What challenge inspired this recipe?
Participants needs to be informed about the local emergency institutions, phone numbers, support options, and emergency contacts for them during their stay in the host country.
Ingredients :
- Collection of all relevant emergency phone numbers and contacts
- Collection of relevant local and international emergency information
- Sending the infosheet online (internet, e-mail contacts of participants, etc.)
- Printer for printing the infosheets for the participants and their accommodations
- Make sure to keep the infosheets up to date (one person needs to be in charge of regularly checking and updating the emergency infosheets)
Step by step guide
- Collect all emergency phone numbers and emergency contacts plus context information (in what kind of emergency contact to best contact what phone number/help service, etc.) – remember to include local and international emergency phone number (e.g. EURO emergency number additional to the local police, ambulance, fire brigade, etc. numbers) and for all kind of eventualities (e.g. also include psychological/psychiatric emergency numbers etc.)
- Create an emergency contact sheet with the most important phone numbers and information, easily read- and understandable
- Ideally add symbols/emojis/icons so the information can also be understood nonverbally
- Emergency info sheets should include information about barrier free emergency contact information (e.g. how can participants who are hard of hearing or deaf contact emergency support services).
- The emergency contact/info sheets should be sent to the volunteers and host projects before the volunteering activity starts.
- The emergency information should be given printed to the volunteers, so they can always have it with them, even without internet access
- The emergency contact/info sheet should also be displayed in the accommodations of the volunteers
- The infosheet should also include guidelines on “how to make an emergency phone call” (which information will you have to provide, guiding questions), where to find first aid tools and information, etc. and a maybe a guide on who needs to be informed in what order in which kind of cases
Important to highlight!An infosheet that participants are made aware of several times (before arrival, upon arrival, in the accommodations, etc.) and that is being discussed with them at the beginning of their project start can support them in handling crisis situations better. It is a good reference tool and back up in case an emergency or crisis should happen. |
Before you start cooking, keep in mind…
- The infosheets have to be regularly checked and updated
- Written information is usually not enough for volunteers, you should verbally discuss the emergency contacts and how to act in case of emergency with the volunteers at the project start, to make sure that they understand and remember this information
- It is important to take all (dis)abilities into consideration (e.g.what information do you need to provide so also a volunteer with visual impairment knows what to do and who to contact how in case of emergency)
