Short Term Missions Emergency/Crisis Policy
Check List for Team Crisis File
The Team Leader will carry a Crisis File at all times while the team is on the field.
Another copy of this file is to be left with the designated emergency contact.
The Crisis File is to contain:
An up to date copy of the team list
Copies of the Mission Trip Participant Health and Emergency Information forms
completed by each team member
Phone number of the designated Emergency Contact Person
Itinerary including hotel/lodging or local in country contact address and phone
number
Copies of itineraries of all flights.
The emergency phone number of the travel agent used for trip arrangements
The Crisis Report Form & a thorough knowledge of the Crisis Protocol Policy
For all participants under the age of 18, the original copy of the Delegation of
Parental Powers must be carried by the team leader and a copy of this document is
to be left with EPC World Outreach Department or the church sponsoring the
mission trip.
Additional Information for International Trips
Copies of first page of passport for each team member – team members should
also carry a copy of this first page in a safe location separate from their passport.
The emergency phone number and address for the nearest U.S. Embassy and
Consulate.
NOTE: Team members are to carry all needed insurance cards and information
regarding the Medical Evacuation insurance and their own personal health
insurance coverage.
STM Crisis Policy Page 1
Emergency/Crisis Protocol
EPC World Outreach recognizes the need for contingency planning as a major
component of security and crisis management. Contingency plans assist us not only in
responding to events that have occurred, but they also assist the organization in
identifying and implementing proactive steps that seek to reduce both the probability of
unwanted events occurring and the consequences and impact of those events should
they in fact occur.
Accurately and adequately understanding risk is the essential foundation for all
contingency planning and security preparation and management. A commitment to
understanding risk is an essential component of our overall member care and security
management efforts. Such a commitment requires the use of a disciplined and
structured protocol of risk assessment.
Risk assessments done by local entities will determine specific threats and situations
requiring advance contingency planning. However, there are some areas that are
sufficiently common and foreseeable that all entities need corresponding contingency
plans.
In all emergencies, you may at some point call the designated emergency contact for
aid in addressing the emergency you and your team are facing. The contact person will
be on call 24 hours a day while the team is away.
Detailed documentation is extremely important. In all emergencies you will need to
document the events by keeping a log of what happened, who is involved, dates, times,
what you did, with whom you spoke and any other important information. A crisis report
form is included for your use.
Remember: Pray at all times.
General Guidelines
No document dealing with the subject of Crisis Protocol can ever cover every situation
a team may encounter. Your most important resources will be:
 Prayer
 The host receiver/missionary or the National Christians living in the country
 The Crisis File with phone numbers and medical information for your team.
 The Crisis Management Team of the church or presbytery responsible for the trip.
STM Crisis Policy Page 2
Upon Arrival
Develop a plan to be followed in the event of an emergency
 Who is the emergency contact?
 How do you reach this person 24/7?
 Predetermine medical options to be used in the event of a medical emergency.
 Predetermine who would go to the hospital with an individual who needs medical
attention.
 What would be the means of transportation?
 Is there a translator available if needed?
 Identify at least two locations to be utilized as predetermined rendezvous points in
the event of a natural disaster or political unrest. These locations may also be
utilized in the event members are separated from each other.
Team Member Guidelines
If an emergency or crisis develops, the team will follow the guidelines listed:
 What ever action is taken the TEAM STAYS TOGETHER. There is no room for
individual action.
 Listen to the nationals in case of an emergency. Follow their instructions, especially
in the case of bites/snakes/local animals, etc.
 Make contact with the local host receiver/missionary or the local national Christians
for assistance in assessing the situation and making further contingency plans.
 Only the designated crisis personnel of the church or presbytery responsible for the
trip are to be contacted. TEAM MEMBERS ARE NOT TO CONTACT FAMILY OR
FRIENDS AT HOME. ALL COMMUNICATIONS WITH FAMILIES WILL BE
MAINTAINED BY CRISIS TEAM PERSONNEL.
 A decision for further steps to be taken will be made in conjunction with the team
leader, the local national leaders and the Crisis Management Team.
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Injuries and Medical Emergencies
In the event of medical emergency or injury
 Stabilize the patient on site if possible. Be very careful in case there are any neck
or back injuries. Stop any bleeding if you can.
 Clear any crowd away from the injured person.
 Stay with the person who has been injured. If you need to make phone calls to
seek medical help, assign someone on the team to stay by the person
 Get help in determining the medical problem and gather any resources
(medications, emergency health information).
 As the team leader you should document the date and time of all events, phone
calls, and actions you and other involved parties took. Write down what you did and
all actions medical personnel took and what resulted from those actions. Include
the names of the persons with whom you spoke.
 If it is a situation where you need to call the designated emergency contact for
assistance, be sure to meet the immediate medical needs of the individual(s) first.
Medical Emergency Assistance
HM LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
120 Fifth Avenue, Fifth Avenue Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
1-800-328-5433
Administrative Office: One Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 100, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087
Evangelical Presbyterian Church Volunteers
HTH Worldwide Travel Custom Plan
Benefits and premiums are subject to change annually.
The BENEFIT OVERVIEW MATRIX under Tab #4 in this manual includes a very brief
description of the benefit schedule of the Plan.
STM Crisis Policy Page 4
Hospitalization
In the event of hospitalization of a team member
 Document how the incident is handled. Make a log of all actions and phone calls
including the dates, times, what you did and with whom you spoke.
 If it is necessary for the individual to go to the hospital, try to take a translator to the
hospital with you.
 Make medical personnel aware of patient’s allergic reactions to medicines and use
the information supplied on the Health and Emergency Information Form.
 Notify the designated emergency contact. The emergency contact person will notify
the relatives of the team member and the nearest US Embassy or Consulate if
necessary. .
Lost Passport
For passports lost or stolen overseas, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or
Consulate.
CONTACT OVERSEAS CITIZENS SERVICES:
From within the U.S. 1-888-407-4747
From outside the U.S. 1-202-501-4444
Emergency Resources

