ISDA has created the COVID-19 Secure Transportation and EP Information center. In the Center, readers will find articles – data, and metrics that can assist practitioners working in the Secure Transportation and Executive Protection profession. Our goal is to help the community navigate its way through the problems created by the pandemic.

The December issue of the Executive Protection and Secure Transportation Magazine has seven articles covering all aspects of the Secure Transportation, Executive Protection profession, and the Business of Executive Protection.

Mr. Panagopoulos was a very brilliant businessman, a very good employer, and an old school gentleman I would say. As he used to say to me ‘’George, I have never hurt anyone in my life, why would someone want to hurt me?’’

We’ve had an influx of new members over the last few months; our new members represent all sectors of the profession and spread across the globe.

But there is one new member that I would like to bring to your attention; his name is George Sardelis.

There are no metrics that cover Sharing Knowledge, the amount of information and knowledge shared by ISDA members is by any metric impressive.

The Executive Protection/Security Driving Training Market – How much money do practitioners spend on training with the GI Bill?

These are two research papers put together to build a knowledge base on the topic of ambush assaults against law enforcement.

In light of the present conditions in this country, both for Law Enforcement Community and those who supply Secure Transportation, these studies would be a good read. Although meant for Law Enforcement, there are sections in both reports that would apply to those who supply Secure Transportation.

ISDA receives volumes of information through news and research. The EPST news shares some of the data we receive with the community. This post covers tires – cleanliness of executive vehicles and articles and the latest EPST podcast episodes.

In case you missed it, ISDA has re-launched its much-acclaimed podcast – Executive Protection and Secure Transportation News. Every week we share secure transportation and executive protection knowledge, headlines, trends, educational content, and announcements from the International Security Driver Association and SecurityDriver.Com A new episode is published every Tuesday at 12 PM. You can find it in your favorite podcast app.

At one time, when bad things happened, it was all up to the driver to control the vehicle. The person holding on to the steering wheel made all the decisions. The driver was the algorithm that determined the outcome of the event.

Now computers control executive vehicles, and in an emergency scenario, accident, or vehicle violence, the executive vehicles rely on the computer algorithm to control the vehicle.

All vehicles have inherent characteristics that, if not understood and monitored, can decrease a vehicle’s performance and create a dangerous scenario for the principal. There are numbers that represent these vehicle characteristics; most can be found in the owner’s manual.

Does the number of training schools that advertise using the term “certification” lead to unrealistic expectations or assumptions on behalf of the attendee that might lead them into thinking guaranteed placement or success?

Any and every security driver who has been out working for a while has been through this, and some go through it every single day. A very frustrating ordeal that could jeopardize the whole protection program and any transportation movement in a moment’s notice. This causes a lack of focus, disruptive lack of planning ahead, frustration, and damage to dynamic teamwork. It undermines the whole effort of trying to escort/transport a principal from A to B safely. I am talking about having a Close Protection Officer (CPO) on the right seat next to you – trying to micromanage every aspect of your driving – like he could control all of your actions and movements with a joystick-like a video game.

All security drivers need a firm foundation in defensive driving and vehicle dynamics. After all, if you can’t drive, you can’t escape a potentially dangerous situation.

Being a professional security driver means having the ability to drive out of a situation and having the knowledge to use the vehicle to its fullest potential, whatever the weather or vehicle type.

Many security drivers will use a different type of vehicle from on task to another, requiring them to understand the many intricacies and types.

As someone who has worked in the Executive Protection (EP) industry for more than 40 years, and have operated a licensed EP/Security/PI agency providing Executive Protection and Protection Driving for 30 years, I felt compelled to talk about this topic to clarify some of the issues regarding independent contractors (IC) and employee (1099 vs W2) status as it pertains to our industry.

Joe Autera, CEO of Vehicle Dynamics Institute, discusses making the business case in calculating the return on investment (ROI) for a security driver.

The September 2020 issue of the International Security Driver Association’s Executive Protection and Secure Transportation Magazine.

From Moro in the late ’70s, to Herrhausen in the ’80s, and Reso in the ’90s, and more recently Omar García Harfuch in 2020, there has been a common denominator. In each of these attacks, surveillance detection has played a significant role in the scenario’s outcome.

I have found that my sense of curiosity has not been affected by my advanced years; I still enjoy reading and analyzing the information presented…

A collection of articles related to Executive Protection and Secure Transportation and the ISDA membership.

Used correctly, marketing through social networks is word-of-mouth marketing on steroids. Think of it as customer cultivation. Through social media, you are listening to customers’ needs and making sure you create viable solutions.

