Eastman intent on elite bodyguard standard

CERTIFIED bodyguard Brent Eastman, owner of the recently launched Eastman's Executive Protection Services' Bodyguard Firm, has pledged his company's commitment to help reduce crime in TT.

Eastman launched the bodyguard arm of the company on Saturday at the Signal Hill Micro-Enterprise Centre.

"I am ensuring that Eastman's play an integral role in assisting in whatever way that we could assist in curbing this plague that is affecting TT," he said.

Eastman said crime was a "serious thing" and everybody has a role to play in minimising the scourge.

"You can't just sit down and depend on the system to do things. If we took the opportunity to do what we ought to do, the relevant authorities will have something else of importance to do for us," he said.

The security veteran is optimistic his firm will be a national hub for the training of executive protection and dignitary protection agents. Eastman said the company's mission is to be the best in the industry.

"Our mission is pursued with passion and commitment to excellence, all aimed at maintaining client satisfaction."

Eastman's involvement in the security industry was nurtured in the cadet force of his alma mater, Scarborough Secondary School.

After leaving school, he worked at Sentinel Security Services Ltd for a short period before becoming an emergency medical technician at Scarborough General Hospital. Realising he had deviated from his career path in 2002, he joined the Defence Force Reserves, where he excelled and eventually became an instructor.

He established Eastman's Executive Protexction Services in 2014 and two years later, it became a fully registered company.

That same year, he flew out to Tampa, Florida, where he was trained as a bodyguard under the guidance of certified US-based protection specialist Lenny Bogdanos. When he excelled in training, Bogdanos encouraged him to train as an instructor. Eastman received a certificate of excellence in 2017.

The Castara native said his company has enjoyed many hallmark moments since its inception.

"One of our company's most memorable missions is when we had the responsibility of providing personal protection for a local client and son of the soil for four days in Chicago, Illinois.

"Proper training and preparation ensured that all of our logistics were outstanding and we stood shoulder to shoulder among the best in the international security industry."

Eastman added: "The difference between EEPS and the other companies is that we lead by example and our customer service is second to none."

He said apart from executive protection, the company also provides background checks for people seeking employment and those intererested in having people rent spaces in their homes or business. It also services and repairs personal and company firearms.

Although stressing the aim of the company is eventually to make an impact regionally and internationally, Eastman said giving back to community is also important, so the company will first target senior citizens' homes in Tobago.

"Coming soon from Eastman Executive Protection Services: once in every three months, we will provide executive transportation to at least two elderly homes that are deemed as having problems with transportation on the island, to have their pension cheques changed and returned home safely."

Bogdanos, who was at the launch, told guests the talents Eastman displayed during bodyguard training allowed him to receive an instructor's shirt "because I believed in him."

He added, "Brent has been so successful, I had him write his success story in my second book that I wrote, called The Bodyguard Blueprint. So it was important for me to support him and prove to the world that Mr Eastman and his company will be successful, because he was successful enough to be in my book."