Conde Nast published a great article on what to do when traveling abroad during an attack. In the wake of Charlie Hebdo, the Boston Marathon bombings, additional attacks in Paris, the foiled attacks in Munich and now the tragedy in Brussels, the thought that you might be present for an attack has sadly become a reality.
It's time to stop thinking "that won't happen to me." It can. Hopefully it won't, but you should prepare for it nonetheless. If you are present during an attack, or even in a city where an attack takes place, you need to know what to do. Below is a quick "cheat sheet" on resources to utilize when traveling abroad:
- Prior to Travel:
- Add the international roaming option to your mobile phone. Over the past year, each of the major cell phone companies, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, have lowered the cost and increased the capabilities of their international plans.
- Make a list of phone numbers and email addresses that you can access if your mobile device runs out of power. Internet cafe's and hotel business centers are great places to shoot messages off to loved ones.
- Visit the U.S. State Department's Alerts and Warnings Website - this resources will give you information about where you're going and what to be cognizant of.
- While Abroad:
- Register your international travels with the U.S. State Department's STEP Program (State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
- Log into Facebook and mark yourself as "safe" with their Safety Check tool (they know where you are based on your phone's GPS functionality).
- Use the Virtual Halo app to let your emergency contacts know that you're safe
