Tom Taylor’s Armored Men Hits Bookstores

So a new book that dives into the world of Executive Protection is hitting the market soon.  Tom Taylor’s “Armored Men”, is a fictional story centered on Lieutenant David Armstrong and his team from the Governor’s Security Division as they return to find themselves and their protectee — Missouri Governor William Ulysses Stovall — in harm’s way.

So how do you know it will be any good?  Here’s a quote from Industry Guru Tony Scotti from his Security Driver News Blog:  “I received an advance copy of Tom’s new book “Armored Men”, and it has exceeded my expectations. Although a fictional account of a Governors Protection Detail Tom has found a way to bridge the gap between fiction and reality, to the point where the book is hard to put down. The realism of the team’s motorcade operations could be used in a classroom environment. The book could and should be used as a textbook.”

Sounds like an excellent endorsement for a good read to me.

This is what some of the leaders in the industry have to say about Tom’s book -

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, bestselling author of On Killing and On Combat:

“As the world may generate those who would slay and destroy, so too does our world raise up protectors, heroes who can and do stop the assassin. Tom Taylor’s book puts us inside the minds and the lives of these Armored Men, this elite order of a modern knighthood who forms the bodyguard of democracy.”

John Farnam, author of The Farnam Method of Defensive Handgunning:

“Taylor’s writing style is engaging and suspenseful, and the knowledge-base is impressive. I couldn’t put it down.”

John Rose, Holston International Training & Consulting:

“Taylor has done it again! Strap in for a wild heart-pounding story that will have you cheering for the good guys and wishing you could join the fight against the villains.  You ask where all the heroes have gone. They are here in Armored Men!”

Bob Duggan, President of Executive Security International (ESI), Ltd:

“Seldom do close protection professionals ever get their story told by someone who knows the business better than most who are in it.  Tom Taylor knows this story well because he has spent a long career protecting others and he is exceedingly good at it.  The fictional elements of Armored Men are riveting and describe a fear and foreboding that we will live with for a generation. It is a story of our times.  At ESI, we gift new students this book and urge them to read it and pass it to friends. ”

Dr. James P. McGee, Director of Psychology and Forensic Services Sheppard Pratt Hospital (1983 – 2002):

“Taylor is a legendary figure in the world of executive protection and Armored Men tells what that world is really like. His novel is so authentic it should be classified TOP SECRET!”

Hans van Beuge, CEO of Savior Protective Services:

“Armored Men is total High-Speed, Low-Drag infotainment. For anyone in protective operations or wishing to be thoroughly entertained, Rule No. 1 is read everything written by Tom Taylor. The book is sensational.”

Robin Barratt – author, journalist, and founder of British Bodyguard Association:

“Tom never fails to deliver! Armored Men is yet another fast-paced, action-packed dive into the uncompromising world of executive protection from one of the most professional and respected protectors in the world today.”

You can click HERE for more info or to purchase.

Tipping Etiquette for the Executive Protection Agent

Bodyguard Blogs new ongoing feature on Etiquette & Protocol.  Like any other profession, image is important in our business and first impressions are lasting ones.  Knowing how to shoot is great, but if you can not get a second interview with an employer, all those great skills might go to waste.  To assist, we’ve enlisted the services of writer and etiquette coach, Susanne Dancer.

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Q: The client has put me in charge of tipping (I get reimbursed of course) but what are some good baseline amounts and who exactly get’s tipped at a hotel? (bellman, front desk, valet?) - Alex M.  Executive Protection Agent, Virginia

A: If you are tasked with tipping remember perception is important.  Try not to have your client perceived as stingy, but do not be excessive with someone else’s money either.  Tipping does vary around the world and in some counties like Australia it is not considered  common practice.  However with that said, it is always greatly appreciated by the staff concerned, be it a hotel, restaurant or your car service driver.  Always carry small notes with you as not to ask for change.  The currency of the country you are in is desired, however most places around the globe welcome US dollars (however recent economics might change that.)

In general the following is a good guide:

Drivers

Courtesy Shuttle Driver — $1-$2 per person, or $4-$5 per party

Taxi or Limousine Driver — 15-20% of the total fare

Checking In

Porter/Doorman — $1-$2 per bag they help you with (more if it is excessively heavy). Tipping is not required for just opening a door (a smile and thank you is always appreciated).

Bell Staff — $1-$2 per bag if they bring the bags to your room. If they prepare your room and show you around, tipping $5-$10 should cover everything (including the bags).

