Global evacuation services: for unsafe areas during disasters
More often than you think, organizations operating worldwide recognize the need for a rescue and evacuation plan. Multinationals, NGOs, governments, and news networks have seen an increased risk for staff over the last decade, due to natural and political disasters (sometimes followed by an economic crisis).
When you second employees to work abroad, having a repatriation procedure available in the case of an emergency is always advisable and part of your duty of care. If your employees work in unsafe or high-risk areas, having a backup plan will increase the chance of survival and safe return to their home country if they encounter dire situations. Think of violence and demonstrations due to political unrest, terrorist attacks, or when everyday life comes to a complete standstill when hit by a natural disaster such as an earthquake, hurricane, volcano eruption or tsunami.
Devising a plan, describing the possible impact of a catastrophe, sharing the steps of the plan, and practicing actions at the location will increase the awareness and self-reliance of your staff members and their families.
Global rescue plan in steps
A professional protection agency, preferably one that operates internationally, can advise you and help you devise a tailored plan for your organization. Depending on your specific requirements, the plan should include the following aspects:
- Identify living/working conditions
Become aware of all conditions related to working and living. Familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Where are facilities such as shops, hospitals and medical facilities, embassies, schools, etc? What is the fastest and safest way to get from home to work/school and vice versa? Get acquainted with the people you work with and understand who you can trust, no matter what.
- Identify rescue and evacuation conditions
Identify and understand what conditions create an emergency situation. Subsequently, identify a sub-plan for each individually described emergency. Not every emergency requires rescue and evacuation. However, safety actions may be necessary.
- Identify or create a shelter
Assign a trusted location for shelter or create one if there is none available. Include various requirements the shelter should meet. For instance, in the case of a natural disaster, when a chemical shield is needed, or a safe house protecting you from violence.
- Identify and install equipment and arrange escape routes
To make sure people can get to their home or shelter, make sure they know how to get there (create and rehearse escape routes ). Also, provide the necessary equipment (vehicles, satphones, public transport, GPS tracking devices, etc.), and appoint personal protection officers. Describe routes and procedures as detailed as you can, and check whether roads remain unobstructed over time.
- Ensure local communication and identify emergency contacts
List everyone who requires rescue and evacuation and how to maintain in contact with each other. Identify designated persons as contacts in the case of an emergency. Who needs to be informed? Who needs to follow up on the alert?
- Identify current obstructions and restrictions
Make sure to identify pending or new obstructions and restrictions periodically to deal with and update the plan accordingly. For instance, during a pandemic (like COVID-19) flying home is more complicated than in the case of a local incident. Also, health-related issues can cause an obstacle to getting your staff home safely.
Global evacuation services for your organization
Infinite Risks International is a Dutch-based global security agency. We employ licensed security and risk management consultants who have been trained in specialized units of the military, police and intelligence services from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Based on our experience servicing a wide variety of clients, we can advise you on setting up a tailored rescue and evacuation plan, which could include the following services.
- Evacuation coordination (for emergency, security and medical evacuations)
- Field rescue services
- Personal protection
- Remote medical assistance and medical escort (air ambulance medical transport)
- Arranging paperwork, border crossings, transportation and accommodation
- Finding local assistance, e.g., governmental and medical
- Setting up a communication network
- Emergency response and crisis management
- Travel safety training & Hostile Environment Awareness Training
- Media team protection
- Maritime security and anti-piracy training
If you would like to know more about our medical or emergency evacuation options or how we can assist you in setting up an emergency plan for your staff, please reach out to us to learn more about our annual membership options.
