Crisis Action Planning

Crisis action planning should be based on current events and conducted in a time-sensitive manner. Executive Protection Specialists should base their plan on the actual potential circumstances that exist at the time, such as:shootingfireexplosionchemical agent threatcar bomb attack

Venue Fire

In the event of a fire at the venue:

Keep the Principal low

Stay below the smoke

Close the floor where the air is cooler and cleaner

Exit the building as quickly as possible.

Remember, the majority of individuals during fires die inhaling heavy smoke and poisonous gases. Memorize where the emergency exits are located at each venue.

Venue Explosion

In the event of an explosion at the venue:

Keep the Principal low.

Evacuate the building as quickly as possible.

If there is falling debris, get the principal under a strong table or any other available shelter until the debris stops falling around you.

Leave quickly once the debris has stopped falling.

Watch out for weakened floors, stairs and additional falling debris as you exit with the Principal.

If a Shooting Occurs

As an Executive Protection Specialist, you are trained to recognize signs of potential attack while absolutely never attracting attention on yourself or your Principal. Such signs include body language associated with imminent violent action. Pre-assault behavior such as facial expressions, the way in which a person looks at your Principal or conspicuous or unusual behavior may be predictors. Protruding bulges in clothing or carrying suspicious oversized handbags may mean the person is concealing a weapon. Be prepared immediately to react, leave the scene and protect your Principal.

Should signs of potential armed encounter surface:Quickly look for opportunities to safely

evacuate your Principal from the area before gunfire can erupt.

If you cannot evacuate, immediately cover the Principal with your body and have him/her lie down on the ground behind a solid object with arms overhead.

If you are inside a building, keep the Principal low to the floor, and avoid the windows.

Listen to the sounds from the weapons; this will tell you the distance and how many shooters there are.

Reassess the situation for greater awareness and safety.

Your chief concern for your Principal is to avoid being exposed, in jeopardy or shot by the shooter,

When it is safe to do so, evacuate the Principal from the area of concern.

Ensure that you and your Principal are not mistaken as suspects and fired upon by armed responding security forces as you exit the building.

Chemical Agent Threat

• As an Executive Protection Specialist you are trained to keep alert. Early detection enhances survival.

• Move your Principal upwind from the source of the attack. • Have your Principal hold his/her breath until a respiratory mask

is donned. If a mask is not available, cover you and your Principal’s mouth and nose with handkerchiefs.

• Evacuate the Principal from the contaminated area. • Go to the nearest medical facility, and seek medical attention

immediately for you and your Principal. • Beyond wearing protective gear ( mask, cloak, gloves and

footwear), the most effective preventive action is to avoid high-risk chemical terrorist assault locations.

• Make sure that you keep up-to-date by assessing terrorist organizations and fanatical groups overseas. This includes the potential movement of chemical weapons intended for terrorists or proposed sales to terrorist countries. If you read about a chemical agent container being lost or stolen during shipping in a specific country, either one of these possibilities should raise caution flags and could be predicators of being a high-risk chemical terrorist assault.

Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED)

Be alert to any work crews, peddlers and vehicles parked at the venues with one or more persons inside. This may indicate a tactical targeting of the venue.

Write down descriptions of suspicious individuals and licence numbers, make, model and color of suspicious vehicles.

Provide to the appropriate security or police within your area of operation for follow-up. One of the most important factors in the success of a VBIED attack is good intelligence and reconnaissance of the target.

Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED)

Ensure that your onsite inspections of each venue include awareness and understanding of the current potential terrorist risk, capabilities and limitations.

If your onsite inspection concludes that the chosen venue location is vulnerable to terrorism, moving to an alternate venue should be recommended.

Terrorist AttacksTerrorist attacks are usually carefully planned. Terrorists focus on:

avoiding the target’s strengths (Executive Protection personnel)

and concentrate in their weaknesses (poor advance planning, poor situational awareness, etc.)

Terrorist cells use the least number of personnel and the most effective weapons available such as:

Handguns

Rifles

lights automatic weapons

hand grenade

chemicals,

IEDs)

To accomplish the mission, extensive planning is conducted with an emphasis on target surveillance and reconnaissance.

Executive Protection Specialist Instincts

While on international assignments, you should trust your instincts. If an individual’s behavior seems suspicious, it probably is. It is the best to be on your guard at all times. While doing your advance work or actively providing executive protection for your Principal, success depends on organization, discipline and the use of superior strategies as well as always leaving a back door open through which to evacuate your Principal if things go south.