"The principal never feels the threat. That means you did your job."
Emergency Protocols and Immediate Action Drills
Instructor Sele: When contact is made, you will have two to three seconds to execute the right response. That response must be automatic. This module drills the immediate action responses that your body must know before your mind catches up.
Section 1 — The Immediate Action Drill (IAD)
The IAD is the team's pre-drilled, instinctive response to any sudden threat. It has three elements executed simultaneously: Cover → Communicate → Move.
Cover: The PEO physically shields the principal — body between principal and threat. Cover is immediate and non-negotiable. You do not assess the threat first. You cover first.
Communicate: The TL declares "CONTACT" on radio. Other team members take their pre-assigned positions. The driver is alerted to prepare for immediate departure.
Move: The principal is moved at controlled speed to the vehicle or nearest hard cover. The principal does not walk — they are guided, quickly and decisively. Speed and direction are the CPO's choice, not the principal's.
Section 2 — Action on Gunfire
If shots are fired during a foot movement: do not look for the source — cover the principal immediately; physically lower the principal's profile (guide them down if possible); move to the vehicle or hard cover at speed — do not hesitate; the rear CPOs provide suppressing presence to create time for the principal's evacuation; the driver moves the vehicle to the closest safe point for the principal to enter.
The cardinal rule: the principal moves. Always. A static principal in a contact situation is a target.
Section 3 — Medical Emergency Protocols
If the principal or a team member suffers a medical emergency: secure the area — ensure the scene is safe before treating; call for medical assistance immediately (radio + 911); apply first aid to the limit of the team's training; evacuate to the pre-identified nearest medical facility using the emergency route; notify SafeHaven Operations Command immediately; document the incident.
Every CP team must have at minimum one team member with current first aid certification, and the medical plan (nearest hospital, route) must be briefed before every operation.
Section 4 — Fire and Evacuation at a Fixed Location
If fire or an evacuation situation occurs at a venue or residence: identify and confirm the threat (smoke, alarm, directed threat); do not use lifts — use designated fire exits; evacuate the principal via the pre-identified emergency exit and sterile corridor if possible; move to the rally point; account for the principal and all team members; do not re-enter the building.
- •The IAD is Cover → Communicate → Move — executed simultaneously, not sequentially
- •Cover the principal first — do not assess the threat before shielding the principal
- •The principal always moves in a contact situation — a static principal is a target
- •Every team must have a first aid capability and a pre-briefed medical plan
- •All emergency protocols must be rehearsed before every operation, not improvised during one
"I ran an IAD drill with a new team and timed the Cover-Communicate-Move sequence. The best team time was 4.1 seconds from the threat signal to the principal entering the vehicle. I told them: in a real contact with a trained threat, you have 2 seconds before the second shot. We drilled until the best time was 1.8 seconds. Drills set your speed ceiling. Train to move faster than the threat."
What is the correct immediate action when a close protection team makes contact with an armed threat?