
Staying In Touch While Abroad
There's a lot of uncertainty in the world and so many places that used to be safe have become more and more risky. Pair that with the random outages of cellular coverage like we saw in the US last month or loss of service due to natural or manmade reasons and communication while away from home can be even more complicated. Often times when cell calls won't go through the best option is to message or text. While this post is specifically about loss of service, building these habits certainly makes emergency communication much smoother when a process is already established and muscle memory for the users. That said, we are going to wrap up this months posts sharing some of the ideas we share with groups traveling abroad. This information is typically used for corporate travel groups or mission trips to help provide consistency and peace of mind to those supporting the trip. It's a scalable plan that like everything we do adds layers to protection, planning and response when needed.
One of the services we offer is an Overwatch program that is an alternative to having a physical protective detail on the trip. Not every trip needs our team along side of them, yet we recognize a need for some remote support and an increased level of readiness. Components of our overwatch include Odin's Ravens (our protective intelligence program), development and delivery of a R.A.V.E.N. Ops Plan and / or Risk Advisory Briefing, and Coms Integration. Each of these components offers different layers of information and access to our resources. Much of it depends on the group traveling, their destination and the risks associated with the scope of their mission / work. But we always recommend a coms integration of some fashion be used even if we aren't part of the initial setup.

Communications Planning
So what does it mean? Recently we posted an article about the Signal Messaging App. By using a system like this we are able to build a group chat for the group that is deploying on the trip. The intent is that this group is the primary communication tool for the group. Changes in itinerary, day to day conversation and all the details that will make up the trip. So far this probably doesn't seem to different from how a lot of people stay in touch when traveling together. But we add a layer or two to this. We recommend adding someone to this group chat who's not on the trip. Someone who can monitor the chat and be ready to spin up any resources needed at a moments notice.
The key is finding the right person who can work across time zones, knows the group and is reliable in a crisis. Ultimately they will be the one to really get things going back at home. They can remain on the fringe and monitor things and jump in when appropriate. For higher risk destinations or organizations that don't have someone staying back, we can offer coms integration & overwatch services.
We have used this system on a variety of trips and it's always nice to have someone keeping tabs on things and ready to assist if needed. Personally I've been deployed and we've looped in a clients executive assistant who's been able to feed the group information that nobody else has. Sometimes it's a copy of a passport or critical information that was forgotten stateside or stolen. (SIDE BAR: Sometimes on an executive protection detail the protectee is not in the group chat. This is a whole different topic and often a decision that's made well ahead of a trip and other layers of communication are utilized to make sure critical information is shared with them appropriately.)

Keep the Train on the Tracks
When we setup a Coms Integration plan theres a few things that get sorted out ahead of time. These typically included communication windows, checkin / alert phrases, location sharing and general expectations that fits the groups culture, but also appropriate for the destination and associated risks.
The most basic of planning should include basic checkins and coms windows. We often checkin for notable movements (ie: landing somewhere, secure in hotel for the night, thru security on the way home) and at least once within a 24 hour period. Of course if the group chat is being used regularly this can be noted as the daily checkin. For more advanced or higher risk trips we can provide some additional operational components that provide additional layers of communication and protection and shorten the coms window or ask for multiple checking per day. Some of this may include additional apps like Life360 or even burner phones.
Check in and alert phrases can be a discreet way to notify people that somethings normal or not right. This can be followed up with a phone call or additional messages. This agreeed upon notification can be used to add people to the group or deploy additional resources according to the established plan. With a rise in "virtual kidnapping" (a topic for another time) these phrases can even act as a proof of life to avoid panic and extortion exposure. Make them easy to remember so even when under stress or jet lagged they are natural responses.

Planning + Preparedness = Peace of Mind
Don't overthink this process. Keep it simple and keep it effective. This may all seem daunting, but with some basic planning and discussion of expectations before a trip it can make getting help and communications run much smoother if (when) something happens.
We've used this program with individuals and groups who have had zero experience or exposure to communications planning and they've integrated into it seamlessly and found some peace of mind when traveling abroad.
I've worked with a lot of organizations over the years that work in a variety of fields. From emergency response, to corporate America to non-profits, one of the biggest weaknesses that is always brought up is communication. This isn't specific to our topic today, but in general. So if we have weak communications under normal operations, what will happen under abnormal circumstances without planning and practice?
If you want to learn more about travel safety, communications planning or our overwatch programs please don't hesitate to reach out! We love to help organizations become more confident and capable.
Don't forget if you're going some place with limited cell coverage or you want to add another layer with satellite coverage we have a post about the Bivy Stick device too.
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