From the Mobile Squad to the United Nations: 39 Years in Security, One Handbook for Everyone
A heart attack in a restaurant, a child choking, a phone call in which a son’s voice — expertly cloned using artificial intelligence — pleads for help at home. Or a crowd gripped by terror, attempting to flee and crushing those caught in the middle who have yet to understand the danger. These are the kinds of scenarios that inspired SAFE360: Basic Safety Guide, a handbook by Raphael Edward Mercuri, a security professional with 39 years of experience, now available on Amazon Kindle.
From the Mobile Squad of the Italian State Police to the Balkans, from the Middle East to Africa, and ultimately to the United Nations, where he serves as a Security Lieutenant, Mercuri has spent his career navigating serious risks and responding to urgent situations. His work has involved protecting heads of state, ambassadors and international leaders, but above all, it has taught him that when danger strikes, fear can overwhelm anyone.
“I’ve seen trained people give in to panic. I’ve seen people with no training at all save a life because they had read how to do it.”
The handbook is aimed at people who may find themselves in a position to help but do not know how to intervene. Drawing on decades of experience, classroom training and situations handled in the field, Mercuri has distilled his knowledge into a practical guide for readers without specialist training.
A decisive influence on the book was the tragedy in Crans-Montana, where a fire broke out at the Le Constellation venue on New Year’s Eve, costing dozens of young people their lives. Mercuri reflects on how difficult it is to discuss such an event with clarity when victims, grieving families and questions of accountability are all involved. He also highlights the deeply personal dimension of the tragedy:
“My daughter is the same age as the boys and girls who died in Crans-Montana. It could have been her.”
Without claiming to reconstruct the events of that night, Mercuri stresses the importance of knowing emergency procedures before it is too late. This means learning how to recognise the early signs of a fire, identify an escape route, respond to a medical emergency or recognise when a situation is becoming dangerous. These are essential skills that should also be developed by those who manage venues, work in them or simply visit them.
The first part of SAFE360 provides guidance on first aid, from cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the Heimlich manoeuvre, as well as explaining how to recognise the symptoms of epileptic seizures, heart attacks, strokes and allergic reactions. It also addresses CBRNe emergencies and other critical situations, including earthquakes, floods, fires, power outages, assaults, drowning and crowd management.
Mercuri then turns to telephone scams involving cloned voices, deepfake risks, smartphone security, and the protection of minors and vulnerable people. Checklists, tables and emergency numbers make the information easy to consult when time is of the essence. The second part is intended for readers interested in learning more about the work of professional protection specialists. Topics include surveillance and counter-surveillance, recognising potential attempts to follow someone, planning through Plan A, Plan B and Plan C, and managing fear under pressure.
Mercuri does not present the book as an autobiography, nor as a technical manual reserved for industry professionals. His aim is to bring knowledge beyond the classroom and make it accessible to anyone who might one day need it.
“When something happens, there’s no time to look it up on Google: all you have is what’s already in your head.”
SAFE360: Basic Safety Guide is available in Kindle format on Amazon:
buy the book on Amazon.
The English-language edition is expected to be available by the end of the year.
About the Author
Raphael Edward Mercuri is a security professional with 39 years of operational experience. He began his career with the Mobile Squad of the Italian State Police before working in conflict zones across the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa, where security was a daily matter of survival. He currently serves as a Security Lieutenant with the United Nations. Over the course of his career, he has protected heads of state, ambassadors and international leaders, and trained security personnel both in the classroom and in the field. With SAFE360, he brings together, in a format accessible to everyone, the knowledge he has spent years teaching to professionals.
