The success of any security detail often comes down to planning and execution. The principal or her team provide an itinerary, and the EP Advance team goes through the process of investigating each location, establishing driving routes and path of travel on arrival. Contacts are made with venue staff and as much detailed information as possible is collected and briefed so everyone on the team knows exactly where they are going and what to expect when they get there.

But what happens when the client’s assistant exits from a conference room and tells you the itinerary has changed, we’re not walking to the next meeting room, we are driving to a restaurant across town?

Welcome to the Hasty Advance — in this next part of our ‘The detail is in the details’ series, Christian West discusses how adaptability and poise under pressure must take the place of detailed planning to gather as much relevant information as possible in a limited amount of time to ensure the security of the venue and provide guidance to the team for accessing the venue as seamlessly as if it were planned all along. Detailed, thorough advance work is a cornerstone of professional EP operations, but being fluent in conducting a no-notice hasty advance is another one of those tools you must have in your toolbox as an effective member of an executive protection team.

Topics include:

• Communicating the itinerary change to the team
• Establishing a contact plan with the VIP car
• Measuring drive time
• Establishing landmarks
• On-site strategy for assessing the venue
  
  • Evacuation plan?
  • Vehicle staging?
  • Privacy/access