EWB Health and Safety Program & Project Security (Staying alive)

1. EWB Health and SafetyProgram & Project Security(Staying alive)

2. Outline • Sensory overload/Culture shock • Pre-trip Security Information • Situational awareness/instincts • Communications • Moving Money • Crime • Embassy services

3. Does anyone have a good photo of a crowded African/Asian marketplace or airport parking lot? I want to capture just how shocking it can be to step off the plane and see the crush of people, livestock, cars, beggars, market stalls, and stuff they are likely to encounter after a 17 hours of flying. I want to fill the screen with that. This is Marrakesh (not my photo, it’s by Julian Huxley-Parlour of London) You

4. A reality check: • Every year, 80 million people travel from developed countries to less developed countries. • For every 100,000 travelers per month: 50,000 get sick, 8,000 see a physician, and 1 dies • For the every 500 to 1,000 who die annually, 50-75% die from cardiovascular and chronic disease, 20-25% from trauma (mostly motor vehicular accidents), and 4% from infectious disease. • For every 100,000 travelers annually, 2 to 8 travelers are kidnapped annually. That's 1,600 - 6,400 people a year based on the 80 million travelers. • Statistics on non-natural deaths, including date, manner of death and city and country are found on the website: • http://travel.state.gov/law/family_issues/death/death_600.html?country=0

5. Death of U.S. Citizens Abroad by Non-Natural Causes • 1061 reported deaths from non-natural causes • 267 vehicle accidents • 219 homicides (many in Mexico, mostly Tijuana and Juarez) • 133 suicides • 125 were caught in natural disasters (mostly Haiti earthquake) • 113 drownings

6. Preparation

7. Before you go: • Learn as much as you can about the host country as possible before traveling, including recent security issues/trends • Get a decent night of sleep before travel and sleep on the plane • Schedule lightly on the first day and last day of travel • Start the trail of breadcrumbs with US-based support: • Email/SMS Photo of passport/vaccination records • H&S plan with itinerary, emergency contacts, maps • Establish method of communication • Register your trip with the US State Department

8. Researching your situation • ISOS • US State Department • Travel guides • The News • Your In-country partners and associates • Other Locals * Required in HASP

9. US Department of State Travel.State.Gov • Research your country • Register your travel with the embassy • Get travel alerts by SMS to you * Required in HASP

10. EWB-USA membership no.: 11BCPA000270 Health and Security information, updated regularly Emergency extraction service Custom reports can be requested for your itinerary International SOS http://www.internationalsos.com/en/

11. United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office http://www.fco.gov.uk/ • Information provided is very concise • Often most pragmatic and current • Very well organized

12. Situational Awareness

13. In general • Don’t be alone • Don’t drink or take recreational drugs • Avoid displays of wealth • Have a means of communication • Be aware of where you are • Watch what is going on around you • Let others know where you are • Have an exit strategy • Have fun, but be purposeful

14. The Airport • Keep your medications, a change of clothes, and your money in your carry-on baggage • Avoid random offers of currency exchange or cell services, accept no packages or unknown bags • Pick up luggage quickly and always have someone watch it • The shops inside the airport are a good time to break a couple large bills

15. Business travelers in the U.S., Europe and United Arab Emirates lose or misplace more than 16,000 laptops per week. http://www.ponemon.org/local/upload/fckjail/generalcontent/18/file/LostLaptopsDell%20EMEA%20Final%208.pdf

16. Bring it Leave it • Emergency Contact Page • Cell Phone and charger • GPS • Headlamp • Extra batteries • Credit card • Copies of prescriptions for any meds that you need • Photocopy of passport/vaccination record • Your brand new laptop/camera/smartphone/iPad • Jewelry/expensive Watches • Large quantities (over $250) of cash • Nonessential vitamin supplements • Potentially offensive material (political books, religious pamphlets, anything racy) • Pepper spray

17. In Vehicles • Schedule car travel for daylight hours • Doors locked, seatbelts on. Avoid riding in pickup beds • Remind your driver to drive conservatively • Keep at least one person awake in the car and know where you are going. Use GPS to track position if you are somewhere new • Traffic stops are common in Africa. Ask your driver if there will be any on your trip and what you need to have (money, passports, etc)

18. On Buses • Be willing to pay more for a more secure reputable company • Bus depots are popular spots for theft • Have luggage in your possession at all times if possible • Valuables, money, and passports should be on person • The middle of the bus is generally the safest place in an accident and from theft • Be suspicious of people whosit unnecessarily close to you on a bus or in the terminal

19. On Trains • Keep valuables on your berth while you sleep instead of the overhead/under-seat storage • Keep the window closed while sleeping at night

20. The Market • Stay in groups • Avoid offers of currency exchange, appeals for help or money • Giving money to beggars will not make them go away • Avoid engaging with people that try to confront you in a threatening manner- Just get away • Expose cash only to pay, keep purchased items secure • Taking photographs of peoplecan arouse suspicion and anger.

