E-mail usDignitary and Executive Protection Specialist Course
(ISA DEP 101)
Module One Basic Core Training Program Syllabus
State Regulatory Agency for Private Security Approved
Law Enforcement In-Service Accredited
Jan 2025
(7 Days 84 hrs.)
| Courses 7 – 100 Level 8 – 200 Level 8 – 300 Level 4 – 400 Level Total 27 |
Course Categories Medical (MED) History (HIST) Sociology (SOC) Philosophy (PHI) Operations (EPO) Management (MGT) Communications (IPC) |
104 Course Learning Objectives
123 Terminal Learning Objectives
20 Practical Exercises
5 Facilitated Discussions
Live Capstone
Faculty Information
Program Director- Matthew C. Parker
315-486-7854
[email protected]
Instructors and Training Staff
“Knowing something really well doesn’t mean you can teach it well” – Small Pond Science
All ISA Law Enforcement-Certified Instructors are vetted and their training, operational experience, and credentials are regulated and subject to audit.
ISA requires all of our staff to have real-world operational proven experience in the material they teach. Instructors must attend continuing education courses and instructor development training to stay with our program.
Course Description
The Dignitary and Executive Protection Specialist Course is designed for those who will oversee, conduct, or support diplomatic/executive protective service operations for diplomats, elected and public officials, members of the court, candidates for office, corporate executives, and private individuals of wealth (or other risk factors) who are potential targets of terrorism and/or criminal acts.
Students will explore the basic concepts and terminology of protective operations, and receive a broad understanding of the methods and procedures for protective operations & management with special emphasis on the philosophy and methodology of protection in depth. Students will also be able to explain and apply ethical and legal principles that govern the business of executive protection.
Course Expectations
For a full seven-day course, you should expect to spend about 60-70 hours of the week participating in class/field discussions, activities, and practical exercises and 30-45 minutes after
class in study, assigned reading, and preparation for the next day’s assignments.
Course Learning Outcomes
The course learning outcomes and objectives that students must demonstrate upon completion of this course are as follows:
Prepare a case study; Conduct an after-action review of a historical event and compare and contrast current vs. the historical procedures or methodologies employed by the protective agents/detail at the time of the event. Complete a full evaluation of their effectiveness and identify shortcomings.
Discuss the importance of collecting actionable threat intelligence and completing a risk analysis in conjunction with risk mitigation planning, physical security, and close protective operations.
Demonstrate the procedures to conduct a threat assessment based on actionable intelligence in conjunction with preparing the risk mitigation plan that includes; the design of the protective detail,
standard operational procedures for office and residential security, basic team management and communications, conducting advance work, evaluating and mitigating dangers associated with
workplace violence and other threats.
Demonstrate the importance of, and methods of interpersonal communication, including agent-client relations, working with outside agencies and organizations, and other stakeholders.
Discuss the importance of a professional Code of Ethics and Conduct, review the legal and regulatory statutes involved with EP operations, and evaluate individual characteristics necessary to conduct protective operations.
Accreditation
| The Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC) P41230 Dignitary & Executive Protection Specialist Program: Police; Status: Active; Hours: 70.00 |
South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Standards Unit 2021 CJA Lesson Plan# 5365; In-Service Hours 70.5
|
Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council 2021 Course Title: Dignitary Protection In-service Hours: 60-80 Course Number: NDE04G |
| Virginia Department of Criminal Justice (Current) Private Security Course Title: Dignitary Protection LEO In-Service Category: Career Development 34 Hours Course Title: Personal Protection Specialist Program (PPS) Pre-Approved Alternative Training: Personal Protection Specialist – Entry Level- (32e) Personal Protection Specialist – In-Service – (32i) |
North Carolina Private Protective Services Board Course Title: Private Security EP Operations; Course Number: PPSB-16-109 12 CEUs. Approved qualifying course for the PPSB Personal Protection License.
|
Regulatory Requirements and Standards
Regulatory Requirements
Note: This course prepares the student to provide close protective services in accordance with all applicable international, federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is designed to meet or exceed the training and course hours of the federal law enforcement training center and individual state approved programs when applicable.
Standards:
This course voluntarily adheres to the regulatory requirements of the 2020 Edition FLETA Procedures and Standards manual.
DCJS Virginia Register of Regulations: This program is governed by the August 10, 2015 Virginia regulation 6VAC20-173-170, Private Security Services training session. Training sessions will be conducted in accordance with requirements established in this chapter. Adherence to the administrative requirements, attendance, and standards of conduct are the responsibility of the training school, training school director, and instructor of the training session.
Other regulatory agencies and requirements include:
North Carolina Private Protective Services Board and North Carolina Dept. of Protective Services NCAC > Title 14B – Public Safety > Chapter 16 – Private Protective Services Board
Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies and Georgia POST
South Carolina Department of Criminal Justice
Maryland Police Training Commission
Course History
After the January 8, 2011, assassination attempt of Rep. Gabrielle Gifford’s of Arizona, studies by the US Secret Service found close protection assignments are not a typical law enforcement function, so the training and education regarding protective operations are not standard practice or readily available.
