Editorial Note:
This article was submitted by Kevin Dye and James Cameron. The views and opinions presented are solely those of the authors. As an independent publication, we are committed to presenting a wide range of industry perspectives and publishing relevant news contributed by creators across the field.
The Executive Protection industry in the United States is standing at a defining crossroads. After decades of operating without a unified national benchmark, the profession is closer than ever to establishing an official standard that could reshape training, accountability, and expectations across the entire field.
For the past three years, the Board of Executive Protection Professionals (BEPP) has been developing a first-of-its-kind ANSI Standard for Executive Protection—an effort that could finally bring clarity and consistency to a notoriously fragmented landscape.
For the first time in the United States, the field of Executive Protection (EP) is on the cusp of establishing a definitive national benchmark. Over the last three years, the Board of Executive Protection Professionals (BEPP), an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer, has been meticulously developing a proposed American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard for Executive Protection.
This initiative is a monumental step aimed at filling a critical gap in the U.S. security landscape.
The Need for a Unified Standard
Unlike countries such as the United Kingdom, the U.S. currently lacks minimum national standards or expectations for those working in the EP field. This has led to a fragmented system where state licensure and training requirements vary significantly across the 50 states, with no reciprocity between them.
The resulting discrepancies in services, capabilities, and customer understanding have created significant challenges for the industry. The 550+ page proposed ANSI Standard was created to directly address these issues by providing a recognized, legal benchmark for best practices, procedures, and ethical conduct.
The proposed standard is designed to enhance professionalism and credibility within the EP sector by defining what constitutes quality and competence, thereby boosting credibility among clients, peers, and the public.
Adherence to a recognized standard will also offer a competitive advantage for individuals and firms who meet the criteria, ultimately serving to elevate the entire industry.
Key Contributions and Content
The scope of this document is comprehensive, providing clear guidelines for:
- Risk Assessment
- Threat Mitigation
- Operational Planning
- Consistent EP Work Execution at All Levels
This significant work is the result of a massive, collaborative effort. Over 250 professionals from across the career field have volunteered their specialized knowledge, with the Technical Committee alone contributing 2,760 man-hours of technical expertise to the standard’s development.
Benefits for Practitioners and Clients
The implementation of this standard will bring tangible benefits to both security professionals and the clients they protect:
- For Practitioners: Following established, peer-reviewed procedures will reduce risks and liabilities for both the professional and their client. It also creates a crucial framework for accountability, making it easier to hold individuals or organizations responsible for negligence or poor performance.
- · For Training Programs: The standard provides a verified, peer-reviewed foundation of knowledge that can be used to improve substandard training programs. This ensures consistent, high-quality education and guarantees that training schools cover all essential topics. It will also serve as a vital guide for ongoing professional development.
- · For Clients: Clients will gain greater confidence when selecting a provider. The ANSI standard gives them a clear, verifiable way to confirm that a professional or firm has met a recognized level of competence, quality, and commitment to safety.
The Final, Critical Stage: Public Review and Comment
The standard is currently in one of the most vital stages of its development: the public review and comment process. The BEPP is the only managing body overseeing this step, which is mandatory for achieving ANSI approval.
This process is critical because it ensures the standard is built on a foundation of consensus, transparency, and technical rigor. By soliciting feedback from all impacted stakeholders—including practitioners, consumers, academics, and regulators—the process achieves three indispensable goals:
1. Validation and Consensus: It demonstrates a broad national consensus by allowing all stakeholders to scrutinize the document, voice objections, and propose necessary revisions. Without this consensus, ANSI cannot approve a standard.
2. Technical Integrity: It functions as a mandatory peer review, identifying technical errors, ambiguities, or omissions overlooked during initial development. This scrutiny validates that the document is technically sound and fit for real-world application.
3. Market Relevance: It confirms that the standard is relevant and non-exclusionary, ensuring the final document serves the needs of the entire market rather than favoring a single company or viewpoint.
The public review and comment period is the moment the draft standard is tested against the collective knowledge of the industry. It is one of the final steps that will transform this working document into an official, credible, and widely accepted ANSI Standard for Executive Protection in the United States.