21. The Community • Be respectful of local customs, but obey your instincts • Women- avoid being alone with local men • Men – avoid being alone with local women • Children will be precocious, try to get hands on everything; be patient and entertaining, but keep an eye on your gear • Beware persistent followers, people who get too friendly • Decline offers of any illicit drugs, black market currency exchange, or anything you are unsure of

22. Communications

23. Local cell phones or SIM cards • Rent or buy on arrival, from reputable vendor • Look at your own international plans, iPhones might automatically work • Program with key numbers immediately • Know limits of coverage, dead zones • Rent a satellite phone in advance: • http://www.mobal.com/satellite-phone-rental/ • http://www.satellitephonestore.com/ • http://www.satellitephonerentals.org/ • Figure out how to keep the phone charged at all times • Find out where to buy minutes • Keep the adapter somewhere close • 12V adapter • Solar charger

24. Internet cafés • Go to the café in a group and sit together so your computer is never left unattended if you leave to get soda/use bathroom • Clear the browser history and clear cookies before you leave the computer, restart it if possible. • Avoid logging into banking websites • Change your passwords when you get home

25. US Check-in contact • Does NOT have to be an EWB-USA member, but they do have to take the job seriously • Use any method (Facebook, blog, SMS, email, phone call) to check in—do so on a regular, pre-planned schedule • Brief the check-in on the itinerary and schedule. Give them a copy of the H&S plan • Make sure that the check in is ok with being available 24/7 in case something comes up. We need cell phones, not office numbers

26. Moving Money

27. Methods Cash Bank to bank transfer Western Union ATMs Mobile phone transfer Transfer to local NGO via Rotary International theft, loss, duty fees or confiscation fees, exchange rates, currency availability fees, delay, “accidental” loss availability, limits, theft Not suitable for larger amounts Transfer to local NGO via Rotary International

28. Crime

29. Prevention • Buddy system • Pay attention to your surroundings and instincts • Be vague with strangers about who you are and what you are doing • Be polite and respectful, but if you sense danger do not hesitate to be firm and extract yourself from a situation. • If you hear or see something unusual, or see locals running for cover, look for cover yourself; otherwise avoid crowds • Remember that you are subject to host country rule of law; in most cases it is very different from US law • Drugs… Don’t be anywhere near them • Avoid leaving your secure lodgings at night

30. Robberies and Property Theft • Laptop/camera/cash theft from hotel room is very common Never leave these items in open view • Secure your own physical safety as quickly as possible • If you are otherwise uninjured, make a quick, accurate tally of what was taken and alert local law enforcement • Depending on the nature/severity of the loss, contact your travel insurance provider, the US Embassy, and other affected or assisting parties bers

31. Assault • Any assault, but especially sexual assault should be treated as a medical emergency. Get to medical attention immediately • Shock can mask injuries • Emergency contraception and STD testing • EWB-USA and ISOS have resources to get you extracted and to appropriate medical facilities • EWB-USA will keep information confidential cathy.leslie@ewb-usa.org 303-478-8244

32. Carjacking/Kidnapping • Avoid nighttime driving • Keep distance between you and car in front of you • Always keep your doors locked • Be on high alert during accidents Your decision to fight should be based on • The type of attack • Environment (isolated or public) • Mental state of the attackers • Number of attackers • Weapons

33. Carjacking/Kidnapping In the event of a kidnapping, do what you can to survive, but you can play an active role in your rescue: • Make sure people miss you quickly and know where you are supposed to be • Leave breadcrumbs for rescuers to find you (write last 4 of SS #) • Gather data about your captors (appearance, names, locations, numbers, cars) • Buy some time for rescue: try to establish some rapport with your captors • Try to find your moment

34. Self-extraction is usually the least expensive and quickest option Identify alternate routes, means of returning without external support Consider funds, capability to pay via credit card or instrument for emergency transport or flights The best airport to leave from might not be the closest Emergency Exit Plan

35. Have contact numbers and a dependable means of communication Be able to give “hard” locations: street intersection, GPS coordinates, well-known landmarks or structures Be prepared to self sustain for at least 72 hours Food/Water Shelter Medications Communication Security All volunteers must carry insurance that covers extraction If you need rescue

36. US Embassy Services

37. Embassy/Consular Services • Up-to-date, often unpublished information on current political, social, and crime trends; specific areas to avoid • STEP program; registry of visiting US citizens • Replacement of passport, and certain other documents, if lost or stolen • Limited legal consulting services • Receive security alerts via SMS

38. What a Consular Officer CAN Do For You • Assist you in contacting a loved one who is traveling or residing in a foreign country • Assist you if a loved one dies while in a foreign country • Help you replace a lost or stolen passport • Visit you in jail, if you have been arrested • Provide you with a list of local attorneys who can represent you if you have been arrested • Notify your loved ones if you have been arrested • Relay requests for money or assistance to your loved ones after arrest • Work with local authorities to attempt to ensure that you are treated humanely, in keeping with local laws, and according to international human rights principles • Protest your mistreatment or abuse while you are jailed or interrogated by foreign authorities

39. What a Consular Officer CANNOT do • Have you released from jail if you have been arrested in a foreign country • Act as your personal attorney or represent you at trial • Use government funds to pay any fees or fines with which you may be charged

40. US DOS maintains capability to assist US citizens abroad in extreme emergencies A Regional Security Officer (RSO) is assigned to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security in each US embassy and most consulates In emergencies, the US DOS will extract associated non-US citizens, but those team members should be aware of the services and protections offered by their country of citizenship Special Note

41. Questions