To address the training and education of law enforcement in close protection, the primary building block used to determine the training objectives and course topics for this program was the General Accounting Office report GAO/GGD/OSI-00-139, dated 07/11/2000, titled Security Protection: Standardization Issues Regarding Protection of Executive Branch Officials.
This report reviewed the protection of 42 officials from 31 executive branch agencies by agents from 27 different agencies in fiscal years 1997 through 1999.
The first graduates in October 2011 were local and campus law enforcement, assigned to provide close protection support to visits or events conducted by the governor, various candidates for office, and during presidential visits.
In 2012, the program was evaluated and approved by the Director of the University of Maryland Public Safety Academy for attendance by federal, state, and local law enforcement, and later expanded to vetted corporate and private sector close protection agents. ** The program was approved for in-service training hours for law enforcement by the Maryland Police Training Commission later that year and accredited by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice for civilian state credentials and licensing for EP agents.
2015 Corporate Security
In 2015, Tom Kirkham, CEO & Founder of Kirkham Iron Tech was discovered to be on an ISIS kill list with 1400 others. The United Cyber caliphate, which, at the time, was ISIS’s National Security Administration, had placed politicians, members of the military, public officials, and corporate officers on this list with instructions for their followers to assassinate them.
As a result, many corporate officers required short-term increases to their personal security posture. Unfortunately, like local law enforcement, training and education with a protective philosophy centered on corporate officers and culture, were limited. Those training programs that were available were cost prohibitive.
** So in 2016 our course designers and instructors interviewed corporate security experts and significantly refined our training syllabus to specifically meet the needs of both the public and corporate sectors.
Program redesign 2017
On Jun 14, 2017 — Congressman Steve Scalise was shot on an Alexandria Virginia Baseball Field, and after a careful evaluation of the event and the lessons learned from a close protection perspective, the first module of the ISA program was expanded to a full seven days and almost 80 hours of training.
Lessons from 2021
Following the events of January 6th, 2001 at the US Capitol, a letter addressed to House leadership by thirty (30) House Members said they felt like “targets” and asked for more security. Based on the findings of the TF 1-6 report, and an increase in the threats to local health, elections, and school officials, ISA again reviewed our training program and made some updates to better address the specific training needed by agents assigned to elected and other public officials and for the security of
Members of Congress when back in their districts.
Lessons from 2022-2023
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, the use of drones, communications systems, transportation security, and other lessons learned have been added to the current syllabus where applicable.
Results in 2024
On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. The incident is regarded as the most significant security failure by the Secret Service since the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Local law-enforcement said this was due to “extremely poor planning” and manpower shortages. According to reports, the Secret Service did not accept offers to use a drone to support surveillance. As a result of the findings of the investigation, special event scenarios and tabletop exercises were integrated into the advance site and mission planning training.
On December 4, 2024, Brian Robert Thompson, the CEO of the US health insurance company UnitedHealthcare, was shot in the back and killed in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. In the wake of the murder, healthcare and banking CEO wanted posters have appeared in New York City, including the CEO of Optum, a division of UnitedHealth Group. named one of the Most Powerful Women in 2024 and CEOs in the banking industry Martin Smalls of Black Rock, Robin Vince of BNY Mellon, and Denis Coleman of Goldman Sachs.
As a result, our training on open source threat assessments and intel has been updated with additional risk mitigation planning for the private sector.
Attendance and Administrative Requirements
Policy and Procedures on Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, and Sexual Harassment Nondiscrimination: It is the policy of ISA and our partners that no student or employee of ISA may discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, sex (including sexual harassment), marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, mental or physical disability, or sexual orientation. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against because of any factor protected under this policy may file a complaint of discrimination.
To Meet Admission Requirements, Prospective Students Must:
Be a minimum of 21 years of age.
Be a United States citizen or legal resident alien of the United States.
Possess a valid state driver’s license
Members and former members of law enforcement must be in good standing with their respective agencies and departments.
Have no physical limitations that would affect their ability to take part in physical training and complete the capstone testing exercise.
Military service members or veterans attending this program will need a current valid ID or, if claiming veteran status, a copy of the DD-214.
Recertification and in-service programs require evidence of prior close protection experience.
Submit a current security clearance or criminal background check. Any individual who has ever been convicted or found guilty of a felony or misdemeanor (not to include minor traffic
violations), in Virginia or any other jurisdiction (to include military court martial or currently under protective orders), must submit a Criminal History Supplemental Form.
CPR/AED/First Aid Requirement: To receive the DCJS PPS or North Carolina PPSB credential, all students submitting an application will have to have a current CPR certification. CPR training is available during this program to meet that requirement. Current CPR/AED/First aid certification can be waived if attending the training during this course or not applying for DCJS credentials.
Course Pre-Attendance and Daily Schedule
Pre-attendance homework- study
You will find the manuals, threat assessment worksheets, and required reading online at www.eptraining.us. The admin login and password will be provided to registered students.
