ESI is approved by the Colorado Office of Veterans Education and Training
(COVET) for Veterans Education and Training Benefits.
ESI is also eligible for MyCAA - Financial Assistance to Military Spouses
Certified Protection Specialist, CPS
The Executive Protection program is an integrated academic and practical training curriculum consisting of a 28-Day Residency or the 450 hours in Distance Education and a 15-Day Resident Training in executive protection, dignitary and personal protection and celebrity security. Whether the student takes the Executive Protection Program as a month long Residency or the combined Distance Education and 15-Day Resident Training, he or she will receive the finest and most intense training available in the private sector. The CPS Certification and Credential in either format are perfectly equivalent.
The program is an intelligence based protection program with a special emphasis on corporate and international protection specialists; the program also covers civil police, and military protocols in the principles of personal protection. The career objective of this training is to prepare the ESI graduate for a professional occupation in corporate, executive, celebrity and dignitary protection. Other career alternatives include chauffeur, courier services, hotel and casino security, industrial and private estate protection.
ESI's hallmark as a training academy in protection is its emphasis on Operational Intelligence as the basis of comprehensive personal and corporate security. In its incipient first decade, ESI placed an inordinate focus on Reactive Skills: protective formations, evasive driving, martial arts and shooting. As ESI enters its third decade of training, we continue to believe in the importance of well honed martial skills, but ESI’s training philosophy stresses Pre-Emptive Intervention skills with an emphasis on Behavioral, Predictive and Proactive Intelligence. Our second Core Program: Protective Intelligence & Investigation deepens and broadens the protective agent's training in higher levels of personal and corporate security. ESI's core philosophy is that these skills are indispensable to any protection program, and is what distinguishes a Protection Specialist from a Bodyguard. Moreover, it is what distinguishes ESI from practically from every other training organization in the business.
Executive Protection Resident Training
PROTECTIVE OPERATIONS
in a
CORPORATE WORLD
Exclusive to 28-Day Residency
Robert E. “Rick” Colliver, FSO, ASO
When we consider executive misperceptions about security, combined with the cost factors of supplying protection in the private sector, we can quickly understand why the majority of the world’s business leaders do not have full-time protection details. As a result, it becomes incumbent upon the protective services professional to move from tactical thinking to more strategic, and to move from focusing on specialized individual techniques to more generalized application of industry best-practices. This course will familiarize students with best policies of Corporate Security as it pertains to Executive Security Services, Workplace Violence and Disruption, Threats to Employees, Stalking of Employees, and Natural Disasters as it affects the work force. To be successful we have to integrate security processes into an organization’s every day heartbeat and to train non-security personnel to be our front line of defense. In other words, we become generalists who identify organizational risk and partner with a variety of corporate disciplines including Internal Audit, Ethics, Legal, Human Resources and IT Security to build functional security and protection programs.
In this course, we try to answer the questions, “Whom do we protect, and how much is enough?”
Topics covered:
Understanding an “organization”; how it’s organized and how it makes money
Understanding our role; where security fits in
Tactical v. Strategic problem solving
Assessing global risk
Developing organizational policies; who gets protected, and from what?
HIGH PROFILE PROTECTION
and
PROTECTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Exclusive to 28-Day Residency
Tom Taylor, Gavin de Becker Associate
This course embraces the Secret Service Model for high profile client protection: Political Candidates, Public Figures in Politics, Entertainment and Business. Many of these public figures require concentric circles or layers of protection commensurate with their rank or status in society. The course will teach how to deploy organized convoy transport, how to limit or control public access, how to set up Command Posts and a level of protection that only trained professions are capable of conducting. It will cover Advances, Routing, Communications and Team Operations.
Proactive and Predictive Intelligence is a central core of Protective Operations. This course will emphasize the importance of being able to analyze apparent and real threats. It will teach how to follow the threat to its source and employee analytical models to predict the intention to make contact with your client. Finally, the course will offer intervention strategies that cover the spectrum of options from protective measures, mandatory and voluntary therapeutic treatment and legal restraint when unavoidable.
