Episode 209 - The State of Security Driver Training

On May 14, 2024, a well-coordinated ambush targeted a prison convoy in France, transporting high-profile inmate Mohamed Amra. The attackers, armed with automatic weapons, executed their plan with precision, resulting in the deaths of two prison officers and serious injuries to three others. CCTV footage captured the entire incident, providing invaluable forensic evidence.  After an extensive nine-month international search, authorities apprehended Amra in Romania on February 22, 2025. Following the attack, the International Security Driver Association (ISDA) conducted an in-depth analysis, utilizing video footage, images, and Google Maps data to develop a comprehensive PDF briefing document titled "Analysis of the Prison Convoy Ambush in France." This document examines the attackers' tactics, security vulnerabilities, and potential failures in secure transport operations. It also offers critical training recommendations for security drivers and protective teams. To further enhance accessibility and understanding, ISDA uploaded the PDF into Google's Notebook LM, a tool capable of generating multiple outputs, including FAQs, a study guide, a table of contents, a timeline, a briefing, and—most notably—a podcast.  The Notebook LM Podcast is the first in a series of three Journals. The podcast features an AI-generated conversation between a male and female voice, discussing key insights from the PDF report.  

The Introduction to The Science of a Vehicle Ambush – Vehicle Ambush 101 For nearly half a century, ISDA's founder, Tony Scotti, has been leading the way in understanding the "how" and "why" of vehicle ambushes. Since the mid-'70s, Tony has been conducting forensic analysis of vehicle attacks and distributing his findings to the Ep and Secure Transportation community. So, in June of 2020, the Omar Garcia Harfuch (OGH) vehicle ambush was not the first time Tony has gone through the painstaking process of accurately analyzing a lethal ambush targeting a high-profile, at-risk individual. However, the Omar García Harfuch "OGH" ambush is one of the first vehicle attacks that was videoed as it was happening.  Adding the Vehicle Dynamics Institute team to the testing process created unprecedented results in the data collected and the lessons learned.  Full show notes are available at SecurityDriver.Com Join the International Security Driver Association If you have an interest in going much deeper into this type of topic, I invite you to check out the International Security Driver Association's website and consider joining the only organization dedicated to supporting the advancement of professional Security Drivers and other protection practitioners with data-driven research and other professional development tools. For more information on all member benefits, head over to https://isdacenter.org.

A tragic video has been circulating throughout various social media. It took place at Fort Tiuna in Caracas, Venezuela. The video is from a bodyguard training program. This terrible event brings to light a problem – which is the state of security driver training.  Read the full show notes from this episode at SecurityDriver.Com

This episode is a continuation of episode 206, where we continue to look into security driver salaries. While curating Security Driver job opportunities for our International Security Driver Association members, we data mined the salaries offered on LinkedIn and Employment Websites. Our goal was to get an idea of the Security Driver's Pay Scale. One of the issues we had was the definition of a Security Driver. It seems that Security Driver can be used to define a person patrolling a parking lot while unarmed- to a person responsible for supplying safe and secure transportation for an executive- and everything in between.   We also noticed that not all job offers for a Security Driver are called Security Driver. Job offers looking for a person to supply Secure Transportation have a few titles. Here are some of the Job titles we found – Security Driver – Executive Chauffeur – Executive Protection Driver -Law enforcement chauffeur – Armed Security Executive Driver – Executive Protection Agent / Driver. Along with the different job titles, there is a substantial difference in the salaries offered. Full show notes and links are available here

This Sunday, May 29th, will be the 106th running of the Indy 500. So, we thought we would apply the Science of Driving to the Indy 500 and do a simple analysis of the track and the drivers. Hopefully, it will make watching the race more enjoyable.    Full show notes are available here

Meta released their 2021 SEC 14A filing recently. As our research shows, there is year over year increase in secure transportation spending. Unlike social media posts and comments, there are businesses willing and able to hire those who meet the required ESK - Experience, Skills, and Knowledge. Full show notes are available at SecurityDriver.Com.

