Form and adjust protective formations appropriate to team size and environment.
Security Management
Executive Protection Team Operations and Close Protection Drills
Trains executive protection teams in formation movement, vehicle drills, venue protocols and team communication needed to run close protection operations for a principal safely and unobtrusively.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Executive protection succeeds or fails on the small, rehearsed movements a team makes around a principal, not on equipment or headcount alone, and a detail that has not drilled formation changes, vehicle transitions and venue entry will hesitate at exactly the moment speed matters. This course trains protection teams in the operational core of close protection: forming and adjusting protective formations for walking, vehicle and venue movement, running embus and debus drills that keep the principal shielded during transitions, applying venue protocols from advance liaison through room and route control, and maintaining team communication discipline throughout an operation. Sessions are drill-based: formation walk-throughs at varying team sizes, timed vehicle debus exercises, and a full venue movement rehearsal from arrival to departure. Participants leave with formation diagrams for common team sizes, a vehicle drill checklist and a venue protocol template covering arrival, holding and departure phases.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Run embus and debus drills that minimise the principal's exposure during vehicle transitions.
Apply venue protocols covering advance liaison, room control and departure sequencing.
Maintain team communication discipline using standard terminology and radio procedure.
Coordinate team leader, detail and driver roles during a live protective movement.
Adapt formation and movement decisions to changing crowd density and route conditions.
Debrief a protective operation to identify formation and drill improvements for the team.
Who Should Attend
Executive protection agents assigned to a principal's close protection detail.
Protection team leaders responsible for formation and movement decisions.
Protective drivers who coordinate vehicle positioning during embus and debus.
Corporate security managers who oversee executive protection team performance.
Advance agents who prepare venues before the protection team and principal arrive.
New close protection officers completing operational readiness training.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Protective Formations
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Forming and Adjusting Team Formations
- Select box, diamond or single-agent formations based on available team size.
- Adjust formation spacing and orientation in response to crowd density and terrain.
- Reposition the formation smoothly when the principal changes direction or pace.
- Maintain visual and physical coverage of the principal through formation transitions.
Session 2Walking Movement and Route Awareness
- Scan for approach threats while maintaining assigned formation position and sector.
- Identify choke points and blind corners along a planned walking route in advance.
- Adjust pace to keep the principal moving through higher-risk sections without stopping.
- Signal formation adjustments to teammates without alerting bystanders or the principal unnecessarily.
02Vehicle Movement Drills
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Running Embus Drills
- Position vehicles to minimise the principal's exposure time before entering the vehicle.
- Sequence team entry so protective coverage continues throughout the embus process.
- Time embus drills to identify and remove unnecessary delay in the sequence.
- Brief the principal on embus expectations without disrupting the drill's pace.
Session 2Running Debus Drills
- Scan the immediate arrival area before opening doors for principal debus.
- Sequence team exit so the principal is shielded from the vehicle to the entry point.
- Coordinate with the driver on vehicle positioning to shorten the exposed walking distance.
- Rehearse debus drills under varying weather and lighting conditions.
03Venue Protocols
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Advance Liaison and Venue Preparation
- Liaise with venue security and event staff ahead of the principal's arrival.
- Identify holding rooms, alternate exits and medical facilities during the venue advance.
- Confirm access control arrangements for the protection team at each venue checkpoint.
- Share the advance findings with the full protection team before the operation begins.
Session 2Managing Arrival, Holding and Departure
- Control room access during the principal's presence without disrupting the event.
- Position agents to cover entry points, stage areas and any planned audience interaction.
- Sequence the departure to avoid predictable timing that could be exploited.
- Coordinate with venue staff on contingency routes if the planned departure path is blocked.
04Team Communication and Review
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Maintaining Communication Discipline
- Use standard radio terminology to keep transmissions brief and unambiguous.
- Assign a net controller to manage radio traffic during complex movements.
- Confirm receipt of critical instructions rather than assuming they were heard.
- Maintain communication discipline in public settings to avoid drawing attention.
Session 2Debriefing Operations and Refining Drills
- Debrief each operation to identify formation, timing or communication weaknesses.
- Adjust drill practice schedules to address recurring weaknesses identified in debriefs.
- Update venue and route notes based on observations from the completed operation.
- Rotate team roles during training so all agents can perform each operational function.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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