Many times, when we examine a vehicle ambush, the discussions will always ask the question “What If.” What if the driver moved the steering wheel a half a second sooner – applied the brakes a second earlier – made a decision quicker – had the ability to use more of the vehicle capability.

Knowledge is Power – Sharing Knowledge is Powerful. The average ISDA member has 15 years of experience; many have been working in the profession for…

Hello Members, We are in the process of putting together the next Executive Protection and Secure Transportation Magazine (EPST). We hope to get it out…

Although there are no metrics that cover “Sharing Knowledge,” in 2019, the amount of information and knowledge shared by the ISDA membership is unsurpassed in the profession.

Since the Omar García Harfuch Ambush, we (ISDA) have received questions concerning the use of armored vehicles in protective services.

These are the result of the survey that ISDA conducted a few months back.  Keep in mind that the survey was conducted during the height…

During my 45 years and for the past 18 years, Joe Autera, and I have conducted forensic analysis on countless vehicle attacks. As we have in…

There are conflicting reports about how the attack unfolded – these are some videos and articles supplied by ISDA Members – Mark Caldwell and Gerardo…

How VDI is planning to deliver the training that is critical to their mission in a way that meets their needs and expectations while mitigating and managing the overarching risks to students as well as those they protect.

We will open up our business starting from July this year (based upon the information we now have, but it can all change) our clients may not need as many daily transportations as normal where they operate, but they are still our clients, so we just wait and follow the instructions we get from their security department.

The main concern in Latin American ground transportation industry is the cargo theft from trucks, it has a relevant impact in the economies of the region because more than 80% of the goods reach companies and individuals through a huge motor fleet, from pickups to +18 wheels tractor trailers.

I have been fortunate to have experienced working with vehicle motorcades on hundreds of occasions all over the world in my 40 years of working in the executive protection industry, and I thought I would share some best practices and things I have learned along the way.

“Well, that is going to leave a mark.” The first time I heard that statement, I was watching a NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto…

I think, for the most part, those working overseas would say I have had it easy, and they would be right. Most of what I…

In June of 2010, Rodolfo Torre Cantu, a physician, and politician running for governor of the Mexican State of Tamaulipas, was assassinated while driving in a non-armored two-vehicle scenario.

Three Seconds to Safety is a booklet that covers carjacking. Like the author, Tony Scotti, the booklet is old, it was written in the late…

The goal of Secure Transportation is to supply safe and secure transportation for your principal or client. With COVID-19 upon us, the safe portion of…

Sharing knowledge is the ISDA culture, and its members define ISDA’s culture. This post is a collection of Member’ LinkedIn Articles. Approximately 100 articles are…

56% Of Those Who Supply Secure Transportation Use Rental Vehicles. The title of this article comes from data collected from the 2019 ISDA Executive Vehicle…

We strongly suggest that anyone who attends a Security Driving training program is measured in accordance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 135. This is the standard that is used to measure vehicle braking performance. As a security driver, you must be able to perform at a much higher level than “minimum” (it is what you get paid to do).

When moving through any scenario the driver is managing time and distance. In an emergency, survival comes down to how much time and distance do you have to avoid the problem.

Over the last few years there have been a few training providers and security driver instructors that use the standard and methodology I created, and by association attach me to their training or instructor credentials. Some have used the phrase “Scotti-Certified Instructor.” With some, that may be correct, but the question is “When did I teach them?” So let me set the record straight.

I have received PM’s, emails, and phone calls concerning training providers using the phrase “The Science of Driving, and OUR 80% standard for measuring driving skill, so I thought a history lesson was in order.

An article published in Law Enforcement Today Magazine created a great deal of concern, not only by those that offer training in Virginia but by…

To get a better understanding of the Dangers of Distracted Driving, we can use a phrase associated with security and security driving – “The Kill Zone.” Although the term Kill Zone is used by the security community, it can also describe any scenario that creates an emergency for the driver and passengers. Not looking where you are going for 2 to 3 seconds falls into that category.

In July of last year, I achieved the status of an octogenarian. I have been working in the profession for close to 45 years. During…

Although this more than 40-year loyalty to our brand and methodology may seem unusual to some, it is actually a common occurrence at the old Scotti School and now VDI.

An interesting metric from the ISDA Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey – Seventy percent of survey participants drive in winter conditions—this aligns with the…

There are a substantial number of EP practitioners working in California and the Gig Economy. A California bill (AB5) set to become law is directed…

In the Corporate and HNW community, Kidnap and Ransom (K&R) Insurance is a catalyst for the use of Secure Transportation and Executive Protection. Understanding it,…

Some of the ISDA members from the UK and some of the social media community criticize the Security Industry Authority (SIA). We have seen posts from the UK CP practitioners criticizing the SIA, and we (ISDA) don’t know why.

