Many years ago in the world of Humanitarian Help it was considered Tabu to harm teams. Times have changed and we find now that every year organisations are in danger of kidnapping or worse, even the frustration of the very people they are trying to help can be a danger.
Never the less some people go on a mission sent from their organisation and feel nothing can happen to them. Points to note straight away, although the responsibility for your safety in a country is first off the country government that may not always work out, especially if it is what is known as a “complex emergency” resources could be stretched thin on the ground especially security. In that case your organisation should look after you, but there again have security measures been cared for? Have you had any training? Do you have an Evacuation Bag? Have Security Assesments been done and when was the last time they were updated? In the end there is only one person who can get the ball rolling and that is you.
So I want to introduce you to a quick sentence ” Never Assume” for example you are sent somewhere and before you go you ask if all ok and you hear yes its all been taken care of, but when you get there nothing is ok.
Or you are on Mission and get a Radio from someone and you ask if it is fully charged “yes sure” but outside you find it is empty, you did not check because you “assumed” it was full.
Well let me tell you if you assume, then you make an “ASS of U and Me”
So what can you do? Learn, Train, Never Assume.
There are lots of places to get help if you ask, here I want to give you some information about, AWARENESS , EMERGENCY TRAINING, and EQUIPMENT.
I will where possible provide examples from the real world for example, you should always have an EVACUATION bag with you. I was in Haiti in 2010 straight after the first Earthquakes doing Urban Search and Rescue. our BOO or Base of Operations was at the Airport in Port Au Prince and each day we were in the city itself working. One day the main prison was broke open and a few thousand prisoners mainly gang members escaped.
This happened while we were working and they were between us and our base. Luckily for us they dissapeared into the forests and mountains, if not we would have had to survive with what we had and find a way out! This is just one example of many from Haiti which goes to show that even in countries which has Disasters but are considered a peacful country could change in the blnk of an eye
Once while doing Damage Assessments in the Philipines one guy we knew had to go to Tacloban to UN HQ because there was communication problems (we were on Cebu island). The guy flew with a Helicopter and later returned on it with refugees who came to Cebu. The Helicopter was a Chinook a large Helicopter capable of carrying heavy loads.
Like the one above. They were packed like sardines in a can with the little belongings they had with them. When the Chopper landed the people passed their gear forward before being able to get off including the guy I knew. When he got off he found his Gear had vanished!, never to be seen again. Obviously someone guessed that this was some gear worth having.
So you see even though you are there to help you still have to look after yourself and your things “Never Assume” that the people you are trying to help will mirror that. It does not mean they are bad sometimes it is just a Survival instinct but you have to be aware of this.
So while this site is more for the Humanitarian Help, The articles and information will certainly be of help anyone who wants to prepare.
Please feel free to coment and connect.
But please do not send any abuse or otherwise, I do check before making public
Stay Safe and see you soon