The Role and Qualifications of a Bodyguard
VIP's, celebrities, government officials, billionaires, CEO and other public figures would likely hire the help of bodyguards. Bodyguards can provide the security to these persons and can protect them from possible assaults, assassination, kidnapping and other threats. Some high-profile celebrities hire bodyguards to protect them from violent fanatic assaults and stalkers. Government officials may need the service of bodyguards to protect them from assassination and threats while billionaires and millionaires employ them to secure them from kidnappers.
Bodyguards are mostly paid personal security officials. They may carry weapons and in some cases they wear protective gear such as body armor.
Bodyguards have risky jobs. Most often, they are trained in firearm tactics and martial arts. They also have education and training in first aid and in tactical driving. Some bodyguards also do multi-tasking. They can also be drivers and crowd managers. Other bodyguards can be bomb-experts or have the know-how in electronic surveillance devices. They manage things that involve security of their clients. Their job mostly is to escort their clients and to make sure that the clients' safety and security is on their hands.
The backgrounds of bodyguards are mostly regarded before they are hired. They can come from military or police services. Martial artists can be qualified as bodyguards. The physique of a person is mostly regarded as a job requirement of a bodyguard. Bodyguards with presentable appearance and with good hearing and eyesight are hired for heads of states and dignitaries.
Usually, bodyguards are required to have driver's license. In the United Kingdom and other countries, the criminal record, licenses and identity profile of bodyguards have to be checked.
Bodyguards have exceptional jobs. Their jobs oftentimes involve risk. Aside from being physically fit, they must also have quick wits and have control over situations including their own emotional state. Good communication and interpersonal skills may also be required of a bodyguard. Loyalty of the bodyguard is also determined.
In the United States, the well-known group of bodyguards comes from the United States Secret Service. The Secret Service primarily involves in enforcing federal laws involving currency and coins as well as securities and obligations of the United States and its foreign investments. The security division was established in 1865 in the US Treasury Department. Since 2003, US Secret Service is a division of the Department of Homeland Security in the US.
The function of US Secret Service also extends to protecting the president and his immediate families. The service of this agency also extends to the vice-president and his immediate families. The president-elect, major presidential candidates, vice president-elect and vice presidential candidates including the former presidents and their families can also be protected by the US Secret Service. Visiting heads of states are also services by the bodyguards of the elite agency.
The services of bodyguard can be extraordinary. Bodyguards also have the job to protect themselves.