Though our students are typically experienced professionals – when last surveyed they had, on average, just shy of 15 years of Security Driving/Executive Protection experience – we often get “the question.”

Which Car is the Safest?

The Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey is conducted biennially since 2013.

Over the last six years, the surveys have covered various aspects of secure transportation. The goal of the survey has been to examine trends and collect data to develop a broader perspective on the secure transportation profession.

Social Media, in general, is a source for entertainment, not a source of knowledge, but there are websites that we provide educational content at no charge.

It seems that every news agency and certainly every auto-enthusiast magazine and blog are discussing autonomous vehicles and the technology that goes into making vehicles self-driving. What isn’t really discussed or understood is that there are different levels of self-driving.

Results from the 2018 Security-Related Conference Survey

We hope you had a great week! Here’s what been going within the membership. If you have anything you’d like to share let us know…

To ensure the safety and security of the principal, security drivers and secure transportation providers should understand that all vehicles have inherent characteristics that decrease the performance of the vehicle, and create a dangerous scenario for the principal. One of those characteristics is the vehicle’s static stability factor (SSF).

One of the most asked questions in Social Media and from the ISDA Network is – “What training program should I attend?” When selecting a…

When a vehicle is approaching its limit of adhesion, a driver has two conflicting signals. The first signal is the steering wheel getting light, which means that it requires less effort to increase steering input (turn the steering wheel). The reason for this is that the adhesion the tire makes with the road is getting increasingly smaller – quickly.

The second signal is the vehicle load the driver feels at the back of the seat (their butt), which at the limit of adhesion is high.

The Survey The ISDA Executive Vehicle and Secure Transportation Surveys have indicated that, from year to year, the use of armored vehicles in the private…

The 2017 Executive Vehicle and Secure Transportation Survey and Report will be available by the end of this week to ISDA Members and survey participants…

Since the mid-sixties, Carlos Marighella’s book “The Mini-Manual of The Urban Guerrilla” has been a must-read for terrorist groups throughout the world. The manual is the platform for Al Qaeda’s and Bin Laden’s training manuals.

In light of the recent publishing of Inspire Magazine Issue 17 which calls on its followers to target trains in the US and Europe. We(ISDA)…

Using 80% or above of the vehicle’s capability would more than likely only happen during an emergency (accident or ambush). But what percentage of the vehicle does a Security Driver use while maneuvering through the day to day mundane chore of moving the boss from Point A to Point B, such as driving up to an intersection and slowing down – stopping at a red light – driving on an off ramp or around a corner?

To answer that question, ISDA conducted an experiment.

The Kill Zone is a phrase often associated with high-risk driving, but it can describe any scenario that creates an emergency for the driver. The scenario…

What does a lot of knowledge look like? How about two, two-inch-thick books?

A while back Joe and I decide to put all our articles, posts, white papers, and research not yet published, together in one document.

The goal of collecting the information was to determine if we had enough material for a book. When the information was collected, the results were two, two -inch-thick books. So I guess the answer is yes. The attached is a picture of one of the books, the table of contents is three pages long for each book.

The book was written by Tony Scotti and is more than 30 years old. The 220-page book was intended for executives and the general public…

A book from International Security Driver Association Member  – Steve Collins As the newspapers and television constantly remind us, violent crime is on the increase,…

Last year, in an attempt to get a better understanding of the Skills Gap that exists in the Executive Protection/Secure Transportation profession, ISDA researched the…

Recently, some comments posted in the Social Media post/blogs got my attention. The comments were about females in the industry. Contrary to popular belief, women…

Armored Vehicle Basics – Part One is a short presentation of an upcoming online learning course that will cover Armored Vehicles.

The ISDA 2015 and preliminary data from the 2017 Executive/Security Vehicle Survey indicate a dramatic increase in the use of SUVs for Executive Transportation. The…

Porsche feels that chauffeur driven executives are the Executive Panamera market, and they believe that market is in the US and China, they may be correct, but it all depends on Porsche’s definition of “a market.” Our (ISDA) experience and our surveys indicate that it will be a hard sell.

If a provider supplies “Secure Transportation” They Must Be In Compliance With The IRS Code That defines Secure Transportation. There are many secure transportation providers that use those two words as a marketing tool, BUT if a supplier does not comply with the IRS code, they expose their client to financial risk.

