| 1. |
Q— |
How are requests for short-term volunteer
teams generated? |
| |
A— |
All IMB volunteer project requests are initiated by our personnel
on the field to meet specific needs that fit into their field
strategy. |
| 2. |
Q— |
What safety or security precautions are being
taken to ensure that volunteers will be safe while on the field? |
| |
A— |
The field does not cancel volunteer projects,
except in the case of extreme circumstances. The local field
missionary, who has the greatest knowledge and understanding
of any potential danger or threat to volunteer team members,
makes decisions on cancellations of volunteer projects in times
of emergencies.
• We monitor situations, and we have personnel
on the field who
monitor closely.
• Where situations dictate, a crisis management team made up of
local field and IMB staff is in place and will let the IMB regional
offices know if it becomes unsafe
for volunteers to come.
All IMB field personnel maintain current evacuation plans
for their families and any volunteers that may be serving
with them.
These plans differ by region and location, so you will
need to check with the missionaries with whom you will
be working
on the field to see what is in place.
|
| 3. |
Q— |
What do I do if I have an emergency
while traveling, while on the field, or on the way home?
Emergencies of a medical (including
emergency medical evacuation), legal, and transportation nature
may be reported to AIG. However, only medical emergencies can
be reimbursed by insurance. |
| |
A— |
DO THE FOLLOWING: Call AIG
Assist first. If you have a life or otherwise threatening
situation, GET HELP (local help appropriate
to situation), then call AIG Assist.
Call AIG Assist “Collect” from
outside the USA, at (713) 267-2525, using ID #653, policy
#902 1803, and be prepared to give them your job number. They
will initiate an appropriate course of action.
(Call AIG at 800-626-2427 from within the USA). Follow instructions
given to you by AIG Assist.*
*IMPORTANT NOTE: Changes to your flights
(including emergency evacuation) made without first contacting
AIG Assist will result in your being held responsible for
substantial costs. AIG Assist must make the arrangements
for any emergency travel, and other major expenses.
AIG Assist does not provide reimbursement for loss incurred
due to acts of war, weather, etc. while on the field. However,
they will provide assistance at no charge with changing flight
arrangements if it becomes necessary due to one of these reasons
while on a trip. They can also provide assistance (not monetary)
for other types of problems on the field, however only medical
emergencies are covered for reimbursement.
|
| 4. |
Q— |
What should I do if I need to cancel
my volunteer trip? |
| |
A— |
If you decide to cancel a volunteer assignment
for any reason, please notify your field contact as soon as
possible so they can open the project up to other groups. |
| 5. |
Q— |
Do I need to have special insurance
coverage if I go to an area that is prone to war or terrorist
attacks? |
| |
A— |
War Risk coverage insurance is available through
Adams and Associates International with rates determined on
a case-by-case basis. However, the regular coverage covers volunteers
for any medical expense incurred due to an act of terrorism.
War risk only comes into play in situations where there is an
active, declared war. The insurance carrier will notify the
IMB of any changes or additions to the war risk “list”. |
| 6. |
Q— |
What should I do if I go to the field
on a volunteer trip, and my return flight is canceled? |
| |
A— |
Volunteers should make arrangements to have access
to extra funds in case of return flights being canceled or delayed,
to cover extra costs for such things as hotels and meals.
Volunteers should also consider whether or not they should notify
their credit card companies if they plan to use their credit
card while on the field. In some instances, credit card companies
have been known to cancel cards or deny charges when the charge
is unusual. |
| 7. |
Q— |
What can I do before I go to ensure
that I am taking every possible safety and security precaution? |
| |
A— |
It would be good to monitor the State Department’s
website, which lists all travel warnings that they have in effect.
You can find this information at the Consular Information Sheets
site at <http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html>.
Just select the country for which you want to find travel warnings.
Refer to information on the web about Adams & Associates
at <http://going.imb.org/vim/Step_2/insurance.asp>,
or visit their site at <http://going.imb.org/vim/Step_2/insurance.asp>.
It is advisable for volunteers to register at the local US Embassy
in the country to which they are traveling. Some embassies now
allow registration on-line. To see if the embassy of your destination
provides this service, log in to <http://usembassy.state.gov/>.
Click on the country link. Then, click on American Citizens
Services to determine if on-line registration is allowed. In
some cases, field personnel can do this prior to the team’s
arrival. This will ensure that the volunteers are notified if
the US Embassy in that country mandates any emergency steps. |