In Your Room

Room Service — In most hotels, a gratuity of 12-15% is already included in the price of your order (check the menu). Tipping extra is OK, particularly if the person delivering the order takes extra care to set up your meal. Room service tips are generally “pooled,” or shared between everyone. If you hand something extra to a person who provides you extraordinary service, he or she can keep it.

Maids/Housekeeping Staff — A wide range is acceptable here, depending on the level of extra service and hotel level, but generally from $1-$5 per night. It is best to do your tipping daily, since you might have different people cleaning your room. Whatever you decide to leave, be sure to put the money in a sealed envelope, clearly marked, so there is no confusion as to whom it belongs to.

Maintenance/Service People — For fixing something that was broken, or bringing something that was missing, tipping is not required.

Delivery of Special Items — For a special request (like an extra blanket), $2 for one item, or $1 each for more than one item.

Coming and Going

Doorman — $1-$2 for calling a cab; extra if he covers your client with an umbrella in the rain, or has to actually hail a cab (rather than just signalling one from a cab line). If you wish, tipping a few bucks at the end of your stay (rather than each time) is fine.

Valet Parking — $1-$2 to the attendant retrieving your car. Tipping when they park the car is optional.

Dining Out

Wait Staff — 15-20% of the bill, excluding tax and expensive wine. Many restaurants automatically add a 15% gratuity for parties of six or more, so check the menu. You can add another 5% for exceptional service.

Wine Steward/Sommelier — If they help your client choose a bottle of wine (or choose it for him or her), 10-20% of the wine bill only. Use discretion based on how much service was provided (did he allow your client to taste before selected?) If the wine is very expensive, it’s generally acceptable to cap your tip at a reasonable amount (say, about $20), since you are tipping on the service received. Leave cash or specify on the credit card receipt which portion is for the sommelier.

Special Services

Concierge — Tipping varies with the level of service provided. For simple requests like directions or restaurant recommendations, no tipping is required. If the concierge arranges show tickets or restaurant reservations, tip $2-$5. If he goes above and beyond (a table at the hottest restaurant in town), tip $10-$20.

Hotel Staff — If they set up something above and beyond a tip at the end of your stay is acceptable.  Additionally if you are working with a recognizable (and liked) VIP an autograph in the guest book or a signed photo to the establishment is highly valued.

Additional Websites for reference:

http://hotels.about.com/od/hotelsecrets/a/tipping.htm

http://gouk.about.com/od/ukcurrencymoneymatters/f/Tipping_UK.htm

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g255055-s606/Australia:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/500117

Susanne Dancer is a former butler and administrator who has trained with the Guild of Professional English Butlers.  Her work in Etiquette has taken her from Brisbane to London with an emphasis on International Protocol.  She is regularly consulted as an expert in her field on subjects such as how to dress appropriately while working with High Net Worth individuals, and the delicate subject of table manners.

Have an etiquette question for Susan?  Ask it HERE.

Justified? Joe Miller’s Bodyguards Detain Reporter

Alaska Dispatch founder and editor Tony Hopfinger was grabbed and handcuffed by a private security detail working for U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller on Sunday while trying to ask the Fairbanks Republican questions following a town hall meeting at Central Middle School in Anchorage on Sunday.

Hopfinger was reportedly pressing Miller on whether the candidate had ever been reprimanded for politicking while working at the Fairbanks North Star Borough in 2008. Alaska Dispatch and other media have sued for the release of records related Miller’s time at the borough. Various accounts of what happened next generally agree on this course of events:

• Two or three bodyguards told Hopfinger to stop asking questions and to leave the building.
• Hopfinger continued to ask questions while apparently videotaping the candidate.
• Bodyguards told him that if he persisted they would arrest him for trespassing, but refused to identify themselves to Hopfinger.
• Hopfinger asked why he was trespassing, as the event was at a public school. Seconds later, he was then put in arm-bar and later handcuffed and sequestered at one end of a hallway for at least 30 minutes. He was told, “You’re under arrest.”
• Anchorage Police arrived on the scene shortly after.

Police were still trying to sort things out as this was written.

Miller had been at the school for a town hall meeting. State Sen. Fred Dyson, a Republican from Eagle River, appeared there to praise Miller, as did at least one other speaker. Miller than spent about forty-five minutes fielding questions from an audience that had been invited by Miller supporters. Hopfinger, who had learned at the last minute of Miller’s planned appearance at the public school, ducked into a hallway after the meeting to pose his own questions to Miller.

Click HERE for the full story.

