Emergency Preparation

Pre-Departure

Emergency Preparedness Plans

Please review the instructions below when developing an Emergency Preparedness Plan for your program abroad. All Faculty Leaders are required to complete their plan and submit it to their Faculty Leader Portal in MyWorld four weeks prior to the program departure date.

  1. Describe the planned response to medical issues (student and faculty illness/injury, emergency and non-emergency), including the roles/responsibilities of each responder. (For example, who will take the student to the doctor/hospital? If a translator is needed, who will serve as translator? Who will stay with the other students to continue scheduled program activities?). List the hospital/clinic you are most likely to use. (Note: UNL Education Abroad will provide you with a list of hospitals/clinics in the GeoBlue Student network, but there may be a closer/better option for your program).Note if the group will spend time away from high-quality medical care, and describe the response if an illness/injury occurs during that time.
  2. List the major known risks, threats, and dangers present in the host city/cities, country/countries, and region. If the program logistics/activities present additional or unique risks, threats, and dangers, list those as well. (The Department of State, CDC, and GeoBlue Student are great resources).
  3. From the list above, select the three most likely events that may occur. Briefly describe the planned response to those events, including the roles/responsibilities of each responder.
  4. Develop a rapid communication system to reach students on site (email, cell phones, Facebook group, etc.). Develop a contingency plan in the event that students cannot be reached or are traveling. Identify primary and secondary meeting locations in a crisis or emergency if the normal means of communications are unavailable in the wake of a crisis.
  5. List out contact information (phone numbers and email) for any local program-specific individuals and/or organizations you may contact in the event of a crisis. (Note: UNL Education Abroad will provide you with a list of Lincoln-based resources, as well local contacts such as the local police/emergency line and the U.S. Embassy).


Emergency Preparation

Recommended resources:
IES Abroad MAP for Student Health, Safety, and Crisis Management
NACUBO International Resource Center: Risk Management
SAFETI Adaptation of Peace Corps Resources: Crisis Management Handbook

In addition to completing the Emergency Preparedness Plan and the Faculty Leader Portal, there are many things the leader must do to plan for student safety prior to departure and immediately upon arrival:

  • UNL Education Abroad registers all students with the local consulate/embassy in your location using the US Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Leaders should reigster their own travel in STEP, as leader travel may differ from student travel.
  • Working with on-site coordinators, assess all program logistics and activities for safety.
  • Know how to communicate with and access all key resources (abroad and in the U.S.) during a crisis.
  • Keep hard copies of students’ Emergency Contact information with you on site. It is also available online via MyWorld.
  • Keep a copy of the summary of students' Health Clearance Forms with you on-site.
  • If hiring a bus or contracting with a local travel agency, be informed about their insurance coverage. In most cases, UNL Education Abroad will raise this question in the contract process.
  • Provide participants and UNL Education Abroad with an itinerary and telephone numbers for each accommodation site. Review the contacts provided on the Emergency Contact Card.
  • Provide participants with site-specific information about potential health and safety dangers, preferably in writing.
  • Provide participants with directions for direct AND operator-assisted dialing to the U.S. from site including access codes and acceptability of coins/telephone cards/calling cards.

UNL Education Abroad reminds students prior to departure to do the following:

  • Make copies of your passport and visa (if applicable), and pack additional copies somewhere apart from the originals (suitcase, jacket, etc.)
  • Write down location specific telephone numbers for credit cards and bank cards. Write down account numbers and pack them somewhere apart from the originals (suitcase, jacket, etc.).
  • Leave copies of all the above information at home with someone you trust.

Monitor the risks of destination:

In the months prior to departure, it is also important for you to monitor the security status of the destination country, for example by reading State Department travel advisories or reviewing local news sources.

Be sure to inform students of potential risks, either in writing or in a mandatory group meeting (so that you will have witnesses to confirm that a warning was given). We recommend doing so in writing, because not everyone will be able to attend orientation meetings.

As a general rule, it is better (from both recruitment and liability standpoints) to inform students of any potential risks. It is especially important to respond to risks discussed in public forums such as the State Department travel advisories and to let students know why you think this risk does not necessitate canceling or changing the program, rather than to selectively discuss only some potential risks.

For example, if the State Department posts a warning about civil unrest in an area of your destination country which is not on the program's itinerary, it is a better idea to inform the students of the warning, to explain that the area is several hundred miles from where the program will be held, and to let them know that you personally feel this is not a serious risk but that you wanted them to be fully informed. Simply not mentioning it could invite student or parent complaints that they were not fully informed.