Click on “DPS Manuals”
**You are required to download the Threat Assessment worksheets, Study Guides, DSS manual, PSOTP Handout Book, and PSOTP Quick Reference, EP Checklists and basic procedures, You do not need to print this material.
Tech Homework
1. Research and download a free application to monitor local weather;
2. Research and download a free application that provides Voice Over IP (VOIP) communication;
3. Research and download a free application that provides “walkie-talkie” capabilities from a smartphone;
4. Research and download a free application that assists with the triage of emergency medical conditions;
5. Research and download a free application that allows the sending and editing of maps between smartphones or tablets;
6. Research and download a free application that monitors the location and flight status of aircraft;
7. Research and download an application that monitors/real-time traffic/reports on local road conditions/construction, and
8. Research and download an application that provides information on local restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, refueling locations, and medical centers.
Reading Homework
Review:
U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service Course 17403-99702: Diplomatic Security
PSOTP Handout Book & PSOTP Quick Reference Guide
Exercise: Select a celebrity or other well-known person as your Protectee/Principle and fill out the Threat Assessment packet. You will need to conduct open-source research to complete the worksheets and you will not get all the answers, but find as much as you can. If you identify a person or group that is a threat to your principal complete a threat profile and mitigation sheet. This is an open-source intelligence exercise as well as an introduction to threat assessment.
Prepare a one-minute and thirty-second presentation about you.
I am, I have been, I was, I served
You will give your presentation in class.
Review PPT Dress and Protocol
Daily Course Schedule
Day 1. 0800-2000, 1200-1300 Lunch
Introduction and Administration of EP
EPO 100 Essentials of Executive Protection
IPC 100 Communication Theory Includes: Communications with protectees
SOC 100 Demographics and the Evolution of the Detail
PHIL 100 Ethics in Protective Services
Total training time 11 hours.
Homework
Case Studies Executive Briefing Paper
This assignment consists of conducting a detailed case study and analysis of a selected incident and writing an executive briefing. Students will select a case study that addresses how pre-mission decisions affect the outcome of an operation. The following are a few sample topics:
An analysis of the pie attack on Bill Gates.
An analysis of the “pixy dust incident of Newt Gingrich.
An analysis of the security breech at the White House dinner for the Indian Prime Minister.
An analysis of the Assassination of President Kennedy.
An analysis of the injury (broken ankle) to President Bill Clinton.
Citations: Students are required to research and cite a minimum of three online sources and must give others credit for others work by properly citing it.
Day 2. 0800-2000, 1200-1300 Lunch
Pre-Mission Planning
MGT 301 Psychology of Violence; MGT 303 Threat Intelligence & Open-Source Research; MGT 304 Fundamentals of Analysis; MGT 201 Preparing the Threat Assessment
EPO 300 Operational Planning, Managing Threats and Risk Mitigation, Includes: Site surveys, Route selection; Medical evacuation; Walking formations; Transitional movements
MGT 305 Physical Security Management
MGT 202 Stalking; MGT 203 Workplace Violence; MGT 205 Bias & Hate; MGT 206 Domestic Violence
Total time 12 hours.
Day 3. 0800-2000, 1200-1300 Lunch
Mission Planning and Operations
EPO 400 Advance Work
MGT 307 Movement and Static Site Operations Planning *INCLUDES performing site surveys, route selection (primary, secondary, etc.
MGT 204 Off-site and Off-the-Record Operations
EPO 403 Travel & Emergency Medical & Hard Site Planning
Total time 12 hours.
Day 4. 0800-2000, 1200-1300 Lunch
Mission Operations
Note ** Physical Contact
Physical contact between cadre and students may take place during “react to contact” and scenario-based training; each student
will be expected to act professionally and appropriately while following ALL safety briefing instructions and best practices. All
weapons must be secured during training.
MGT 306 Secure Transportation & Movement Operations; *Includes; Medical Evacuation; Walking Formations; Communications with protectees; Transitional Movements–
EPO 401 Conflict Resolution; Includes Interpersonal Communication, Plan Changes, Hasty Movements
Total time 12 hours.
Day 5. 0800-2000, 1200-1300 Lunch
Mission Operations
Note ** Physical Contact
Physical contact between cadre and students may take place during “react to contact” and scenario-based training; each student
will be expected to act professionally and appropriately while following ALL safety briefing instructions and best practices. All
weapons must be secured during training.
EPO 301 Hostile Surveillance & Counter-Measures
EPO 402 Operational Challenges for the Protective Agent; Includes: Communications with protectees; Performing Site Surveys, Route Selection; Medical Evacuation; Walking Formations; Transitional movements
Total time 12 hours.
Day 6. 0800-2000, 1200-1300 Lunch
LAW 200 Protective Security Law
TRO 200 Terrorism
Active Shooter
Medical; CPR/AED/Stop Bleed/First aid
Red Cross or other nationally approved program.
Total time 12 hours
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Day 7. 0800-2000, 1200-1300 Lunch
Capstone Evaluation
Written Examination
Minimum 12 hours,
12 Hours is scheduled, but training is finished with the completion of the capstone and written exam
Retesting for test failures