ESTATE SECURITY
Exclusive to 28-Day Residency
Barry Wilson, CPS
The Estate Security course describes the depth of security issues that accompany the protection and maintenance of large trophy estates. The course will include a review Patrols, Detection Systems, Response Forces and Liaisons with Law Enforcement Agencies, Intrusion Alerts and Delays, Staff Training and Integration into Security Plan, Legal Issues Governing Lethal Force, Report Procedures, Fire Alarm Systems and Evacuation Plans, Inventory and Documentation of Property and Items of Value, Visitor Logs, Confidentiality Agreements, Client and Guest Protection and Accommodation.
Protection of the Property
Protection of Client & Guest
Client Representation
Maintenance
Staff Training
Staff Background Checks
Integration of Staff in Security
Liaison with Law Enforcement
Reports
BOMB SEARCH & IDENTIFICATION
Exclusive to 28-Day Residency
Craig Gundry
John Rose
This course consists of a careful assembly of data on bomb incidents against corporations and public figures. The class will focus on Best Practices, Prevention, Search and Evacuation Procedures. The Bomb Search and Identification bodyguard course emphasizes detection, not disposal, of explosive threats. Methods of search techniques are covered as well as preventive procedures to implement as policy in public buildings, including how to prepare for threatening calls. Personality profiles of bomb threat callers and actual bomber motivations are explored in detail. While we do not expect to train bomb disposal technicians, we do hope to instill a sufficient level of knowledge so that the ESI bodyguard is capable of offering intelligent advice to his employer, establishing basic safety procedures, and knowing what to do during a bomb incident.
Identification of Types of Explosives
Sources of Explosives
Tools of the Trade
Commercial and Military Explosives
Home Made and Incendiary Devices
Triggering Mechanisms
Search Procedures: Search of Buildings
Evacuation Plans and Threat Management
FIRST RESPONDER CPR
Exclusive to 28-Day Residency
Christian Reece, AED
The Tactical First Responder student will be trained and possess the confidence to demonstrate the skills necessary to save a life while under enemy fire. In addition, the student will be tested on their understanding of non-emergency wounds, self-treatment techniques for burns, heat related illnesses and musculoskeletal injuries. The course incorporates lectures, discussions, hands-on skill stations, and individual instructor feedback. Upon successful completion of the training and demonstration of mastery of the skills, each student will receive a certificate of completion in addition to their First Responder, CPR-AED Certification.
Emergency Diagnosis
ABC's of Emergency Treatment
Treatment of Wide Variety of Wounds, Burns
Injuries and Movement
Emergency Care
"Students don't care what you know until they know you care.
We care both before and after you train at ESI."
CELEBRITY PROTECTION
&
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
Included in Both 28-Day and 15-Day Residencies
Elijah Shaw, President Icon Security
Celebrities have a unique dynamic in the Executive Protection equation - They are at times challenging, temperamental and unpredictable, and do things that are not always in their self-interest. For some this mix is too much to handle, but for others, successful careers can be built off of applying trained, Close Protection skills to a segment of the marketplace that is largely unregulated. These days, just being a “bullet blocker” is not enough. The glorified bouncer is going the way of the dinosaur, and it’s “evolve or die,” to remain competitive in the marketplace. In this course, find out how every element of traditional protection work is scaled and “tweaked” to provide the most effective security plan that protects the VIP not just from physical harm, but also the client’s image.
High Net-Worth Individuals & International Travel
Contrary to popular belief, there is more to working internationally than growing a beard, having an M4 slung over your shoulder and Dragon Body Armor on your chest. Everyday hundreds of High Net Worth individuals leave the US to travel abroad for business or pleasure, and require the services of trained specialist. This course with offer a “real world” looks at the best practices and challenges that are involved with prepping, planning, and executing a successful International Detail.
Topics Covered Celebrity Protection:
Understanding the nuances of Celebrity Protection
Dealing with the Press & The Paparazzi
Operating in the World of Music
Operating in the World of Film
Navigating Airports with Celebrity Clientele
Reality vs. Fantasy in the business of VIP Protection
Topics Covered International Travel
Advance Preparations
Providing Close Protection outside the US
Understanding local customs and cultures
Attending International Sporting Events
Working with Foreign Protection Teams
Understanding Global Threats
LOW SIGNATURE
PROTECTIVE OPERATIONS
Included in Both 28-Day and 15-Day Residencies
This course will cover the logistics of protective details. The student will understand the elements of advance work, follow-up and limousine procedures, deployment of personnel and team detail organization, working the protectee, protective intelligence, communications, and protective hardware for the professional bodyguard. The basic concepts of this course are taught from the point of view of former Secret Service personnel who have taken into consideration the special limitations confronting private security professionals. Field drills will include practical advance work as part of a team assignment, followed by a group critique.
