In a Close Protection (CP) role, pressure isn’t one of the possibilities, it’s 100% guaranteed. The professionals who rise to this challenge do so with skill, grit, adaptability, and the willingness to step fully into the unknown. A Close Protection journey begins with training, but not all training is created equal.
In this second blog post of our interview series, we hear from a former police officer who took on Blue Mountain Group’s intensive Close Protection course. Immersed in a high-demand environment, he emerged with a deeper understanding of what it means to operate at the highest levels of personal security.
1. What inspired you to choose Blue Mountain Group’s Close Protection course over other options?
It was actually recommended to me by current Close Protection Operatives (CPOs) that we work with at Warner Brothers. They mentioned Blue Mountain Group (BMG) due to its reputation and accreditation. The CPOs told me I should go with BMG because it runs a very comprehensive course compared to others.
These recommendations and my research showed that the BMG trainers were excellent. I decided I could get the most out of a Close Protection course with BMG rather than other courses.
2. How did the course meet or exceed your expectations?
It definitely exceeded my expectations. I'm an ex-police officer, and I was naive about what a civilian course would be like. I'm used to training run by the police. I didn't do my background checks on how the trainers run the course. I've only done it for the course content and the reputation.
I thought the training would run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it wasn't. So, I was naive to all the ad hoc work, the course content, and how BMG would do the training. This training style is 100% beneficial, and I’m glad the instructors trained this way. It made all the course delegates a lot better CPOs and more rounded at the end.
Once you have completed all the training, you understand the industry and how it operates.
3. What aspect of the training had the biggest impact on you personally or professionally?
For me, the dedication and the time it takes to complete the training. I'd also done the FREC Level 3 course before the Close Protection course and commuted backwards and forwards. I realised I couldn't finish the Close Protection course by travelling to and from home each day.
The demand was too high, given the hours of the course, the course content, and what I needed to do to complete it. I quickly found that out, and I was able to financially support myself and stay on site.
Once you're in the course and in the “course bubble”, you're totally removed from the outside world and your home life. That’s the biggest impact that it has because of the demand. You switch off from your home life, so you only focus on the course because it eats up and takes up so much of your time.
4. How would you describe the training environment and its effect on your learning experience?
The training environment was definitely beneficial to my learning style. The course content took up most of the day. Highfield, the accrediting body, dictates what you must know. You have to learn some set lessons as part of the course syllabus.
But in the afternoons and evenings, we had the opportunity to practice the course content. We could actually put what's on a PowerPoint into real life. Putting the theory into physical practice was really good. It gave us an overview of what to expect in a CPO job.
You might have a topic or tactic to consider or how it relates to the Close Protection content. But doing it and practising it is definitely beneficial. This area was the best for me, as I like to learn things this way.
5. Can you recall a moment or activity during the course that made you feel most prepared for your future in Close Protection?
The final exercise, right at the end, encompasses everything. It was the last couple of days. They ran the two days like you're running a real CP job, with an Ops room and stuff like that. It was exactly how you'd expect it to work if you had a real client.
It was all treated as if you picked up principles, who you don't know, essentially your clients. However, the whole activity started right from the beginning of a CPO job. From taking a phone call from a potential client, putting all the planning phases in, the operational phase and actually completing the job.
So that was definitely beneficial. After you'd had over two weeks' worth of course content, you then had a good couple of days to iron out any issues. Of course, you could also speak about any concerns you've got. Also, at the end of each day, you had a debrief.
To be able to run a CP job as realistically as possible was the highlight and the best part of it. The job was to and from our actual hotel. But a couple of simultaneous jobs were running in the last couple of days for the final exercise. One ended up taking me to Windsor Castle and Heathrow Airport.
6. What specific skills or techniques from the course have had the most immediate impact on your professional development?
I had a similar background through the police. However, in this industry, it was developing that knowledge base of how it starts from receiving a phone call to putting the job together. You have the whole planning phase and the logistics of organising a real client.
I'd never experienced anything like this before, and it was definitely the most beneficial part of the course.
7. Which parts of the training were the most challenging, and how did they help you grow or improve as a professional?
The administrative side involved handling the planning phase and demonstrating completion of course content, such as the workbook, the Highfield requirements, and the videos you had to take.
Fitting that all in was challenging for me. You had the operational side of it and had to put together techniques and other things, like recce reports, whether for a venue or a profile for a person. But there was another 40 pages worth of a workbook that you had to try and find time to fill out.
The challenge was balancing everything and completing that by the end. Also, it was essential to complete the stuff that would make me a better CPO. Sleep is a privilege, was the term used during the course.
It gives you a feeling of what a CPO role is like. You may have to work in real-life CPO jobs at night and into the morning. It depends on the client or what the client does, as you might have to be ready to go again the next day.
So, the training is as realistic as possible. You can't fault the training. Because on the flip side, if you were training from 9 am to 5 pm, you would not be ready for a CPO role. You would get thrown in at the deep end of a real job; you might be putting in all these hours you weren't expecting. It would be a shock.
8. Can you share a moment during the training when you learned something that fundamentally changed how you approach Close Protection?
It's the soft skills. They're such a grey area and depend on many factors, such as the various techniques you can use. My eureka moment was learning that it is better to relax rather than be on edge. Otherwise, you would burn out if you were looking for the next potential threat 24/7.
I learnt that it depends on the environment and your plan. These areas relate to how much you can relax while remaining alert. As the CPO, you're there to protect the client. But if you can relax and blend into the environment, then you're doing your job better.
9. If you had to sum up your experience in one sentence, what would it be?
It is a challenge I will never forget and never thought I needed, but it's definitely opened my eyes to the industry.
Our delegate's story shows that growth often arrives disguised as discomfort. The training experience with BMG tested his endurance, focus, and flexibility, but it also helped him find clarity and understanding for a CPO role. He learnt to master logistics and field tactics, and also embraced the mental discipline to stay sharp yet composed.
This delegate has taken his first step into a specialised profession. He discovered that it includes far more than learning critical technical skills. At BMG, we promote the essence of elite training. Our instructors shape protectors and transform their perspectives during their training. It's all part of our mission to create expert CPOs and a safer world.
Want to learn more about our courses and start a career in close protection? Fill out our quick form or call us on 01267 241907.