Death of an American citizen abroad

Arrest/detention of an American citizen abroad

Sending Money

Help for American Victims of Crime Overseas

American citizens missing abroad


Abduction of a child abroad
Lost and Stolen U.S. Passports Abroad
STM Crisis Policy Page 5
Information Management
It is the intention of this policy that information flow during a crisis be carefully and
strictly directed and controlled. Incoming information such as background information,
suggestions about resources and assistance, ideas for resolution, etc. need to be
received by the Crisis Management Team. Outgoing information must be monitored
and controlled to prevent the release of confidential information, to prevent
exacerbation of the situation or the creation of secondary crises and to control the
spread of rumors.
It is EPC World Outreach policy that all information, intelligence, ideas, and
suggestions, etc. relating to a crisis be directed to the Crisis Management Team at the
earliest possible time. Any person with such information, or with suggestions for the
Crisis Management Team, shall forward the information or suggestions immediately to
the CMT.
In addition, during a crisis all information released, and all public statements about the
crisis will be made by (or with the specific approval of) the Crisis Management Team.
No member of the organization outside the CMT is authorized to make any
statement that relates in any way to an ongoing crisis. This includes statements to
internal constituencies (other members, families, etc.) as well as external
constituencies (the media, extended family, home churches, government agencies,
etc.).
Evacuation Guidelines
If a decision must be made regarding evacuation, the team leader should be under the
advisement of the missionaries/host receiver/nationals they are serving. Experience
has demonstrated that those on the field and close to the situation will have
perspectives that tend to prioritize different factors than those in leadership roles and
more geographically removed from the events. In some cases, those closest to the
scene will have access to the best information to support an evacuation decision;
however, in other cases this information will be denied to them and will only be
available to those more removed from the event.
If communication is possible, contact the designated emergency contact.
If communication is not functioning or unavailable, evacuation is mandatory under the
following conditions:
Team member’s lives are threatened or in danger.
The U.S. Embassy is calling for American citizens to depart.
A natural disaster has occurred which puts the team members’ health or safety
at risk.
STM Crisis Policy Page 6
Natural Disasters, Political Unrest
If, for any reason, your team is divided into two or more groups, they should be advised
to contact you first. If that is not possible and the team is separated, members should
proceed to predetermined rendezvous points identified upon arrival in the country
(embassy, consulate, hotel, post office, school, etc.). Avoid public demonstrations, and
never attempt to photograph them.
If the phone lines are up or cell phones are available, team members may contact the
designated emergency contact to advise them of their location and make arrangements
to meet up with the group. As team members call in, the designated emergency
contact person provides the location of other team members and the location of a
designated rendezvous point.
The designated emergency contact person contacts the State Department and the U.S.
Embassy for assistance and informs the Crisis Management Team of the situation.
Ransom/Extortion
It is the policy of EPC World Outreach that ransom or other extortion should not be
paid, nor should EPC World Outreach yield to other demands issued through the use of
hostage-taking or extortion.
If at all possible, alternative resolutions that do not involve the payment of ransom or
extortion should be sought during negotiations. The final decision on the payment of
ransom or extortion, or the concession to other demands issued through hostage taking
or extortion shall be made by the Crisis Management Team.
Detention
Governmental and Non-governmental
Do not sign anything you cannot read!
Regardless of how well you speak the language, continue to speak in English and ask
for an interpreter.
If you are going to be detained for a period of time, ask for an embassy representative.
Ensure that your team leaders have the embassy and RSO (Regional Security Officer)
phone numbers for the countries they will be travelling to and through.
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Kidnapping
It is the policy of EPC World Outreach that in cases of kidnapping or hostage taking of
