It all started over twenty years that is the association that has seen a group of Kiwis lead the way in close protection and close combat in New Zealand and around the world.

The Todd Group’s Tank Todd learnt his close protection and close combat from the best past and present. Tank was instructor qualified under the late Col Rex Applegate a wartime bodyguard to Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt.

He has qualified as an instructor under US Marine Corps WW2 Hand to Hand Combat Instructor Charles Nelson who opened the first School of Self Defence in the United States and trained New York bodyguards. He is qualified as a Special Forces Hand to Hand Combat Master Instructor under U.S. Army Special Forces Close Combat Master Chief Instructor Lawrence Jordan, a close protection specialist to U.S. dignitaries behind enemy lines.

Combined with Lawrence Jordan he conducted the first specialist International Close Protection course at the Todd Group headquarters in Dunedin 1997 attracting members of the police, military and a royal family close protection team as well as exponents from throughout New Zealand and abroad.

Tank wrote the NZQA approved close protection course instructed at the National College of Security Personnel and Technology and trained and qualified the college close protection instructor Barrie Rice, a former Special Forces Operator and a Todd Systems of Close Combat senior instructor as well as a member of the International Close Combat Instructors Association.

Wayne Tempero a close combat exponent of the Todd Group who began training under Tank over twenty years ago has actively worked close protection and recruited operators worldwide for the past ten years. Wayne has never forgotten his roots or as he says ever found better training or people to work with.

After spending many years traveling the world and working for the rich and famous Wayne purchased the National College of Security Personnel and Technology in Christchurch and later opened the Auckland campus followed by starting Berakas Security, a company that employed many graduates of the college.

Tank, Wayne and Baz have been fully committed with offering training and operators for many years and their expertise have been in constant demand globally.

Close protection at the highest level as with military close combat instruction is very much a referral industry with the highly qualified operators and instructors securing the high risk and well paid contracts.

The clients serious about their personal protection do not want or would never entertain anything less than the best and they realise it is an expensive necessity.

In late 2002 Wayne contacted Tank and informed him he had a high profile close protection contract he wanted him to oversee early 2003 and briefed him on the contract. The contract was for the Americas Cup Alinghi Syndicate Challenge and was a high profile job with much public exposure and tens of principles to be protected.

Tank suggested Barrie Rice to be the detail leader as he had all the expertise for the job and was well used to working in high profile positions and working with the media and film industry. Tank said he would operate as the shift leader and run the land operation when Baz was working the amphibious aspects. He also would be responsible for specific roles rehearsals and practice.

It is a prerequisite that all operators must be qualified in the Todd Systems either in the military or be high ranking members of the civilian operation.

Once they had decided on the personnel for the available positions and had completed all initial negotiations, surveys and assessments it was time to take care of the logistics.

Wayne had ensured they had accommodation on the job and vehicles at the ready.

Says Tank “We then constructed our control room and set it up to our requirements as well as squaring away our barracks and mess. We would be working around the clock so meals and laundry services were needed so Wayne squared it all away.

Day one we completed the furnishing and set up of our control room and began our familiarization as well as surveys and assessments.

There were countless hours of plans and maps to be formulated, operation orders, threat assessments to be considered and points of contact to meet and introductions to be made. Codes and coms procedures had to be compiled and learnt, as well as standard operating procedures specific to roles outlined and emergency action details confirmed.”

For several of the close protection operators on this detail it was their first real job since graduating from their close protection courses and what better way to gain real life experience than working with Tank and Baz their CP tutors.

From day one the operators were drilled in the importance of the chain of command and their responsibilities and duties, reinforcing the lessons they had learnt on their close protection courses. Real operations are the making or breaking of exponents fresh off training courses and the best way to find out if they have what it takes assessing them on the job and under operational stress.

Not all civilians can work and live as a team under high stress conditions in close quarters when deprived of sleep and expected to tend to all details and respect the chain of command. This close protection job differed considerably from the usual as it was heavily influenced by maritime aspects as well as all the media considerations. Protecting over ten principles and their families in one city at the same time on land and at sea requires considerable planning and expertise.

Next close protection operators were assigned to specific principles and duties and their individual surveys and plans were compiled.

