and keep scents isolated like a controlled substance. If you get the scent smell on your hands and touch things around your house, pretty soon you whole house will smell like birch oil to your dog. When using multiple cardboard boxes, try to consistently use the same box for scents and randomize its location. Otherwise all the boxes will start smelling the same and the dog may get confused. It is also good to regularly train in new places.

Create a Signal – After your dog becomes an expert at finding a scent box, you can refrain from rewarding them until they give you a signal. A signal could be sitting, lying down, barking, turning in circles, or whatever. Our dogs signal is to lay down. If you signal is to sit, your dog should already be able to sit on command. When the dog finds the hide and looks at you for their treat, command them to sit (signal) before giving them the treat or reward.  After a few times, do not offer a verbal command and just wait until you dog signals on their own. Immediately reward when they signal. 

Reward properly - When your dog finds a hide, give them the treat within a few inches of the hide so that they maintain focus on the hide. The last thing you want is the dog to find the hide, and run over to you looking for a treat. I don’t reward our dog unless she stares directly at the location of the firearm. This way she pinpoints the exact location. 

Timing - Potty your dog before training, and don’t train directly after feeding them.
 
Overtime you dog will acquire detection skills that can come in very handy. They will also enjoy the attention and playing this new game.   

Black - On following too close, always stop behind traffic with enough room for you to pull your vehicle out of the lane in case you need to take off.

The easiest way to do this is to only pull as close to the car in front of you as you can see their rear tires over your hood.  This gives most vehicles enough room to turn in either direction and pull around/away.

The Professor

I went through several similar courses.

90% of EP is the advance work, not combat training. I trained under one guy who did SS work for over 20 years. Won awards for his advance work.  IMHO it's the most important part of protection.

I would read up on advance work and corporate event pre-planning to get into that mindset.

BTW most of the schools out there teach SS doctrine 2 revs old. Not the current doctrine, which is VERY different.

Also Tony Scotti has several good books on offensive/defensive driving.

My 2 cents

I took a 40 hour EP class a couple of years ago.
Day 1 was class room
Day 2 was hand to hand combat and joint locks in the morning and moving in the diamond formation and protecting the principle from threats in the afternoon
Day 3 was high speed driving and escorting in a 3 to 4 vehicle convoys.
Day 4 we had to plan out an escort senerio. Took about 10 hours to do with a 12 person team.
Day 5 we had the senerio. picked up the principle from the airport and had to escort her all around the city. the instructors tried several attempts to take out out principle but all the attempts failed.
It was a great class. Stressfull staying on high alert all the time trying to protect someone.

One other thing for home security is QUALITY door locks (not the $20 quickset locks you get at Home Depot).

Bumping locks is incredibly easy and quick.

A good deadbolt near the bottom of the jam is also annoying to thieves. 

A good deadbolt near the bottom of the jam is also annoying to thieves. 

Good point.

The early bird gets the worm.....But the second mouse gets the cheese.

went out to dinner tonight with 2 friends both LE, my wife and i CCW. we picked a nice booth that gave a great view of the overall place and noted the exits and everyone knew their primary duties if anything went down. its something that we have been doing for years now but it started after a local shooting in a subway shop down here that made us think. when out in groups lets take the 1 min to set us up for success should things go bad.

ADVANCE WORK

I'm learning that Advance work is the most import part of any EP operation. It accounts for about 90% of the effort, while actual Security detail only accounts for about 10%. Advance work is much less glamorous, and meticulously time consuming. However it is the determining factor in your success.

Being aware and organized are critical components to conducting good advance work.

Situational Awareness
Situation Awareness is a popular concept used by many people in an attempt safeguard against danger. However situational awareness is not limited to just setting off your "spidy-senses." We need to be situationally aware of all things. Don't push the door, when it says pull. Don't back your car up without looking. Don't approach the deli cashier oblivious to the "Order Here" sign clearly pointing somewhere else.  Don't misplace your coffee cup or lose your keys. These are all actions of someone on autopilot clearly not paying attention. Unfortunately most people spend their entire lives this way.

As you become more aware of your surroundings, you will feel a sensation of "high speed" living. You will start to effortlessly navigate through the mundane hurdles of life. You will avoid bumping into people. You will notice road construction in the distance and know to merge early. You will already know if a store takes American Express because of the Credit card sticker on the register.  you will see the people around you still stepping in gum, but  you will avoid it. 

This heighten sense of awareness will help you to focus on the intricate details of advance work. You will be able to identify details about a location or person that would normally go unnoticed.