our members, our staff or members of their families, their safe return shall be a priority
of the organization.
In the event of kidnapping the Team Leader will
1. Notify and request advice of the on field host receiver
2. Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate
3. Notify the designated emergency contact person. The Crisis Management Team
would then be activated.
4. Document steps taken to address the problem. Make a log of all actions and
phone calls including the dates, times, what you did and with whom you spoke.
A member of the Crisis Management Team will follow up with the U.S. State
Department Overseas Citizens Services and the U.S. Embassy or consulate in the host
country to be sure the following information has been provided:
Caller's full name, address, phone number and relationship
Name of the Person abroad
Date and place of birth
Passport number (if known)
Last known address and phone number; itinerary
Reason for their travel/residence abroad (business, tourism, etc.)
Date of last contact
Other points of contact abroad (friends, business associates, hotel, etc.)
The Crisis Management Team would then be responsible for contacting the relative or
emergency contact person listed on the Health and Emergency Information Form to
inform them of the situation.
The Crisis Management Team will document all that occurs as much as possible.
The Crisis Management Team will handle any inquiries from the media.
A source of hostage negotiation consultation and assistance is the non-profit
organization, Crisis Consulting International, which provides support to international
Christian organizations:
Crisis Consulting International
9452 Telephone Road, #223
Ventura, CA 93004
U.S.A.
Tel (+) 805-642-2549
Fax (+) 805-987-5192
Email info@CriCon.org
STM Crisis Policy Page 8
Blood Transfusion Policy (CONFIDENTAL)
The following policy related to blood transfusions is one we have put in place as the
best pre-determined course of action should the need arise. The time of an emergency
is not the time to decide what should be done. We strongly suggest you do not raise
this issue. This information is given confidentially to you for use if your participants
raise the issue. To offer this information could raise more questions than it answers.
Given the increased concern over AIDS and other blood diseases, you might expect
such a question. We want you to be prepared to show that the issue has been
addressed in order to set at ease those who might be concerned.
In the case of the need for a blood transfusion on the field, the following priority list for
donors will be followed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
an adult leader from the same church or group
an adult leader from another church group
the missionary host
a participant from the same church or group
a participant from another group
a blood bank in-country where blood testing can be verified
If a transfusion cannot be done under these priorities, an emergency flight home or the
nearest U. S. medical facility will be attempted. If a minor needs the transfusion, every
attempt will be made to contact the parents or guardian but the final decision rests with
the group leader. Any expenses incurred will be the responsibility of either the
individual or his/her parents.
STM Crisis Policy Page 9
Short-Term Mission Emergency/Crisis On-Field Report
Mission Trip Location_______________________________________
Team Leaders _____________________________________________
Date & Time of Crisis________________________________________
(What) is the Nature of the Emergency/Crisis?
Please check one below:
___ Accident
____Medical
____ Political (including terrorism)
___ Violence/crime ___ Natural disaster ____ Personal
___Other (specify) ____________________________
Briefly describe the emergency/crisis situation and tell where it occurred.
List the full name of each team member involved.
List any injuries to any team members
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What is your source of assistance?
_____ missionaries
_____ Embassy or Consulate
_____ nationals
_____professionals
_____ other (specify) __________________________________
(Who) is the Crisis Manager on the Field?
Name: ________________________________________________
Phone number: _________________________________________
Position or Title: ________________________________________
Please keep a log of all phone calls made (Use additional paper if necessary)
Date
Time
Phone Number
To Whom You Spoke
Nature of conversation
Please keep a log of actions taken (Use additional paper if necessary)
Date
Time
Include the names of individuals
with whom you spoke or
who provided assistance
List any actions carried out
STM Crisis Policy Page 11