Days began at 0500 with rehearsals followed by the morning brief and daily operation orders and duties allocations for both land and sea operations. This was a joint operation with the police, Berakas Security and other local security companies and personnel.

For the police working with a specialist civilian organization on such a large-scale operation was breaking new ground and while they were heavily involved with policing we were fully committed to our principles safety and security.

Working with the Americas Cup Police and Special Tactics Group assisting each other and exchanging of information ensured all parties were well informed and benefited from utilising the maximum people on the ground.

The old secret service suit and tie was certainly not the norm for this operation except for official and Government house type functions. It was more of sailor’s shorts and shirts or tidy casual to blend in and be practically attired.

The Alinghi Syndicate could only be described as the ultimate principles as they respected the value of close protection and hired only the best to protect them.

They were the most approachable clients a close protection specialist could ever hope to work with. Mr. Ernesto Bertarelli ensured the close protection team was a working part of the challenge and his influence was the norm right through all departments of the operation.

Mr. and Mrs. Bertarelli are the nicest people and very much enjoy life associating with people of all races and positions genuinely. They know how to look after their staff and guests and it was a pleasant change to be associated with such distinguished people that cared for everyone’s welfare and were prepared to consider their close protection teams advice, understand it and support the required plans.

The detail and shift leaders were responsible for the plans, formulation and presentations and briefings to Mr. Bertarelli and the sailing and management team and received their full attention and support.

We could learn much from the Bertarelli’s and the Swiss Syndicate about etiquette, protocol and most importantly how to treat people and understand them.

Just to be able to write this article is testament to the Bertarelli’s position on being honest and open, a nice change in this day and age of big business and alternate agendas and no time for anything other than anything that will immediately benefit their bank account or inflate their ego.

The Swiss Syndicate was made up of individuals of the highest possible caliber in their fields working together collectively and professionally to win the Americas Cup.

The atmosphere was very much one of everyone being a part of the team and sharing in the success of the team. This was a great environment to work in and great working with motivated people in all departments.

In close protection when you restrict budgets or go for anything less than the best in people and equipment, you cannot provide the best service humanly possible and the Swiss Syndicate realised this and ensured all detail requirements were catered to.

Wayne’s Security Company Berakas security operation was overseen by supervisor Shelley who provided the additional manning required for such a large-scale long term and changing operation where round the clock statics were essential.

To the negatives and to see New Zealanders acting so badly in public towards Alinghi and cowardly sending hate mail was not some thing as a New Zealander to be proud of. Insults from people old enough to know better, spitting and less than friendly service or refused service certainly wasn’t in line with sportsmanship or hospitality.

Authorities who should have been impartial turned out complete with Loyal Team NZ temporary tattoos on their faces certainly wouldn’t encourage visitor’s return or continued participation in New Zealand.

We do not want to dwell on the negatives for that was for the close protection team to deal with and was professionally addressed at the time, however it is important that those not involved with the Americas Cup are aware of the bad behavior of a small element of our population.

The Bertarelli’s are passionate about sailing and fully committed to their syndicate and challenge and would expect nothing less than the same of Team NZ supporters, however to insult and threaten opposition professional sports teams and their families does nothing for our reputation.

The Holmes Show certainly changed a few things and many an opinion changed and an apology was made, which only goes to show how well informed and closely involved with sailing the many detractors were.

Even in the media opinions changed after points were expressed on the Holmes Show and we had many former individuals bent on abuse directed at Alinghi not only apologizing but now supporting them. We started to receive letters of support and people approaching us in the street apologizing for fellow kiwis bad behavior.

The atmosphere changed and the mass numbers of Team NZ supporters dwindled to an all time low. The Alinghi shop began to sell out and Russell and Brads attention was in constant demand.

To see individuals walk into the Alinghi store in a Team NZ top and walk out in an Alinghi top was unusual to say the least, however the Alinghi store soon sold out of many lines and even as early as race three Team NZ lines throughout Auckland were reduced up to 50%. The writing was on the wall.

Possibly all the ill treatment and negative press had backfired and had fuelled the efforts of the Alinghi sailing team even more if they could have been any more committed. To hear other syndicate members disturbed by the treatment of Alinghi by New Zealanders internationally was not a good advertisement for sport in our country either.

