ANTI-KIDNAPPING & COUNTER CUSTODY

What Students Learn

First Strike’s online Introduction to Travel Safety Course you’ll learn how to stay safe while traveling, living, or working in a new location. This course focuses heavily on managing risk, wherever you are, and provides guidance on how to create your own personal safety and security plan based on real-world case studies. Realistic scenarios help you think through how to mitigate risk in airports, or when traveling by bus, taxi, car, train, and on foot in hotels, restaurants, and other public areas. The course also includes topics like:

• The Color Code of Awareness & You
• Developing a Safety Plan and Putting it into Action
• How to Become a Hard Target
• Predicting Criminal Behavior & Violent Attacks
• How to HandleDifficult Situations
• How to Conduct a Risk Assessment for a Destination.
• The Biggest Mistakes You Can Make When Traveling
• And much more.

Prerequisites

None. Entry Level.

Limitations

• 15 years or older with Parent/Guardians permission.

Course Pricing

• $47 USD for First Strike Members.
• $97 USD for Non-Members.
• FREE for Authorized Instructors.
• FREE for Honor Graduates.

Basic Terms

• All students must show photo ID and complete paperwork at the time of sign-in.
• Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, or Bank Draft.
• The Member Discount only applies to the Member, not additional students.
• Once a course has been paid for, there are no refunds.
• Other Terms and Conditions may apply.

What Students Learn

First Strike’s 2-day Basic Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) is designed for travelers to learn how to handle real-world risk while traveling abroad, especially to areas considered high-risk such as Mexico, Nigeria, India, Venezuela, Haiti, and Colombia. This is not a “power-point” class; it’s hands-on, stress inducing, highly realistic simulation training program that provides participants with the required know-how and skills to deal with real threats.

Some of the topics covered are:

• Risks to Travelers/Workers Overseas
• Pre-Departure Preparation
• Travel Safety and Security
• Traveler Situational Awareness
• Cultural Awareness
• Threats from Active Shooters
• Threats from Mobile Shooters & Vehicle Attacks
• Knife & Machete Attacks
• Transportation Security Management
• Security in Public Places
• Emergency First Aid
• Real-World Scenarios

Who Should Take This Class

Individuals traveling overseas and members of NGOs, media outlets and private sector companies.

Clients Served

Our clients are drawn from all areas, including:

• Aviation
• Oil & Gas
• Energy & Mining
• Construction & Engineering
• Multinationals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Maritime
• Non-Governmental Organizations
• Private Clients
• Higher Education
• Healthcare
• Hospitality & Leisure

Prerequisites

None. Entry Level.

Limitations

• 15 years or older with Parent/Guardians permission.

Course Pricing

• $497 USD for First Strike Members.
• $397 USD for Non-Members.
• FREE for Authorized Instructors.
• FREE for Honor Graduates.

Basic Terms

• All students must show photo ID and complete paperwork at the time of sign-in.
• Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, or Bank Draft.
• The Member Discount only applies to the Member, not additional students.
• Non-Refundable Deposit of $150 required to secure your spot.
• Once a course has been paid for, there are no refunds.
• Other Terms and Conditions may apply.

What Students Learn

First Strike’s online Anti-Kidnapping & Awareness Course is a convenient, learn at your own pace, modular educational program that helps students better understand how to counter possible kidnapping and similar threats.

The course includes topics like:

• The Color Code of Awareness & You
• Kidnapping Targets, Process, Motives & Resolutions
• Developing a Safety Plan and Putting it into Action
• How to act when you are approached by a stranger
• When you Should Fear Someone You Know
• Kidnapping Effects & Coping Mechanisms
• Managing a Kidnapping Event
• The Biggest Mistakes You Can Make
• And much more.

Prerequisites

None. Entry Level.

Limitations

None.

Course Pricing

• $17 USD for Non-Members ages 18 or older.
• $7 USD for Members.
• FREE for Authorized Instructors.
• FREE for Honor Graduates.

Basic Terms

• All students must show photo ID and complete paperwork at the time of sign-in.
• Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, or Bank Draft.
• The Member Discount only applies to the Member, not additional students.
• Once a course has been paid for, there are no refunds.
• Other Terms and Conditions may apply.

Overview

Acts of kidnapping whether conducted domestically, overseas, or within hostile environments are committed against individuals and their family members for monetary gain every year. We don’t peddle in fear, we’re just realists. According to estimates by US insurer AIG, about 40,000 kidnap-and-ransom cases involving business travelers are reported every year with at least 3,000 reported incidents in Mexico alone. But it is estimated that around 90% of cases do not go reported due to fear of reprisal and police corruption. Kidnapping is a serious and ongoing security threat that requires immediate mitigation and deterrence measures be put into place to protect individuals and organizations.

Topics Covered

First Strike’s online Anti-Kidnapping for Executives Course will introduce you to important information that will help you make a much more informed decision about the realities of this kind of risk, and what steps you can take to help mitigate them. It’s a practical guide to understanding how, as a business traveler, you can become a target and how to recognize if you are being placed under surveillance and highlights the value of relative unpredictability.

