As the world continues down an uncertain path, the demand for executive protection and private security is rising. In addition, recent events have raised the bar of what is now expected by EP clientele. In fact, having more to offer your clients than just a gun has now become the “gold standard” for EP agents and companies alike.
Industry leaders thoroughly understand their clientele’s overall health status and have found creative ways to mitigate such factors. Many companies employ medical tacticians to provide the best product for their clients. Thus, they stack the odds of prehospital survivability in their clients’ favor who have trauma or medical emergencies.
Dynamic Posture
Medical threats are credible threats, and planning, preparing, and training for these types of scenarios must be a core objective and mission statement for every security entity.
However, the days of hiring a detail consisting of strictly “muscle” are starting to dwindle, and the industry is shifting to a more dynamic and capable posture. Companies with initiatives focused on maximizing their medical and tactical capabilities will become the leaders in the security industry, keep up, or get phased out.
In the wake of COVID-19, emergency medical services and hospitals are feeling the aftermath of the pandemic. Unfortunately, many health care professionals burned out due to poor working conditions, causing EMTs, paramedics, nurses, and physicians to rethink their careers. With the surplus of healthcare professionals looking for a change, now is an excellent time to balance your muscle with medicine.
Just like the good old EP saying, “If you need to pull your gun, you have failed.” Medical emergencies are no different. “If you wish you had a medic, you have failed.” Time is tissue, and with increasing delays in EMS response times, early treatment intervention by medically competent EP agents has never been more critical.
Filling the Gaps
Many companies focus their training and rehearsals solely on “traditional” hard skills like marksmanship, evasive driving, and martial arts, often overlooking medicine. Advanced medical training and response are becoming the NEW HARD SKILL in the executive protection and security industry. Organizations must honestly assess their institution’s medical capabilities and make improvements based on the gaps in the care they find.
With the mass exodus of medical practitioners leaving the traditional hospital and EMS settings, many health care professionals capable of learning executive protection are looking for atypical ways to re-engage in medicine.
The Culture Shift
Security companies hiring experienced medical practitioners will benefit from the ability to “cross-train” within the organization, immediately increasing capabilities. Having highly trained and medically proficient EP agents is invaluable and will be a worthwhile investment when it matters most.
Training costs and the development of medical EP agents will be minimal compared to the costs associated with ill-preparedness for medical emergencies that lead to a preventable bad outcome.
We can all agree that the cohesion of security and medicine will ensure that you have maximized your preparedness, which will set your company apart. However, stressing the importance of integrating medical personnel and training into traditional security and EP work requires a culture shift in this ever-evolving industry.
Medics are like seatbelts: Most times you drive, you won’t need them, but when you do, you are happy you have them — and they can save your life. So be the difference, not the problem.
This article was co-authored by Adam Bardwell and Michael Guirguis, MD.