This episode will cover Executive Vehicle Specifications, including H-Point, Vision Line Height, Cargo Room, and how these measurements affect the safety and security of the vehicle occupants. We'll also touch on another safety topic, advanced driver assistance systems. As we have said many times, the executive vehicle is the instrument used by the Security Driving and Secure Transportation profession to earn a living. Many of our Association Members are responsible for the selection and eventual purchase of the executive vehicles. In the next few years, all vehicles, including Executive Vehicles, will be changing at an exponential rate. The Association will be researching those changes and their effect on Secure Transportation Professionals. Visit SecurityDriver.Com for the show notes and links mentioned in the episode.

When news about tires and how they affect the Security Driver and the Secure Transportation function comes into the Association's network, our members and we feel that we need to make the community aware of this important news. So here are a few news items that have come out lately that we hope can assist you. The first news item that got our attention and was the catalyst for the episode. An article from Automotive Fleet shared a statistic from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) that mentions that 11,000 accidents are caused every year due to defective tires.  The one that caught our attention was from Autoweek Magazine – Why Do Run-Flat Tires Suck? Science, and Tradeoffs We respectfully disagree with them. The article talks about the Self-Supporting Run Flats System. These are not the type of Run-Flat that is used in most Security and Armored Vehicles. We are a big fan of Consumer Reports. We feel that they conduct the most accurate and unbiased analysis of vehicle and vehicle products. Their article – Why Tires Go Flat in Cold Weather is another news piece that got our attention. Electric Vehicles (EV's) are here to stay; as we have mentioned in the past, it is not if – but when – Security Drivers and Secure Transportation Providers will be driving electric vehicles. But in the news recently, there has been a great deal of attention focused on a particular component of the EV that needs to be examined – tires.  Full show notes and links are available at securitydriver.com.

The question that many Security Drivers and Secure Transportation providers have heard – "Why do I need a Security Driver – Why can't we use a chauffeur service?" Or – why can't we use an Uber or Lyft car? A few years ago there was an article that appeared in Security Magazine, titled "What to Look for in Travel Security and Executive Protection Services."  While the article may be old the content is still valid. The author concludes that while the Executive is traveling, having a security-trained driver is paramount to a successful executive protection program. As the author emphasizes in the article, the benefits of a security-trained driver extend well beyond their greater ability to utilize a vehicle's performance capabilities, and we'll add, particularly in unfamiliar locations far from home. The article goes on to say that there is no formal definition of "security-trained driver" that exists; there is no central governing body whose credentials you can trust to lead you to the right provider. A "Security-trained driver" could mean anything from a military veteran with 20+ years of relevant experience to a taxi driver who's gone through a defensive driving program.  We respectfully disagree with that comment. Mention Links The origin of the 80% standard in the Science of Security Driving Chauffeur vs. Security Driver   Key Quotes "There has been a standard accepted by the corporate Kidnap and Ransom Insurance (K&R) and the High-Net-Worth (HNW) community for more than four decades. It is called the 80% standard." "A good chauffeur is concerned about not spilling the boss's coffee and avoiding bumps. Generally, chauffeurs can handle routine emergencies if they happen slowly. This has nothing in common with the skills needed for a trained security driver. " Full Show notes are available at SecurityDriver.Com   Join the International Security Driver Association The International Security Driver Association (ISDA) is the only organization in the world dedicated to supporting the advancement of professional Security Drivers and other Secure Transportation providers. Learn more about who we are, what we do, who we do it for, and member benefits; visit ISDACenter.Org.

In today's episode, we have three news stories to share – the driver of a Tesla charged with vehicular manslaughter, we'll take a look at a few executive vehicle's impressive skidpad tests and what that means for the security driver, and a new tech venture with Ford and ADT to combat thieves.  Full show notes and links click here