Circumstances in which personal protection / excutive protection is appropriate
Many people think that the employment of a bodyguard only makes sense for celebrities, politicians and very rich people, but also for quite normal people the employment of a bodyguard can be helpful in certain life situations. One of our long-time clients put it aptly:
“The cost of personal protection is as onerous as the cost of an insurance policy. At first you just pay money for it, but at the moment you need it, you’re glad you have them [‘bodyguards’].”
Security Escort customer RH Security
Personal security is a very sensitive topic for most people.
Federal Close Protection Operatives often appear in the media in large numbers, fulfilling personal protection assignments from the state as part of their sovereign duties. These include, for example, the protection of politicians at federal and state level, consular representatives from various countries or protection assignments within the framework of witness protection programs. This list is not exhaustive and is only a small part of the wide range of tasks performed by Federal Close Protection Operatives.
The costs for these federal close protection assignments are covered by the state.
In addition to the official protection authorities, there are numerous private security companies that also offer personal protection in their portfolio.
In this case the personal protection costs are borne by companies, institutions or private individuals.
The reason for protection tasks is always the same as for official protection measures: the protection of life and limb, health and physical integrity of the persons to be protected.
The comparison and evaluation of different providers is often difficult here, since personal protection tasks are not objectively tangible and comparable products and “produced” security depends largely on the subjective feeling of the client and other factors.
Nevertheless, one can recognize qualitative differences in the planning, execution and follow-up of the contractor and the personnel deployed.
In order to professionally fulfill protection tasks in the field of personal protection, it is necessary to have a fundamentally solid education in this field, permanent training and further education, and many years of experience in a wide variety of personal protection assignments. Every assignment is different, every assignment requires a re-adjustment of the individual’s ability, adaptation to the security situation and the client’s wishes.
A good comparison to this is the work of a police officer, who has to re-evaluate, analyze and deal with every operational situation. Whether it’s a traffic accident, an assault, or the cat in the tree, each situation requires different skills.
As experience shows, this learning phase never ends.
So it makes sense for the client to ask questions about the training, experience and personal skills of the assigned personnel or to think about this in advance.
Personal protection costs depend on the protection requirements and the effort involved
The costs for personal protection tasks depend, among other things, as described above, partly on the desired skills of the bodyguards themselves as well as on the protection needs of the person(s) to be protected.
The resulting cost structures, in turn, are the result of a wide variety of factors. The following list of some decisive factors is only an indication and shows the complexity of a given protection task for the contractor:
- The extent and nature of the hazard situation
- The duration of the protection (short/medium/long-term)
- The number of persons to be protected
- Armed or unarmed protection
- The environment: metropolitan/rural, detached house/apartment, domestic/foreign
- The number and qualification of the required bodyguards
Usually, in the course of fulfilling personal protection orders, daily flat rates are offered and agreed upon, covering an hourly quota of 12 hours per day. Additional hours are usually charged on an hourly basis. However, other billing constructions are also possible, it all depends on the contractor and the client.
Which additional costs are to be expected?
Depending on the order situation, additional cost factors can include
- Overnight stays of the personnel
- Vehicle provision
- Travel flat rates
- Technical equipment.
Remember to ask your security service provider about such additional items, if they are not already included in the offer.
How high will the cost of a bodyguard be?
Perhaps an apt comparison in the area of services would be the hourly rate of a car mechanic to whom you give your vehicle for repair. He or she is responsible for making sure that all the parts are installed at the end so that you can continue to get through everyday life with your vehicle without an accident or damage to your health. Here, the hourly rates differ enormously between independent garages and branches.
From service provider to service provider, the hourly rates vary, just as in personal protection, approximately between 60 and 200 euros, depending on the individual service.
With both types of service, you place your life and physical integrity in the hands of specialists in whom you place your absolute trust.
Conclusion
As you can see, quoting a pure hourly billing rate is complex and difficult, as personal security is a very individual service that depends on numerous components. At RH Security, we specialize in personal protection and will be happy to advise you on how we can best protect you and, if necessary, your family.
For your inquiry you can contact us personally at any time. Please also visit our website for details about our protection guards and our services.