Undertaking threat assessments, completing surveys, assessing routes, sweeping premises and vehicles combined with vehicle and pedestrian escorts were constant and the amphibious aspects of the operation included scuba diving sweeps of vessels, the manning of chase boats and close protection on the race yachts and VIP vessels.

Residential and base security requirements were all decided on by the close protection team and were constantly changed to maintain security and meet changing aspects of the operation. Surveillance, counter and anti surveillance measures were in place 24 hours a day and reconnaissance was never ending.

We were responsible for the Louis Vutton viaduct presentation close protection as well as the party afterwards at the Alinghi base attended by members of all syndicates. This meant no sleep for over twenty-four hours and gave new members of the team a taste of working at the highest level under high levels of stress. There were functions at Government House and other very prestigious venues as well countless luncheon and dinner escorts.

Protecting so many principles and their family members ensured down time was restricted to a few hours sleep when available. Escorts to schools, preschools, zoos, picnics, beach walks, hair dressing salons, gyms, business meetings, hospitals etc were every day occurrences.

Operating the mailroom or ‘boom-room’ as it was named was a tireless duty daily that had to be tendered to with attention to every detail.

Planning in advance for presentations and functions where dates could not be confirmed until victory and where the weather conditions and teams agreeing to race on the day in relation to the conditions meant we had to be ready all the time.

To get to see former exponents working close protection first hand on such a high profile contract was truly satisfying.

We received all too many calls from individuals that had undertaken close protection training courses that we had never heard of; from people unknown to us looking for work but our policy is to only hire our own. For the many years we have been referred for all the major close protection contracts in New Zealand as well as our continuous global contracts and our depots of training and operators throughout Australia and South East Asia. We had police officers inquiring as to future employment with us as well as security from other syndicates.

The important thing about blooding graduate exponents is that their true abilities and short falls can be identified and individuals that prove themselves with distinction can be utilized for ongoing work or referred for other contracts to our collogues around the world. Since the Cup Final as well as securing contracts, detail members have secured individual full time positions, testament to their training and expertise.

Since the end of the Americas cup we have been inundated with work and have secured contracts for the next five plus years. In fact even with our considerable instructor and operator base we are stretched with courses and work we had confirmed overseas prior to the cup and with the new contracts it has brought.

The threat was very real during the America’s Cup and through planning, preparation and preventative measurers our clients and their race yachts were not harmed and they were free to go about winning the cup knowing we were taking care of theirs and their families safety issues.

The close protection specialists’ role starts before and doesn’t end until their principles have departed but before this would happen the Americas Cup sea presentation and the victory party at the Alinghi base the same night had to be planned and conducted.

The party was open to thousands of sailors, officials and yachting fans and once again the Bertarelli family showed what hospitality is all about with live entertainment, food stalls and beverages and a real party atmosphere.

The close protection team’s work was not over after working all night at the party as the security of the cup and sea transport to the land presentation the following day had to be tended to and then the official hand over of the cup and its security until it left New Zealand seen to.

This was a case of not only looking after people but also property and we gave the old mug a clean up before we transported it to the land presentation.

The final aspects of the job involved airport escorts and ensuring all the principles and staff traveling to Geneva for the parade left New Zealand safely.

We had a visit to our control room from Mr. Bertarelli, which was well received by the close protection team and his appreciation of our efforts and recognition of our specialist service was a true bonus and great end to a large scale high profile and totally successful assignment in New Zealand.

From here it is the annual Close Combat course in Dunedin till the end of March and then taking up the new positions and challenges created since the Americas Cup as well as conducting individual and small group specialist close protection courses at the Todd Group in Dunedin, the only depot or facility in New Zealand offering this training by Todd System Close Protection qualified instructors.

Wayne has now sold the National College of Security Personnel and Technology to take up a position overseas resulting from the Americas Cup job well done.

Tank and Baz once again have proven their professionalism and have many projects and plans for the future.

They compliment each other and are hard taskmasters expecting total commitment from their operators. This has seen them and Wayne dominate the close protection industry in New Zealand.