*edited November 2016, right after the New Zealand earthquakes*
I was talking with a friend of mine the other day, and she mentioned that a good friend of hers is on the top of her “emergency to do list.” I said that was definitely a good thing, and I mentioned I did not have an emergency plan. My parents have one for the family, since we are scattered across the globe, but I had never stopped to think about personal travel emergency plans. Thanks to Ada’s semi-offhand comment, I sat down to prepare my own plan.
September happens to be national preparedness month, and students across the country will be heading off to study abroad around the globe this month as well. Read on for what I considered for my plan and what to take into account when preparing your own…
When I say emergency plans, I’m talking about what to do if there is a natural disaster, medical emergency or terrorist attack in whatever city/country you happen to be visiting. While I’ve written about travel checklists and first aid kits, I haven’t really talked about what to do if your vacation gets cut short by a full-blown disaster. (Note: this has never happened to me, so I am using my own travel knowledge and my own checklist to share with you.)
travel tips: emergency plans
First and foremost, you should leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home (or someone not traveling with you.) This way, if something does happen, at least one person already knows where you are. I’m big on this, but maybe not as big as I should be. I flit from place to place here in New Zealand and sometimes I don’t tell my family until I am already there. However, I’m in touch with people fairly often. Not only do I utilise social media to talk about my travels, I send emails home every so often to let the family know I’m heading somewhere new. I take advantage of having a cell phone – which might be expensive in places, but can be a lifeline.
If you are traveling remotely, like a week-long hike in the back country, carry a satellite phone and a GPS. These two things can ping your location if turned on, and other similar devices can be water activated (example, your kayak flips.) Hikers and travelers to back-country/mountainous terrain are hopefully already aware of how to react in avalanches or wildfires, bear attacks, or storms that come up from nowhere. If you are not, please travel with a guide who is.
I wrote down a list of things to do in various scenarios. You don’t have to have them written, but in this modern world, it’s a good idea to think about what you would do/how you will let loved ones know you are safe (or not safe, for that matter) if there is a hostage situation/bomb on your train/tsunami/earthquake. It’s scary to think about, but what would you do?
natural disaster
Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms. We are all familiar with these phenomenons. At the ten-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the media shared images of New Orleans during and after the hurricane. Stories still abound of people who went missing during the storm. Prepare yourself by knowing what potential natural disasters you could face in your travel area.
So what’s on my list? The biggest factor is to make sure you are safe. If you are in an earthquake prone place (New Zealand, Japan, Hawaii, California, Washington,) be aware of your surroundings at the hotel, in restaurants, and think about how you will stay safe inside or outside. If it’s not safe, do not attempt to leave. Follow earthquake protocol (get under a table) and follow instructions, if there are any. If you’re hanging out in the midwestern United States and a tornado siren goes off, head for the basement or an inner room with no windows. In a car, pull over and crawl into the ditch or hide under a bridge of an overpass. If there’s a tsunami warning, you might have minutes or even only seconds to get away. Head for higher ground as quickly as possible.
I tend to have semi-apocalyptic dreams from time to time. In one recently, I was walking through the city with my roommate’s dog, my computer bag on my back and a grocery bag with water and food. There were fires, tremors, and people all over the place. I remember waking up and thinking, well, I should keep an emergency pack. This is something you can have in your house and your car, similar to a first aid kit, not just while traveling. Keep granola bars and other packaged food, bottled water, flashlight, a small first aid kit, an extra shirt and pair of undies (per person), pet food for your pets, and a leash. Nearby you can keep a small carry kennel for your cat or small dog. This needs to be light enough that you or a family member/travel companion can carry it along with anything else you have the time to grab. The American Red Cross recommends having a three-day supply if you can.
However, you may have to leave someplace with literally the clothes on your body and the money in your pocket. Keep a small packet that you can grab and stuff in your pocket, and make sure it contains your passport (if in a foreign country), some cash, and a credit card. If you can, change into a pair of closed toed shoes.
If you are traveling with people, nail down a place to meet if there is a disaster. You never know if you might get separated from your family due to crowds, water, traffic, or some unknown. Hotels usually have gathering areas in case of fire, and you should too. pick a well-known landmark and a time to be there by (a couple of hours) and then pick a secondary location. If a member of your party can’t get to the first spot, they might be at the second and your whole group can travel there together. If you have a handicapped member of your party, or you’ve met someone who is, make sure they are safe! Go to them if they can’t get to you first. People who cannot help themselves, like children, elderly people, and handicapped persons, should be your first priority. Check that they have any medications (epi-pens, Parkinsons medicine, etc) and any medical information (bracelets, alert buttons if applicable.)
