Close Protection · 5 min
How Does 24/7 Close Protection Work?
Continuous protection is a staffing exercise. The security is straightforward; keeping people sharp for weeks is not.
Shifts and rotation
Continuous cover of a single post requires multiple officers working structured shifts with proper rest between them. Twelve-hour shifts are common; anything longer degrades attention in ways that are difficult to see from the outside and obvious in an incident.
For long assignments a rotation also needs relief for days off, illness and travel.
Handovers
The weakest point in continuous cover is the change of shift. A structured handover covers what happened, what changed, what is expected in the next period and what is outstanding. Verbally and in writing.
Living with it
For residential assignments, the household has to be able to live normally around the team. Agreeing where officers are based, how they communicate and what they do not involve themselves in is part of the setup, not an afterthought.
Protection covered in this guide
24/7 Protection
Round-the-clock cover is a staffing problem before it is a security problem. Get the rotation wrong and the pr…
Residential Security
A residential requirement is rarely one person on a gate. Done properly, it is a small team, a routine, and a …
Close Protection
Close protection is not standing next to someone looking serious. It is planning, positioning, communication a…
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