Considering there were multiple agents on this assignment, stopping the individual from advancing (short of a citizens arrest) and removing the Principal (Mr. Miller) from the area would have been the more traditional approach.   It definitely would have spared the client the negative publicity he is sure to endure as a fallout from this.  ~ES

*EDIT:  You can now click HERE for a video news report that includes interviews with the Security Agency Owner and the Reporter.

Safar Interviews Hans Van Beuge

Safar Protection Consultants does a great interview with Hans Van Beuge.  For those of you that don’t know Hans, he’s the owner of S.A.V.I.O.R  Services out of Australia, and in my mind a proven authority on the subject of identifying and dealing with stalkers and paparazzi.

In short, Hans is one of the good guys.

Read the interview HERE.

See Related: Industry Spotlight: EP Agent Hans van Beuge

Stunt Double

The Circuit Magazine Preview Page

The Circuit is a Magazine co-produced by the British Bodyguard Association (BBA) and the North American Bodyguard Association (NABA) who’s goal is to spotlight the role of Executive Protection & related fields to our community and the outside world.  A full-color glossy with high production values, the publication is truly international, with contributors and readers from New Zealand to New Hampshire.   In addition to being the Managing US Editor, I currently write an ongoing column entitled, “Keeping Your Edge”, which gives my opinions on a variety of topics that affect our industry.  Take a look at some of the past columns from me as well as other valued contributors.

Currently in the library:

Keeping Your Edge

by Elijah Shaw (yours truly)

The Role of Firearms in Executive Protection

by Justin Johnson

To check out the Books & Magazine Page, click HERE.

Fresh Coat of Paint

Summer’s almost here, and so I felt like since I was spring cleaning, I needed a fresh coat of paint.   You’re now looking at Version 3.0 of  the Bodyguard Blog.  Hope you like the new layout as much as the people around the office do.  Lots of interactivity and multimedia modules, plus easy to access links to the most popular articles and post.   

p.s., Don’t forget to leave a comment, as I’ve always considered a Blog to be a 2-way exchange of information.

~ Elijah

Security Contractors Become the Source of Warzone News

PSD Team in Iraq

Hans Van Beuge of SAVIOR Services showed me an interesting article about how more and more civilian security contractors (or PSD’s) operating in War-zones are becoming the course of unfiltered news occurring on the front lines.  Unhampered by government or military restrictions, some of these contractors have taken to writing Blogs to document their experiences and share them with the broader world.  To read the full story, click HERE.

Is There Still a Shortage of Female Bodyguards?

The future looks bright.

Mr. Austin’s original article on the shortage of female bodyguards:

“More and more, female BODYGUARDS are being sought after by women celebrities. Because executive protection has been a male-dominated field, there is a lack of female talent from which women celebrities have to choose. Harlan Austin, President of BodyguardCareers.com attributes this shortage to the ongoing perception that “size matters.”The simple fact is that a successful bodyguard should never have to use violence or draw a weapon. The belief in “brawn over brains” is a misconception. With that in mind, there’s no reason to doubt a woman can successfully manage the job.There is also a “boys club” attitude towards the field of Executive Protection, simply because the pools from which an bodyguard is selected has traditionally been from a male-dominated workforce; law enforcement, military personnel, martial arts and the like. Because women have now been more integrated into these traditionally male careers, they too, are candidates worthy of consideration for careers in executive protection. ”

For the entire article click HERE.

Corporate Takeover Magazine Interviews ICON CEO, Elijah Shaw

It’s always kind of cool when your a fan of someone’s work and realize you are on their radar as well.  That was the case of  me and The Corporate Takeover, which describes itself as a “business magazine and lifestyle dossier for the modern gentleman”.   I’d say I’m pretty modern so I could see the fit, but I was surprised when I found out the managing editors were already familiar with my some of my work.  Several weeks later, a interview was set up which covered a wide range of topics from politics, to economics to  staying sane in the pressure filled world of the Executive Protection Industry.

Corporate Takeover:  How do you prepare for high risk assignments that take you to countries where there’s an increased threat of violence? And at one point would you have to say to a client, ‘Ok, this is too dangerous’ and advise against visiting a certain location?

Elijah Shaw:  The high risk assignments are where you really need to be focused. 90% of the job is in the planning, so you take care to minimize your clients exposure to harm. Depending on the type of client, resources might go from unlimited to a shoe string budget, so you just have to make due with the hand you are dealt. There are times, for example, when an entertainer has to make a public appearance, even when faced with a higher threat level, and the recommendations I make leads me to butt heads with other decision makers. Sometimes you can’t get away from that, but that is ultimately why a service like mine is used.

For the full interview, click HERE.