This course focuses on Low Profile Protective Operations in Corporate Security. This course emphasizes the role of Predictive, Protective, and Proactive Intelligence as the basis of security in the corporate environments. The course will teach the student how to develop a Risk/Threat Assessment process for gathering intelligence on individuals and groups that may pose an active threat against the company and its executives. The Intelligence model will help understand the behaviors that are a risk to your client or employer. The end goal is to equip the Protection Specialist to devise protection plans in the face of increasing uncertainty in the global security and business environments.
INSTRUCTION:
Follow-up and Limousine Procedures
Advance Preparations
Protective Hardware
Protective Intelligence
Communications
Organization of Team Details
Command Post Operations
BEHAVIORAL INTELLIGENCE and
CLUES TO DANGEROUSNESS
Included in Both 28-Day and 15-Day Residencies
Bob Duggan, President ESI
ESI has taught this course for 30 years, and believes it an essential skill set to any Protection Specialist. Starting with an archive of film clips of assassinations, attempted and successful, this course will train the student to identify the precursors of assault. The goal is to enable the student to replace casual observation of generalities with the study of detail, to recall it systematically and to develop the capacity to make accurate descriptions. The Human Behavior and Dangerousness course will concentrate on the identification of facial expressions with the primary emotions based on the research of Dr. Paul Ekman and other behavioral scientist. A Protection Specialist that is capable of identifying facial expressions and body gestures as the precursors of assault or aggression is armed with the capacity to Anticipate, and Preempt the Attack on Principle.
STALKER EXERCISE AND PROTECTIVE DETAILS
Senior ESI Staff
Included in Both 28-Day and 15-Day Residencies
The Stalker Exercise is a unique teaching platform designed to present the student with an immersive, stress induced, Team Building Mission with different “Plug-Ins” that we introduce to the program in order to give it thematic coherence and a connection to the client. The client might equally be a corporate CEO, family member or celebrity.
The student is given a client itinerary and expected to determine a route destination, reasons for selection, and describe vulnerabilities. The Protective Detail is required to organize client itineraries and carry them out as a team. The teams are assigned to do advances for hotels, restaurants and the airport, produce a plan, give a presentation before ESI instructors, and then carry it out. These assignments are done in large and small protective details, on foot or in mobile convoys in an urban environment.
In the end, the individual student and the team must produce a Threat Assessment, a Management Plan and complete a FTX in the field. According to ESI’s tradition of “Teaching to a Standard” there are consequences for failure.
Counter Surveillance and Covert Security: The central focus of this component is to understand the importance of Counter Surveillance and Covert Security of any professional bodyguard. Coming out of this course the student will understand the difference between High Profile Protection and Covert Protective Operations, various protective formations, static and mobile surveillance.
Senior Instructors
Barry Wilson
Joe Bannon
Kevin Kowalczyk
Chris Blackburn
DEFENSIVE SHOOTING:
BASIC
&
TACTICAL HANDGUN SHOOTING
Senior ESI Staff
Included in Both 28-Day and 15-Day Residencies
ESI's Basic, Tactical and CQB Shooting Courses are designed with the objective of preparing Protection Specialist as well as the amateur shooter with the special skills and judgments demanded by professionals. Tactical Shooting or CQB courses are organized into Basic and Advanced Blocks that require passage before the student is permitted into the higher Blocks or Level 2 Shooting Course.