Some of the content covered include:

• The Color Code of Awareness & You
• Kidnapping Targets, Process, Motives & Resolutions
• Developing a Safety Plan and Putting it into Action
• The Biggest Mistakes You Can Make
• Every Day Carry (EDC) Kit, Equipment & Safety Gadgets
• Insurance, Consulates & Getting Help Abroad
• Cultural, Religious & Environmental Considerations
• Handling Difficult Situations & Defusing Confrontation
• Getting about safely; airports, taxis and public transport
• Accommodation Security
• Target Selection Process
• Surveillance and Surveillance Detection
• Real World Kidnapping Examples
• Daily Route Planning and Schedule Variance
• Typical Executive Vulnerabilities
• Emergency Reaction Guide
• Kidnapping Effects & Coping Mechanisms
• Managing a Kidnapping Event
• And much more!

Who Should Take this Course

Senior Executives, Security Managers, HR Personnel, Risk Managers, Executive Security Personnel, Executive Drivers, Corporate Boards, and anyone committed to enhancing their professional skills related to better understanding why OSHA’s “duty-of-care” clause to provide a safe travel experience consistent with “an emerging norm under customary international law” plays a direct role in ensuring that steps are taken to mitigate these kinds of risks.

Clients Served

Our clients are drawn from all areas, including:

• Aviation
• Oil & Gas
• Energy & Mining
• Construction & Engineering
• Multinationals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Maritime
• Non-Governmental Organizations
• Private Clients
• Higher Education
• Healthcare
• Hospitality & Leisure

Prerequisites

None. Entry Level.

Limitations

None.

Course Pricing

• $297 USD for Non-Members ages 18 or older.
• $97 USD for Members.
• FREE for Authorized Instructors.
• FREE for Honor Graduates.

Basic Terms

• All students must show photo ID and complete paperwork at the time of sign-in.
• Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, or Bank Draft.
• The Member Discount only applies to the Member, not additional students.
• Non-Refundable Deposit of $150 required to secure your spot.
• Once a course has been paid for, there are no refunds.
• Other Terms and Conditions may apply.

What Students Learn

First Strike’s 2-day Basic Dynamic Counter Custody Course teaches what to do if you’re forcefully taken and held against your will. You’ll learn the psychology of captivity and survival, escape from restraints and facilities, self-defense from a weakened state, evasion from recapture, acting and compliance with the authorities, and repatriation. The training is designed to be an intense, stress inducing experience. During scenarios that replicate documented kidnappings, students can expect to undergo significant physical and psychological stressors, which could be difficult and painful to some participants.

Topics covered include but are not limited to:

• Anatomy of a Kidnapping
• Becoming a Hard Target
• How to Avoid Common Mistakes
• Captivity and Survival Psychology
• Counter Interrogation Techniques
• Human, Material, and Facility Escape
• Movement in Non-Permissive Environments
• Evasion from Recapture

Schedule

Two full days. Generally 0800-1700 hours.

Prerequisites

None. Entry level course.

Limitations

• Must be 18 years or older to attend. 15, if accompanied by a parent or guardian also taking the class.
• No violent or drug felony convictions.
• No health conditions that would preclude attendance.

What To Bring

• Loose fitting but sturdy clothing, that can get dirty or damaged (ie torn, ripped, etc).
• Wrap around impact resistant eye protection.
• Water and snacks.
• A roll of duct tape.

Course Pricing

• $297 USD for First Strike Members.
• $397 USD for Non-Members.
• FREE for Authorized Instructors.
• FREE for Honor Graduates.

Basic Terms

• All students must show photo ID and complete paperwork at the time of sign-in.
• Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, or Bank Draft.
• The Member Discount only applies to the Member, not additional students.
• A $150 USD non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your place.
• Course must be paid in full 1 week before the course begins.
• Once a course has been paid for, there are no refunds.
• Instructors and Honor Graduates may attend on space-available basis.
• Other Terms and Conditions may apply.

About the Course

First Strike’s 1-dayBasic KID SAFE: Awareness & Personal Protection Course is specifically designed for children ages 8 to 12 to learn how to protect themselves from being kidnapped or abducted by individuals they may know and by strangers.

Topics Covered

One of the most important lessons we can teach is that “Stranger Danger” makes it harder for kids to figure out who they can trust. It also implies that only people they have never met are “scary” or “dangerous”, when in fact that simply isn’t true. Instead, we help them better understand that there are good people and bad people that they don’t know, and there are good people and maybe some bad people that they already know, or may have met before. This concept helps them learn skills and behaviors that will keep them safer around all people when they are on their own or with family and friends.

Some of the things they will learn are:

• That most people are good. Including strangers.
• That there are rules they need to follow when on their own or with an adult that isn’t their parents or adult in charge.
• That they need to have a safety plan anytime they are alone and with anyone who isn’t their parents or adult in charge.
• That they may need to ask a stranger for help if they’re in trouble or there is an emergency.
• That they should never go with a stranger or even someone they know without talking to their parents or adult in charge.
• How to stand and walk with awareness and respectful confidence, and how to say “no” to unwanted or inappropriate behaviors.
• How to move away from and stay out of reach of someone approaching them.
• How to walk away from a stranger without waiting even if that person is being nice or attempting to bribe or manipulate them.
• How to check first even when someone they know and trust says not to tell a secret.
• How to get help from a busy or insensitive adult if they are lost or scared.
• How to make noise, run, and get to safety in case of an emergency.
• What to say and do if a stranger approaches them at home.
• And much, much more.

Course Pricing

• Free.