Emergency Contacts
If an emergency occurs, you will or course want to let loved ones know you are safe, but you may not have time or resources to do it right away. You also may not be able to do this in the traditional way. Phone lines may be down. You might be hiding under something. Think about alternative ways to let someone know where you are. Text your family or post something to Facebook/Instagram/Twitter where someone might see it. Facebook has instituted a “check-in” feature for people in areas where disasters have occurred. If you have cell data or wifi, use it. If you are traveling with others and get separated (beyond the meeting spot,) make sure that everyone knows who to call. Your entire party should have your emergency contact number (the one you established before you left) and all individuals should contact that person. That way, at least one person knows the whereabouts of everyone traveling.
Weather can hamper relief efforts, and power may be down. If you can’t get in touch with family right away, keep trying.
We will also make a note of emergency contacts in the next two disaster scenarios.
medical emergency
What do you do if you get deathly ill in a foreign country? That depends a lot on where you are. In many places, you have access to modern healthcare like hospitals. You should always make sure your health insurance will cover you while traveling, and if you are purchasing travel insurance, look into the health specifics of that as well. If you are traveling to Central Africa, India or into parts of South and Central America, you should look into what vaccinations are either required or recommended for travelers.
During your trip, if you have a high fever, bloody diarrhea, broken bones, been assaulted (sexually or otherwise) or been in a car accident, you should seek medical attention right away.
Again, make sure you are safe and then contact family. If you cannot contact family yourself, the hospital can do it for you if you are able to provide an emergency contact. This is information that you should have written or typed, in your phone or on a contact card that you keep on your person. A name and phone number is all you need, and make sure you tell the person that you will be using them as your emergency contact. This way, if they get a call from a foreign hospital, they will know what steps to take. My emergency contacts are my parents. I know that if something seriously bad were to happen to me, they would be able to make decisions regarding healthcare, transportation home or to another facility/country, or they would come to me. Your emergency contact should be able to answer basic medical questions about you if you are unable.
Any medications should be carried in your carry on bag at all times and if necessary, have some on your person for allergic reactions (epi-pens, for example.) Also, if you have an id bracelet (diabetes, etc) you should wear it while traveling.
terrorist attack
No one wants to think about a terrorist attack happening where they are, but the potential is sadly there. You only have to read the news about the attempted train attacks in Belgium, the shootings in Orlando, the Paris bombings, to know that it could happen anywhere. Even though you may not know exactly what you will do until it happens, it bears thinking about. What if you were one of the hostages in the Sydney cafe? Or at the Boston Marathon?
A lot of the above is relevant: keep yourself safe above all. Follow instructions (from gunmen or authorities; obviously this depends on where you are: are you part of a hostage situation or outside?) I remember being in Switzerland when the Sydney situation occurred, and I immediately texted my friend Kath in Melbourne to ask about our mutual friend M, who lives in Sydney. M was safe, she had gotten ahold of family and friends earlier, but it really hit home that this can happen anywhere.
One preemptive thing I always do while traveling is note the exits (emergency and regular) and I think to myself about how I would get away in a hurry. I’m also always alert to my surroundings and I know it sounds trite, but if you see something suspicious, say something to someone. Even if you don’t speak the language, you can make hand motions (and a lot of Europeans speak English) – point at a bag and then mime a person walking away, whatever.
In the aftermath of any terrorist attack (Boston, London, Madrid), chaos ensues. It really does. Phone lines can be overwhelmed, people will be everywhere, trying to help or getting in the way to get that great photo of the rescuers, sometimes weather or another attack can hamper relief efforts, you really never know. Going back to the family emergency contact: if you and your family are involved in or nearby a terrorist attack, even at home, there should be an emergency contact that everyone can get in touch with.
If you are trapped in building debris, use your shirt to cover your nose and mouth. Idaho state’s department of public safety recommends not screaming for help as it can cause you to breathe in dust and other debris, including potentially harmful chemicals, that can rapidly deteriorate your voice. Instead, tap on exposed pipes or walls to alert rescuers to your presence. Most smartphones nowadays have a flashlight on them. Don’t drain your battery, but use it to help you escape if you can.
a couple of notes:
Your family/travel emergency contact is ideally the same person, unless that person is traveling with you. A parent or other close relative for young travelers, an out of state family or friend for family members at home.
Travel insurance is SOOOOO important!
All prescription medications should be accessible to you at all times while traveling, not checked into your luggage.
The CDC has a published article about how to keep yourself safe while traveling. This includes tips on sickness and natural disasters.
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