About Better Protectors
You Want to Feel Safe and Prepared.
We Will Show You How.
We will give you practical training that helps you before, during and after a threat to your health and safety.
Do you want to be able to take an active role in protecting yourself, your family and your co-workers? We can help you gain those skills. Better Protectors was founded with the goal of bringing quality training to law-abiding people and organizations. Our training is relevant and will fit in the context of your life, whether at home, at work or at church.
Being a Protector is more than just learning to shoot or earning a belt in a martial art. A well rounded Protector can protect themselves, provide medical aid to others (or themselves), has made their home a harder target and has developed their situational awareness to possibly avoid danger before it happens.
Alan Hughes
Alan Hughes is a decorated U.S. Army veteran and law enforcement professional with decades of experience across local, state, and federal agencies. His diverse career has included roles as a detective, traffic homicide investigator, drug interdiction specialist, and tactical team leader. He also served as a specialist in protective services, providing close protection for diplomats and government officials in both domestic and international settings.
Alan was a key member of several multi-agency task forces, including the Southwest Florida Gang Task Force, the South Florida Cargo Theft Task Force, and the regional FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. He has worked on complex investigations and coordinated with national security partners to counter threats and prevent organized crime.
As a certified instructor, Alan has trained professionals in law enforcement, corrections, and the criminal justice system. His credentials include:
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NRA Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer
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ALERRT Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) Instructor
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ALERRT Civilian Response and Casualty Care (CRCC) Instructor
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Stop the Bleed Instructor
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Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED Instructor
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Health & Safety Institute (HSI) Instructor
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Field Training Officer
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Firearms Training Systems Instructor
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Criminal Justice Driving and General Topics Instructor
He is also certified as a Gang Specialist by the Florida Gang Investigators Association and holds professional designations including:
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Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Practitioner – Florida Atlantic University
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Emergency Management Professional – FEMA
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Anti-Terrorism Security Assessor – DHS BPATS Program
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Traffic Homicide Investigator – IPTM
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Hostage Negotiator
Alan holds a bachelor’s degree in Training and Development, an associate degree in Criminal Justice, and a certificate in Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
In addition to his law enforcement background, Alan has led church safety efforts for over a decade and a half. He served as the Safety Director for a large multi-campus church and is a founding member of the Safe Church Consortium of Southwest Florida, where he has been the principal trainer since 2015. He consults and trains churches across the country on violence prevention, emergency response, and team development.
Alan is also a board member for a Southwest Florida nonprofit that fights human trafficking and supports survivors through advocacy, education, and direct outreach.
He is a proud father, husband, and Florida State football fan. He is also a proud Kentucky Colonel. Outside of work, Alan enjoys good coffee, Star Wars movies, and sharing terrible dad jokes.
Experience and Delivery
Our instructors bring real world law enforcement, military, medical and church security experience into every class and present it in a way that you can apply to your life.
David is a security expert, tactical instructor, and licensed nurse with over 20 years of combined military, medical, and personal safety experience. He began his career in the United States Air Force, where he specialized in law enforcement, physical security, detainee operations, and corrections. His service included both domestic assignments and overseas deployments.
During his 10-year military career, David received advanced training in combat operations, SWAT tactics, long-range precision shooting, and nonlethal weapons. He became a certified instructor in explosive detection, combatives, active shooter response, and mass casualty preparedness. He also served as a Nonlethal Individual Weapons Instructor for the U.S. Armed Forces.
David holds multiple nationally recognized safety and firearms instructor certifications, including:
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NRA Pistol Instructor
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NRA Refuse to Be a Victim Instructor
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ALERRT Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) Instructor
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Stop the Bleed Instructor (First Care Providers)
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NRA Range Safety Officer
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Church Safety Instructor – Safe Church Consortium of SW Florida
In the area of emergency response, David started as a Combat Lifesaver and later became a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT). He currently holds a Florida license as a Registered Nurse (RN) and an associate degree in nursing.
David is also a Certified Human Trafficking Investigator through the McAfee Institute and has supported both investigations and public safety training efforts to fight human trafficking. He has developed courses for law enforcement agencies and civilian audiences focused on prevention and awareness.
In addition to his law enforcement and medical background, David is a certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He brings a holistic approach to personal safety and wellness, combining physical fitness with real-world tactical knowledge.
David has served as a team leader for the safety ministry of a large, multi-campus church in Southwest Florida. He continues to teach church safety, active shooter preparedness, and emergency medical response as an adjunct instructor for the Safe Church Consortium of SW Florida.
When he’s not teaching or training, David is a loving family man who loves a hot cup of coffee, long walks on the beach with his awesome wife, introducing his two kids to BJJ and recreationally strangling his friends on the mat.
