This On Call International article will discuss the following:
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- How travel risk management and emergency assistance providers support travelers during civil unrest and rapidly evolving security incidents, highlighting the importance of real-time threat assessment, traveler communication, shelter-in-place guidance, and coordinated response efforts when safety conditions deteriorate unexpectedly.
- The role of security expertise and local resources in protecting travelers during emergencies abroad, demonstrating how travel risk management teams evaluate developing situations, leverage on-the-ground intelligence, coordinate secure transportation, and identify safe locations to help reduce risk and support traveler wellbeing.
- A real-world example of assisting a student affected by violent protests while studying abroad, illustrating how timely security advice, continuous monitoring, and customized evacuation planning enabled a traveler to safely relocate to a secure location and later return to her studies once conditions stabilized.
Background
A student from the U.S. was spending the summer studying abroad in Mexico when she noticed a group of protestors near her dorm. A local student told her it was a teachers’ union and the protests should settle down by morning. However, when the student woke up the next day, the protests had turned violent and were growing increasingly disruptive. Roadblocks were forming near the protestors, and the police were using force in an effort to control the crowd. Afraid for her safety, she contacted her university’s travel risk management and emergency assistance provider, On Call International (OCI), for assistance.
On Call Steps In
The student was immediately connected with On Call’s Global Security Team. Based on the details she provided about her immediate surroundings, OCI’s security team advised her to shelter in place away from windows and with her doors locked until she received further instruction. OCI then consulted with our on-the-ground resources in Mexico to further evaluate the situation. Within minutes, OCI’s Security Team called the student to explain the recommended plan of action, which included a security escort transporting her from the dorm to a safer location in Mexico City. The Security Team also sent her an email with contact information and photos so she would recognize the team coming to her aid.
A Safe Haven
The security escort picked up the student that evening and brought her to a hotel in Mexico City, which was a safe distance from the disruption near her dorm. She remained in the hotel for several days while On Call’s Global Security Team monitored the protests. Once the protests had ceased, the team made arrangements to escort the student back to her dorm so she could continue her studies.
Want to learn even more about On Call’s global emergency assistance services and travel risk management solutions? Contact us today.
About On Call International:
When traveling, every problem is unique–a medical crisis, a political threat, even a common incident such as a missed flight. But every solution starts with customized care that ensures travelers are safe and protected. That’s why for over 30 years, On Call International has provided fully-customized travel risk management and emergency assistance services protecting millions of travelers, their families, and their organizations. Visit www.oncallinternational.com and follow us on LinkedIn to learn more.
