What to expect
This intensive two-day foundational program introduces participants to the core principles of Surveillance, Surveillance Detection, and Covert Protection within modern protective operations.
Adapted from Presage Global’s full progressive SSD curriculum, the course provides a concise, operationally focused introduction for professionals who need practical knowledge without the time commitment of a longer multi-tier training program.
Participants will learn how hostile surveillance supports threat development and attack planning, how behavioral and environmental anomalies can indicate surveillance activity, and how surveillance detection and covert protection can strengthen layered security strategies.
Using a structured crawl-walk-run methodology, the program combines classroom instruction, instructor demonstrations, field exercises, and increasingly complex scenarios across foot, vehicle, and multi-mode environments.
By the end of the program, participants will have a stronger understanding of surveillance-related threats, improved situational awareness, and practical techniques they can apply within executive protection, corporate security, law enforcement, military, and protective intelligence operations.
Learning Outcomes
✅ Describe and differentiate overt, discreet, and covert protective coverage models
✅ Understand the role of surveillance in threat development and attack planning
✅ Explain the fundamentals of surveillance and surveillance detection methodology
✅ Identify common behavioral and environmental indicators associated with hostile surveillance
✅ Apply basic surveillance detection techniques in urban and residential settings
✅ Understand how covert protection and low-visibility assets support protective operations
✅ Demonstrate integrated decision-making during a practical protection-focused scenario
Instructional Methodology
The workshop utilizes a blended instructional approach consisting of approximately 40 percent lecture and facilitated discussion and 60 percent hands-on practical exercises. Progressive skill-building exercises lead into a culmination scenario designed to integrate all concepts introduced throughout the day. Instructor-led after-action reviews focus on decision-making, observation, and judgment rather
than performance grading.
Equipment Requirements
Participants should bring a smartphone. Laptops or tablets are
recommended but optional. Headphones or earbuds are encouraged for certain exercises. No specialized equipment or prior surveillanceexperience is required.
Two-Day Training Program
Introduction and Course Framing
Course objectives, intent, and expectations. Framing protection as a preventative and intelligence-informed discipline, with discussion on limitations of scope and safety considerations.
Protective Coverage
Models
Overview of overt, low-profile, and covert protection; static versus mobile coverage; solo versus team-based operations. Practical exercise mapping coverage models to real-world scenarios.
Surveillance as a Threat Process
Understanding surveillance as part of the attack cycle. Identification of surveillance objectives, roles, and indicators within urban and residential environments.
Surveillance Detection Methodology Overview
Introduction to structured surveillance detection processes, baseline development, pattern-of-life analysis, and detection techniques. Practical drills emphasizing observation and articulation.
Covert Protection and Low-Visibility Assets
Purpose and integration of covert protection. Discussion on positioning, communication, ethical considerations, and common integration failures.
Progressive Practical Exercises
Scenario-based drills combining protective coverage decisions, surveillance awareness, and detection techniques. Participants rotate roles with instructor coaching.
Culmination Exercise
Movement-based scenario in an urban or residential setting. Participants integrate coverage selection, movement planning, surveillance awareness, and detection-informed decision-making under time pressure.
After-Action Review and Close
Structured after-action review focusing on observations, decisions, missed indicators, and lessons learned. Discussion on scaling capabilities within organizations.
Meet Your Instructor:
Josh Burmeister
Josh Burmeister is an elite security specialist with extensive experience in protective operations, surveillance, and surveillance detection. With a career spanning both government and private-sector security operations, he has trained numerous professionals in advanced surveillance methodologies. His expertise in risk mitigation, operational security, and covert surveillance techniques makes him uniquely qualified to lead this intensive training workshop.
Josh worked as an overseas contractor providing static and mobile security for the intelligence community for several years across multiple deployments in various areas of operations. He also has firsthand experience as a surveillance instructor/role player within the department of defense and intelligence community training pipelines.
In addition to teaching surveillance and surveillance detection throughout multiple government agencies, Josh was also a lead instructor at a nationally recognized executive protection school, and was CEO of his own training company for security professionals before selling it and moving into training and consulting.
Attendees will gain invaluable insights from Josh’s unparalleled real-world experience and field-tested strategies to enhance their operational effectiveness.
Logistics & Registration
Course duration:
Two-Day Program
Location:
Austin, Texas
Instructor:
Josh Burmeister
Date:
November 12-13
Fee:
$1500 per participant
Participation:
Limited to 18 registrants