Organizational Timing
The most observant person in the world is still nothing without organization skills and timing. Knowing what to look for when you are lost is great, but not getting lost in the first place is even better. Being organized and punctual will help alleviate these types of headaches in life. Whether it going to the Airport, or meeting friends for dinner, put in the extra effort to be organized and punctual. Have a map or clear directions of your route to the destination. Be familiar with alternate routes, and even know the proximity to the closest hospital or police station. Give yourself more than enough time to reach your destination and factor in extra time for possible delays.

Have a dependable clock. Don't try to outsmart your clock by intentionally setting it 10 minutes slow or fast. Arrive at your destination at least 5 minutes early. Time is delineated in minutes for a reason. Meeting someone at 6:00 does not mean 6ish. [It actually means 5:55].

Always have a pen and paper with you at all times for jotting down notes. Nobody can remember everything. I carry a spiral 3x5 Rite-in-the Rain pad in my back pocket. If I need to quickly jot down a license plate number, phone number, or address, it is ready to go. I try to use my smart phone, but entering a security code and opening an app takes time. Smart phones can be more convenient when taking pictures, emailing, and the having the added security. Notepads are great for quick notes. In a future post I will attempt to provide an example of advance work for a public location in my area.

Making Top Secret Dossiers

This my be a little over the top for some, but Microsoft Access is a great program to keep records of people and locations when doing advance work. The standard Access contact template already allows the uploading of photos and is easily customizable to include additional fields that you feel pertinent. You can begin creating your own top secret spy dossiers in no time.

Just be sure to encrypt it using something like TrueCrypt. Keep the encrypted file on a keychain thumbdrive and you are set.

Disposible Cell Phone Bug

Not sure on the legality of this, so let say for eductional purpose only:

http://www.ehow.com/how_12228280_make-bug-disposable-cell-phone.html

 
Additional Notes:
Check the features of the prepaid phone before you buy.
Hiding the phone near an electrical outlet, and keeping it plugged in, will keep it continuosly charging.

Cazooks !! Nice topic !

Man, to much info.....

But, from what i have seen, what makes the most sense to me is protecting your identity.

i see a lot of people that easily give um their personal information to any person doing a survey for a local Supermarket.... Not me.

I also do stuff like, having different routes to work and not using close that scream "Money" since i am an executive.... I keep a low profile. Even my car is old in order not to stick out.

I try hard not to make myself a target. But reading this topic made me realize i have long ways to go.

@Black November@

i laughed my A** off at you ant the Mr. Bond thing.... 10 pt for you ! LOL 

When on a trip some place more than an hour away I pay attention to mile markers on the highway or any substantial landmarks. If we break down or have some emergency on the road I would rather be able to tell the dispatcher " we just passed mile marker 146 on hwy so and so" instead of  I think we are between two places that may be a hundred miles apart.

I taught my sons this from a very early age.  It's amazing how much you can teach young kids when you make it a game and throw a little brotherly competition in.  You can get the highway number, county, direction and type of road (federal/state or N/S/E/W if you know how the system works) and location on that road all from those simple white strips along the side of the road.  Being that I live in the desert, sometimes that's all you'll see for an hour or more, so it's important to be able to read them.

Of course, now that I'm looking for one, I can't find a single image.  But they're the skinny white plastic ones, no more than a couple of feet high, all along the side of the road out in the middle of nowhere.

went out to dinner tonight with 2 friends both LE, my wife and i CCW. we picked a nice booth that gave a great view of the overall place and noted the exits and everyone knew their primary duties if anything went down. its something that we have been doing for years now but it started after a local shooting in a subway shop down here that made us think. when out in groups lets take the 1 min to set us up for success should things go bad.

I noticed that with the guys I was dating.  I felt much more comfortable with guys that sat so they could see the entrance and watched when people came in.  And if they were sitting with their back to the door and looked uncomfortable when I mentioned owning firearms, we probably weren't a good match.

Love this thread, by the way.

Family Duress Code

Whether it's signalling to leave a boring dinner party, or being held at gunpoint while answering a call from your wife, it is a good idea to establish a duress code. Take a few moments with your loved ones to agree on a specific word, phrase, and body language that can be used during such occasions. It could really be the difference between life and death, or at least minimize the discomfort of attending a function where you don't know anyone.