By securing ANSI accreditation, the standard gains significant credibility and trust. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to international standardization bodies, such as ISO, which helps ensure that the U.S. Executive Protection standard aligns with global best practices. Other nations have already shown a great interest in the U.S. Standard to create or enhance their own. This standard can also be referenced in legal proceedings to establish a “standard of care.” — Kevin Dye
Quotes from industry professionals:
“This new standard enhances the safety and security of our clients, while simultaneously elevating the professionalism of those dedicated to this challenging and honorable profession. Protecting others is truly one of the highest callings.”
Fred Ketchem
Assistant Director, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (Retired)
“The Standard should bring all ep operators up to an acceptable level for detail team leaders to have faith in their abilities.”
Jacquie Davis
Operations Director, Optimal Risk Group (UK)
“This standard brings long-needed structure and accountability to the executive protection profession. Its introduction signals a shift toward transparency, validated competencies, and uniform best practices—positive changes that will raise the bar for practitioners and ultimately enhance the safety of the individuals and organizations we serve.”
Ron Smith, CPP
Principal, Old Star Security Group, LLC
“As a founding member of the BEPP, I’ve watched the industry struggle with gaps in training across the industry, unclear expectations, and inconsistent definitions. These Standards finally give us the structure and clarity that practitioners have needed for decades. I believe this is a watershed moment for the craft.”
Lance Guillory, Deputy Director, Special Assignments
“We’re all very excited for the upcoming proposed standard and its ability to unite the industry and employ a common vernacular as well as bring understanding and cohesiveness. It’s the first of its kind to address the many aspects of executive protection, and of course on my part, I’m very excited to finally see the converged cyber component to address the risks of both digital PII exposure as well as cyber threats directed toward an individual and the locations and events that they plan to attend to assist their teams in making good decisions that keep them safe. Overall, this is a game changer that lets every individual connected with the industry know where the gaps are and who they need to employ to have a comprehensive program that is in the best interest of their protectee and how to work well with teams both domestic and international. This serves to raise the standard for everyone and increases the benefit for all”
Stefanie Drysdale, Chief Strategy Officer, Prescient
“The standard is very important, as anyone can claim to have executive protection experience. Unfortunately, many claim they do, but their training and experience can be disappointing. In this profession we have to be right 100% of the time. The standard allows us to have confidence in the practitioner.”
John Knobloch, US Secret Service, Special Agent in Charge (Retired)
Proposed ANSI Standard for Providing Executive Protection: Public Comment and Review
The public review and comment process is not merely a procedural step; it is one of the most vital stages in developing any American National Standards Institute — the ANSI Standard.
This process ensures that the standard is built on a foundation of consensus, transparency, and technical rigor. By soliciting and incorporating feedback from every corner of the industry, including practitioners, consumers, academics, regulators, and other interested parties, the process achieves several indispensable goals:
1. Validation and Consensus: It demonstrates that the standard reflects a broad national consensus by allowing all impacted stakeholders to scrutinize the document, voice objections, and propose necessary revisions. Without this, a standard cannot be approved by ANSI.
2. Technical Integrity: Public review functions as a mandatory peer review mechanism, identifying technical errors, ambiguities, or unintended omissions that the Working Group and Technical Committee may have overlooked. This scrutiny validates that the document is technically sound and fit for real-world application.
3. Market Relevance: It confirms that the standard is relevant and non-exclusionary, ensuring the final document serves the needs of the entire market rather than favoring a single company, product, or viewpoint.
The public review and comment time period is the moment the draft standard is tested against the collective knowledge of the industry. It is one of the final steps in the development process that transforms a working document into an official, credible, and widely accepted ANSI Standard. — James Cameron
Why YOU Should Participate
The upcoming public review is more than a procedural milestone—it’s the moment when the Executive Protection community can directly influence the standard that will shape training, operations, accountability, and expectations across the entire profession. By participating, practitioners ensure the final document reflects real-world challenges, diverse environments, and the needs of a rapidly evolving industry. This is a rare opportunity for every voice—whether from the field, the classroom, or the command centre—to help define what “best practice” truly means.
To take part in the review, read the draft, and share your input, go to https://www.ep-board.org/eps-public-review and be part of the process.
