Trust, But Verify – Managing Vendor Risk

But outsourcing close-in protection and secure transportation services introduces real operational and reputational risks – especially when assignments are fast-moving or lightly scoped.

If we fail to set expectations from the start, we open the door to everything from minor confusion to major liability.

The Reality: Vendors Can Be Assets – or Liabilities

Many seasoned professionals have been there:

A local contractor arrives wearing the wrong attire and asking the wrong questions.
A transport provider isn’t briefed on protocols or routing – and improvises.
A well-meaning security agent posts a photo from the assignment to social media, unaware of the optics or breach it creates.

These lapses, even when unintentional, undermine the trust placed in the EP detail and expose the principal, the client brand, and the protective team to unnecessary risk.

And in almost every case, the root cause is the same: a lack of clarity at the start.

The Fix: A Simple Contract “Rider”

To help address this, we’ve developed a free, field-ready EP Vendor & Contractor Rider Agreement. It’s designed for those short-term or rapid-response scenarios where traditional contracting may not keep up with operational tempo, but where standards still matter.

This short-form document includes:
Licensing and insurance requirements
Professional conduct and dress expectations
Confidentiality and media restrictions
Coordination and chain-of-command guidance
Use of force alignment
Termination and post-engagement obligations

It’s not a substitute for legal counsel, and we encourage anyone using it to consult with their company’s legal or contracting team. But it is a professional tool, written in plain language, that brings structure and accountability to outsourced EP relationships.

🔗Free EP Vendor Add-In Agreement here

Training Matters, But It’s Not Enough

It’s easy to assume that a credentialed, experienced contractor is automatically a safe hire. And to be clear – training absolutely matters. We believe strongly in the value of rigorous professional development. That’s why our own programs are certified by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) – a mark of integrity and operational relevance.

But even among well-trained professionals, assumptions can lead to failure. Training doesn’t always cover brand reputation management, nondisclosure nuances, or the political realities of operating alongside an executive team. Nor does it ensure alignment on chain of command or decision-making protocols in the field.

That’s where a clear agreement and shared standards are indispensable. They formalize what training can only suggest. They give both parties a professional structure to follow and a clear fallback when things don’t go as planned.