How do you know if all of your efforts on social media are working for your business? You need to measure your efforts and track your social media metrics. You need to look past likes, reactions, followers, connections, etc. as KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators).

Although your U.S. driver’s license lets you drive in many foreign countries, the translations in the IDP are intended to minimize language barriers when you drive in countries where English is not widely spoken or understood.

Former ISDA Member Duke Speed has authored a new book titled “Advance Agent Planning Guide – The Executive Protection Specialist’s Guide for Conducting Advance Operations“….

This is a comment we hear often when we (ISDA) are asked about our certification. Our answer is simple – No offense, but the ISDA…

In reference to the Ohio State attack – This is an article titled, “The Ultimate Mowing Machine,” that appeared in the Jihadist Magazine Inspire. The article…

These pictures are taken from the Al Qaeda magazine Inspire, Issue 16. This issue of the magazine offers lessons on building a pressure cooker bomb and where, when and how to detonate the bomb for maximum effectiveness. The picture outlines the four steps in building a successful pressure cooker bomb.

From 1979 – I’m sure most of the people reading this do not remember the Volvo 242 GT, it was a hell of a performance…

It may not have a high educational value but it is great entertainment. It’s been 15 years since BMW made its first foray into Hollywood…

A Skills Gap is defined as the difference between what the market wants and what is available for skill. This is a common problem in all industries. In an attempt to get a better understanding of the Skills Gap that exists in the Executive Protection/Secure Transportation profession, ISDA researched the job market. Our goal was to determine the skills, education and training, and experience that are the most sought after by the Executive Protection job market.

If you are a Veteran asking one of these two questions, “What schools accept the GI or Post 911 Bill” or “I am about to…

An old book from an old friend – Since its release in 1994, Killing Zone: A Professional’s Guide to Preparing and Preventing Ambushes has been hailed by…

This is an excerpt Transportation Security White Paper I wrote in 1979 (41 Years Ago). The paper was written for the International Association of Chiefs of…

Raffaele Di Giorgio’s book is about protecting our protectors. The men and women, and the agencies they work for, who go out every day and risk…

The Police Ambush Fact Sheet A report produced by the International Association of Chiefs of Police – US Department of Justice community Oriented Policing Services –…

The article titled, “The Ultimate Mowing Machine”, called for jihadists to use a pickup truck as a mowing machine, not to mow grass but to mow down the enemies of Allah. “The ideal location is a place where there are a maximum number of pedestrians and the least number of vehicles.”

If an individual has an average occupation, my guess would be they can survive having average skills. But as a member of the protection profession, you…

Finally, a book for both public and private sector protection professionals who are required to manage protective operations with a minimum of headcount and budget, in an increasingly complex and demanding environment.
As the title suggests, this book is about the lessons learned through several thousand years of trial-and-error, creating and adopting best-practices, striving to provide protection for persons of public interest and others at risk.

Inside the Bubble is a new book authored by ISDA Member Mark James. Mark came to the Protective Services Profession via the corporate community. He is a former corporate executive and performance consultant to Fortune 500 companies and now executive director of a full service protection agency, Panther Protection.

Although Mark is emphatic that his book is not about “Protective Services”, and we agree, it is a book that should be read by all security practitioners.

If you are looking for a job, whether it’s to get your foot in the door, or taking your career to the next level, the only person who can find the right job for you – is you. You know all the details about you: what experience and training skills you have, the location you would like to find work, the market/niche you want to work in and with what companies.

But where do you look to find the best jobs?

If you are relatively new, or have been in the profession for some time; whether you are a sole practitioner looking for the next job; a security provider looking for the next customer or client; or a trainer looking for the next student…

YOU OR YOUR COMPANY ARE A BUSINESS!

This is a promotional video of an upcoming series of online training. The series will discuss in detail the decisions that need to be made when selecting an executive vehicle. The ISDA online training are free for ISDA members and offered at a fee to non-members. All recorded webinars and materials will be available on the ISDA website long after the webinar.

If you enjoy reading and are involved in the profession, ISDA Member Tom Taylor supplies you with a great reading and learning experience. Tom as authored a series of novels based on the EP profession. Tom takes the day to day tasks of a protection team and turns them into a page turning work of fiction. All of Tom’s novels are executive protection handbooks, masquerading as novels. We (ISDA) are a bit prejudice, but in our minds Tom’s novels are better than many EP books.

EP Novels By Tom Taylor

Coming up is the 102nd running of the Indy 500, so I thought I would do a simple analysis of the track; hopefully it will…

This article was originally posted in the November 2015  ISDA Member Newsletter. Considering a recent Fox News broadcast entitled – “Al Qaeda magazine calls for…