ESI has long advocated realistic training which means students will train on a “Hot Range” where students carry their weapons in their holsters ready to fire on command at single or multiple targets. We have also been advocates of Reactive Steel Targets, Stress Induced Shooting, Force on Force, Movement and Shoot, Movement with Client While Shooting
The 5-Day Executive Protection Defensive Shooting course is an integral component of the Executive Protection Program. It is also a Stand-Alone course with Open Enrollment, which allows for non-professionals to enroll in just the EP Defensive Shooting Course. The course of instruction includes the following:
Theory & Orientation
Weapon Selection
Shooting Grip, The Draw and Sight Picture
Trigger Squeeze
Ballistics & Pattern
Baseline Training
Target Reaction
Rapid Draw and Fire
First Round Hits, Single and Multiple Shots
Multiple Targets Front and Rear
Autonomic Response
Tunnel Vision
Auditory Exclusion
Breaking the Autonomic Effect of Stress
Breath Control
Tactical Operations
Protective Details
Team Operations
Move & Shoot
Breaking the Plain
Use of Cover
Communication in Fire Zone
ESI’s Senior Instructors:
PETE ITALIANO
GLEN BOODRY
JOE BANNON
TODD HALLER
TWAIN WILKINS
A Tribute
TONY PAGNI
After 30 years of teaching, Tony Pagni resigned from ESI’s Shooting Staff. Tony learned his craft from some of the best in the shooting world: Lance Weber, Dick Barber, Clay Owens, and John Farnam. The last fifteen years with ESI, Tony was the Range Master and dveloper of ESI’s Course of Fire. His contribution to the quality of ESI’s shooting program is inmeasurable and he passes on a great legacy for which he will be remembered.
WEAPON DISARMS AND CLIENT MANAGEMENT
Included in Both 28-Day and 15-Day Residencies
The working assumption in this course is that the Protection Specialist has “Just Two Seconds” to respond to an assault. The techniques taught here stress Time and Distance Drills that underscore the time compression in Close Quarters. Students are drilled repeatedly in an endless variety of Attack On Principle drills that instill simple, aggressive responses to assault, and managing client evacuation techniques. A unique system of Standup Grappling is taught at ESI that emphasizes explosive entries, seizure and control techniques are taught to non-martial artist.
After 30 years of teaching a Close Quarter Weapon Disarm, the technique taught at ESI is one that evolved after of putting to test traditional methods that failed to account for “Intent to Kill” mind-set of the person holding the weapon. Old solutions to the close quarter disarm had to be modified in order reduce the failure rate, and result in incapacity of the assailant.
TRAINING FORMAT OVERVIEW
Considered as a single curriculum, the Executive Protection Program consists of an intensive study of executive, dignitary and celebrity protection. On the average, it requires one to nine months to complete the program, depending on whether the student enrolls in the 28-Day Residency Program or combined Distance Ed courses and 15-Day Resident Training. If the student is enrolled in the Distance Ed format, the Program will move at the rate that the student invest time in their studies, and it can be completed in a much shorter period than the average. The student should complete the nine Distance Ed courses prior to arrival at Resident Training. If the student enrolls in the 28-Day Residency, the academic curriculum is completed in classroom or evening study.
Upon completion of any of the three Core Programs, the student is awarded a Certificate of Completion. An ESI Credential is awarded for Certified Protection Specialist, C.P.S, Certified Protective Intelligence & Investigation Specialist, Certified Protective Operations Specialists and the highest award as a Certified Security Specialist upon achieving a Grade Point Average of 80% or above.
COMPLETION TIME
If a student enrolls in the Residency format, the course is competed in a four-week period and the student is awarded the Certificate at the time of completion. It is possible to break the four-week curriculum into smaller modules and the student accumulates credit as the modules are completed.
The combined Distance Education / Resident Training is designed to be completed in a nine to twelve month period. The student may register in the program at any time and work as rapidly as is consistent with their schedule and satisfactory scholarship. Each course contains six Lessons and can be completed in 30 days. However, there are two factors that determine completion time. First, how fast the student studies because the courses will move at the speed that the student complete the course. The second factor is the finance program chosen. Courses are made available at the rate that the student pays for each course.
DISTANCE EDUCATION ON-LINE
ESI converted its copyrighted textbooks and printed manuals to ON-LINE digital courses in January 2012. Access to On-Line is available via the Internet 24 hours a day and we reduced the cost per course by 50% compared to the cost of the HOME DELIVERY format of Distance Ed. Syllabi and testing is done on-line with interactive support from the ESI national office. Some courses that contain copyrights by other authors or on DVD are shipped to the student.
We recommend that you work at a steady pace to complete each course approximately within the time frame allowed; on the average it will require 15 to 20 hours per week to complete the course on schedule.
ESI is approved by Sallie Mae, a federally approved student tuition loan company