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?

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.

Kill Zones are a time distance relationship, tenths of a second count.

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).

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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?

Are you training for a career or a job?

It seems that one of the most asked questions on social media is – What EP/CP training program should I attend? Those that ask that question need to ask one of themselves – What are my goals? Are you looking for a career or are you satisfied with a job? What is it that I want from the training program and what will be my training ROI? It must be noted that many of the high-level EP Practitioners have never attended an EP Training program.

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.

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

Scenario Based Training (SBT) has always proven to be one of the best methods of instruction. This is an introduction to a series of SBT, 3D…

One of the first “vehicle assassinations” was that of Tsar Alexander II in Russia. He was one of the first victims of an assassination in…

State Dept.: 60% of ‘Mishaps’ Involving U.S. Armored Vehicles Overseas Were Preventable My Thoughts This is not only a problem for the State Department overseas; it…

This is a video of an upcoming series of online training produced by the International Security Driver Association (ISDA). The online training will incorporate an animated computer…

We are pleased to announce our new ISDA YouTube channel. Although the channel is in its infancy, over the next few months we will be…

The BBC recently interviewed ISDA member Deni Zinxhiria. Deni is indicative of the ISDA membership, and we are proud to have Deni as a member….

An attack on the principal is a time, distance relationship. Moving the principal, driving, or walking is managing time and distance. If there is an attack…

Two topics of discussions that dominate social media, both in the U.S. and abroad are certification and the state of training in the protection industry. In reality, the two subjects cannot be separated. IMHO – The job market wants, and will support, a certification that meets standards set by respected industry and government organizations. Those who supply job opportunities welcome a certification that withstands the scrutiny of the corporate, legal, and insurance community. Nonetheless, there are still global job markets in the protection business where certification, insurance risk, and liability are not major concerns.

This is part two of a post that originated on LinkedIn in October of 2015. The title of the post was “Does Security Driving have…

ISDA Member Robin Barratt has published a manual titled “Finding Work as a Close Protection Specialist” the 2015-2016 updated edition.

On August 21st, the International Security Driver Association (ISDA) conducted the first in a series of Constant Learning Programs for the protective services community. ISDA…

Those of us who live in winter-weather country are just emerging from record-setting snow and freezing temperatures. And now there’s a new problem to face: potholes. Thanks to this winter’s extreme freeze-and-thaw cycles, the spring of 2015 promises to be an epic pothole season. And that’s not good news for those providing secure transportation.

Potholes are a matter of safety and inconvenience. But there are things that can be done before, during, and after hitting a pothole. Develop a proactive approach similar to a security scenario except you’re avoiding potholes instead of security issues.

There are those who believe that if they have training and/or experience, their education is complete. But in a time when there are ever more…

The polar plunge that has chilled much of the nation does more than bring out ice scrapers and antifreeze. It can trigger a vehicle’s tire-pressure-monitoring system overnight, sending nervous drivers to dealers and service centers.

For example, about 20 customers visited a Chevrolet dealership because their tire-pressure-warning icons were illuminated. Here’s why a cold snap affects tire pressure and sets off the tire-pressure-monitoring system (TPMS) warning lamp.

Cold weather can wreak havoc on a vehicle, some useful web articles, and Winter Emergency Kits  to keep you, your principal, and your family safe…

A while back we conducted a Vehicle Dynamics Training Program for a Law Enforcement Agency in Massachusetts. One of the training vehicles was a Ford…

The History of Security Driving is an old (2013) and short presentation of an upcoming Secure Transportation, online learning course. It is narrated by Tony…

These are sales videos but they are all about kidnappings and vehicle attacks, some funny.

Job title: Security Driver Job summary: Drives automobile to safely and efficiently transport corporate executives, dignitaries and others deemed at risk while performing the following essential…

Maintaining correct tire pressure helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy. Correct tire inflation pressure allows drivers to experience tire comfort, durability, and performance designed to match the needs of their vehicles. Tire deflection (the tread and sidewall flexing where the tread comes into contact with the road) will remain as originally designed and excessive sidewall flexing and tread squirm will be avoided. Heat buildup will be managed and rolling resistance will be appropriate. Proper tire inflation pressure also stabilizes the tire’s structure, blending the tire’s responsiveness, traction and handling.

Tony Quiroga a writer for Car and Driver did an article on the Friction Circle, in my opinion he is one of the better automotive…

I was watching a TV ad about a 4WD SUV, the announcer was talking about driving on “Black Ice”, and he mentioned that if you…

For some in the industry, especially those just entering the business, there is a misconception of what defines Security Driving, and in particular, the job…

Branding and marketing for the Protection Services Professional – for the freelance Protective Service agent and for those companies providing protective services branding and marketing…

Although it is an advertisement for BMW High-Security Vehicles – this YouTube video is still a good primer on armored cars.