Picking a Duress Code:

Words - Try picking words that don't come up regularly in conversation, and will not sound strange when used. Your friends might become suspicious if you start saying "Abbra Cadabara" every time you are about to leave. You might consider choosing a less conspicuous word like automobile, newspaper, heartbeat, or streetlight that can easily be inserted into a sentence. To be even more subtle, have a secret pet name for your significant other like hunny, or sweetheart to be used only in the perils of danger. It may seem silly to dedicate a special word, when most couples have a knack for reading each other, but it could be crucial in a telephone or email conversation. Its better to have a duress code word and not need it, than to need it and not have it.


Phrases - Using a phrase can simply be a sentence with your secret word in it, but it can also be a metaphor. Suppose your secret phrase is "car trouble". This allows you to use the different words every time. You could say the cars making noises, having trouble starting, acting funny, or the battery is won't hold a charge. This gives you much more variety in dialogue, and could be used to interpret the severity of a situation. If you want to leave a party, you might say that you recently noticed the tires look low. If you are being held at gun point you might say that yesterday the car started making loud grinding noises during gear shifts.


Body Language - Simple gestures like scratching your elbow, or cracking your knuckles can also relay the message of duress. It doesn't have to be as elaborate as a major league catcher signaling the pitcher, just enough to get your point across to the intended recipient. Being able to signal your wife could come in pretty handy the next time someone invites you to attend their child's fifth grade piano recital, and expects an on the spot answer.

It is a good idea to incorporated all three of these methods when creating your duress code. This allows for the most flexibility for sending signals. Use some creativity to determine your own personal duress codes, and never tell anyone.

SIMPLE DOOR SECURITY

If you are staying in a hotel, or even just at home, one of the simplest/cheap ways to secure a door from the inside is to jam a plain old door stop in the door. It is especially good for office buildings, schools, or other large complexes with many lock-less interior doors.



Just kick one of these under the door and the door will not open without breaking it down. You can even drill a hole in the back of the door stopper and attach a paracord lanyard for easy removal. Great for traveling!

PLANNING & MANAGING SECURITY FOR MAJOR SPECIAL EVENTS (PDF)

I found this pdf online. It has a bunch of good info about effective security operations surrounding a major event. It was created by the US Dept of Justice as guidelines for Law enforcement.

Love this thread, by the way.

Thanks for the feedback.

THE FAMILY BAT SIGNAL (Text)

Your family can easily create their very own Bat Signal using the free texting service offered by Groupme.com. Just register with Groupme.com, and they will issue your family a single phone number. During an emergency anyone can send a text to that number, and the message will be broadcasted to everyone else in the family (group).

This service also works well for neighborhood watch & larger groups as mentioned in a post I did last year. 

ACT LIKE YOU BELONG

For work, I regularly have meetings at various .gov agencies. It always amazes me how a collared shirt, pad of paper, and a nonchalant nod, will get you unlimited access to almost any interior office wing no questions asked. The key is to look like you are on business, know where you are going, and to walk at a brisk pace. These types of mannerisms make gathering advanced work much easier.

If you start snooping around a hotel wearing jeans and a T-shirt, the staff will usually just confront you, and ask you to leave.

However, if you look semi-professional (but not too important), and start approaching staff about hotel policies and procedures, most of them will gladly tell you whatever you want to know. Try to speak clearly and conscisely. If you are polite, they will go out of their way to help you. No need to mention why you are there, just be direct and assertive. Be organized and know your questions ahead of time. If anyone asks, tell them that you've been sent there to gather information for a upcoming business trip.     

Don't be timid, or shy. Timid and shy sticks out like a sore thumb. While riding the train to work, it is easy to pick out perplexed faces of first time riders. If you look lost, or unsure of yourself, people will become suspicious of your presence. Always act like you belong.

This works almost anywhere. [restaurants, offices, car rentals, stores, ect.]

Homework: Go to your local grocery store and ask for the name of the person responsible for ordering produce. Gathering info is easy, but don't be discouraged if you don't get it the first time around.

Absolutely 100% LOVE GroupMe.

Both the family and my MutualAid Group use it.

I recently tried it with a friend vacationing in Europe using a burner sim card he bought
at a corner store.  Flawless.

Ability to attach geolocation maps and photos is quite nice.

Killer app.  Only trouble is it uses Amazon Web Services, so if AWS goes down, the app goes down.

THE FAMILY BAT SIGNAL (Text)

Your family can easily create their very own Bat Signal using the free texting service offered by Groupme.com. Just register with Groupme.com, and they will issue your family a single phone number. During an emergency anyone can send a text to that number, and the message will be broadcasted to everyone else in the family (group).

This service also works well for neighborhood watch & larger groups as mentioned in a post I did last year.