frankfarmer

Does compliance with the BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Close Protection Operations adequately train the modern close protection officer for the role?

What are your thoughts?

Frank

littlewoman

No. Definitely not.
But I think most of the important skills can not be taught. You can't teach people to be observant and vigilant, you can tell them that they should be, but being observant and vigilant is something that comes from inside. Also you can't teach people how to spot suspicious behaviour, it just comes with experience.
What should definitely be on the course however is physical intervention. We hope to never have to use it but we should be able to if the need arises. There should also be some form of fitness assessment and test of eyesight and hearing. I also think that there should be relevant first aid training, the standard FAAW course is next to useless for our work.

Paddington

As an instructor, the word 'compliance' is the key.
150 hours to change someone into something (and without insult - sometimes from nothing) is not enough.

You can show a man the world, but will he know the planet?

In 1873 Jules Verne wrote 180day around the world. A story that gripped not only Britain by storm, but the world. This was the onset of international travel.
But did the Phileas Fogg see it all? No - He just made one journey. Yes he gained a lot, saw a lot and indeed met a lot of people, if only for 24hrs-72hrs at a time.

That was just one line out of millions he could have followed. Quick and easy.

Similarly, You can not make the journey of a CPO in 150hours.

Just look at the content requirement and you'll see that this is only looking at pages on a book and not reading the subject matter.
As littlewomen has said, “you can not teach people to be observant”
I know where you're coming from, but believe it or not, I'd say that a very large percentage of police officer fall into that bracket too.
I would say, some skills are developed, but like all jobs, some come more naturally than others.
You or I could train (if you're not already) to be a nurse in X-amount of time, but does that make you a nurse?
So to balance the argument - How much can you fit in 150 hours?
Answer - Not enough!
First aid, Self defence (or what ever new p/c name you want to give it)
Awareness, etiquette and panic drills.
Loads more things, can not be exchanged in a class room, they have to be gained.
Can we have cuffs, fire arms, rolling car drills, planting tabs, cameras and devises on the others...?
How long would it be - How much - Who would do the course?

4 day course for doors, can never prepare you for a full on battle at the bar, or your first female collapse, the puke over your jacket.

150hours can not prepare you for Vip being late, the anxiety you'll go through if the rooms are not connected, planes are late - taxi takes a sudden wrong turn, your principal says - " oh what a wonderful shop/museum let's stop"
Or the first autograph hunter that sprays you with paint.
Each job demands an inner eye. One that watches and monitors yourself.
Self observation is very difficult.

Am I really tense right now - am I sitting at the PC in the correct way?

I remember my old training school Sgt being asked " Sarge, what makes a good Surveillance operative?"
A - " One that asks, Where the F*ck am I, all the time"
Unless we question our own ability, we will never learn. So maybe the responsibility is on the individual.
Since the start of the sia requirements for Doors/Static guarding, there was a push to do on "on the job assessments" NVQs etc.
This way, guidelines are set out, but the rest is learnt from your peers and corrected.
But would you want a sprog off the street, knows nothing about to escort the PM of a foreign country – and then an NVQ assessor turn up and asks how they doing ?
The argument is an endless conversation of chasing tails.
Enjoy your journey.

Who knows ?

mts

Good points all.

Training is the foundation upon we can learn in the field. Compliance is the minimum amount of training deemed necessary by the "authorities" as a foundation.

It doesn;t matter if a course is 150 hours or 6 months, the real learning starts on your first shift and never ends.

Stay safe

m

protectasia

I think the answer to that question as it stands is no.

I think the question may be better worded; omit 'train' and insert 'prepare.'

Spot on MTS and very well put, I think everyone would agree that you should be learning everyday.

frankfarmer

Protectasia,

you make a fantastic point about swapping 'train' for 'prepare'. As this is the question I have possed myself for my dissertation I am going to change that as well. Thank you.

Paddington - I like your observations and will be sure to include them in my paper.

Littlewoman - your veiws and subjects mirror those suggested by the 40 respondents to my survey - none of which were women - sadly! Feel free to look at my other posts if you want to participate.

Thanks so far and look forward to reading the views of others.

Regards

Frank

littlewoman

Frank,
I didn't reply to your survey as I haven't done much CP work so felt I couldn't answer the questions.

Does the course prepare us for the role? My answer would be 'no' to that as well. The lack of physical intervention. The standard workplace (nice quiet office) First Aid. The Surveillance bit I felt was poor (but then perhaps it isn't a good idea to train people in good counter surveillance before they have had any vetting).
I also firmly feel that people must have a suitable level of fitness, hearing and eyesight. Without this they will not be up to the role, whatever experience they get. There are others getting licensed who just don't have the right sort of character to work in CP (or in some cases any part of the security industry). Their character might change over the years as they get more life experience but will not change on the job, at least not without endangering people in the process.
By allowing people in to the industry who are not suitable, the trainers and the sia are putting peoples lives at risk.

frankfarmer

All,

I have attached a copy of my dissertation on CP Training. Feel free to comment on my recommendations.

Kind regards

Frank

Attached Files

080422-CP Dissertation-Ricky Cannon.pdf (1.19 MB, 37 views)