FTC Team Leader Resources

Travel Evacuation Plan

Evacuation Plan Copies to be held by:

1. Team Leader (TL)
2. Team Liaison (LIA)
3. Executive Director (ED)
4. Assistant Executive Director (AED)
5. Board of Directors Member (BDM)

Prior to Departure:

Know travel advisory information for the region to which the team is traveling
US Consular Info:
(202)-647-5225
web site: http://travel.state.gov

OSAC
(202)-663-0869
web site: http://ds.state.gov/info.html

Remember:

Not even the State Dept. necessarily has the most current information.

Know US Consulate address, phone, FAX, and/or E-mail numbers for the city/region where the team will travel. Perhaps consider notifying the US Consul of org's plans to be in that region prior to arrival. Provide suggested references for travel for the team members to read. Org. must convey to the surgical team members that they are responsible for knowing as much about the region, culture, risks, personal health risks, etc. as possible. The org. cannot provide this information fully, since most of these regions are changing rapidly with respect to their impact on travelers. Obtain completed team member applications with emergency contact names, addresses, and phone numbers for all team members.

Copies on file with:

1. Team Leader (TL) and/or Liaison (LIA) (to go with them on the trip)
2. Executive Director (ED)
3. Assistant Executive Director (AED)

Require all team members to have medical evacuation/trip cancellation insurance coverage for the trip.

Require all team members to provide org. with a completed record of a physical examination within six months of departure which clears them for travel. Copies to be on file with the TL/LIA and ED/AED.

Require all team members to travel with the rest of the team throughout the trip.

Agree upon one phone number to contact, e.g. ED, in the case of an emergency.

Agree upon a designated org. spokesperson, e.g. President (PRES), Board of Directors Member (BDM), or Advisory Board Member (ABM).

Have active non-profit org. board of directors' liability insurance policy, carried by TL and on file with ED.

Agree upon how to address the media, in the case of an emergency.

Establish a phone tree of volunteers who will call others with any pertinent news.

In the Case of an Emergency

Team Leader (TL) notifies Exec. Dir. (ED) or Asst. Exec. Dir. (AED), regardless of the time. Facts are confirmed. Suggested plan of action for the team abroad and what to do domestically on their behalves is confirmed. TL calls ED/AED who assumes an emergency mode calls:

1. Spouse, next of kin, significant other, etc. designated on their trip application (no team member may travel without this information)
2. Medical evacuation insurance org., e.g. International SOS Evacuation Assurance www.intsos.com
3. Board of Directors & Advisors
4. Prayer Team
5. Contact appropriate medical personnel locally, if applicable.
6. Org. travel agent re: crisis and potential change of travel plans
7. Airlines directly, if crisis occurs after business hours
8. Contact designated funeral home, if applicable, making provisions for
   a.) autopsy
   b.) embalming
   c.) casket
   d.) air freight
   e.) shipment of mortal remains, etc. (if not addressed by air evacuation
   insurance company)
9. Speak with US Consul, if necessary, addressing such issues as
   a.) police investigation, if applicable
   b.) wiring additional funds (e.g. through Western Union)
   c.) receiving death certificate, documents
   
10. Affiliated pastors
11. Crisis/grief counselors to address team members' grief, disappointment, resentment, anger, etc.
12. Initiate, then delegate funeral/memorial service arrangements
13. Clinic(s) where org. team was operating
14. Hotels at which org. team planned to stay
15. Restaurant(s) where org. team planned to eat or have its banquet
16. Org.-affiliated lawyer re: crisis and recommended plan of action
17. Org. liability insurance agents

Media relations

1. Provide (limited vs. full-disclosure) news release
   a.) e.g. Denver area AP news wire (303)-892-5927
   b.) Org. web sites
   i.) private
   ii.)public domain
   
2. Give regular updates through org. phone tree to
   a.) org. board
   b.) spouses
   c.) significant others
   d.) travel agent
   e.) media
   f.) others. . . .
   

Team support

1. If feasible, arrange for org. representative to meet the team at the
   domestic airport of entry and accompany the team to terminal airport
2. Have org. team representatives meet the team at the airport and make
   provision to shield them, if necessary, by providing a private area to debrief
3. Consult with team psychiatrist/grief counselor re: plan of action
   (immediate, subsequent, etc.)--call/meet with team members for support as
   deemed appropriate
4. Provide comfort/support for widow and loved ones
   
   

Luggage

1. Arrange for org. volunteers to oversee receipt of org. baggage at the
   baggage carousel.
2. If baggage is missing, have org. volunteers arrange for the airlines to
   deliver the baggage to a designated point of delivery.

Org. Board Meetings

Alert BDM of needs to meet on an emergency basis, if necessary

Documentation

1. All pertinent phone conversations with related details
2. All conversations with team members
3. All media encounters
4. Other actions and/or intereractions deemed relevant
5. Precautions and care taken to thwart or lessen any negative developments
   
   

GHR 2/15/01