Emergencies

Planning for the Unexpected

Depending on the nature of the emergency: 

1. As needed, seek immediate help locally. 
2. Contact International SOS (+1-215-942-8478) to alert them to the emergency. International SOS will assist, monitor and coordinate the situation until resolved.
3. Call Yale Security 24/7 at +1-203-785-5555; they will notify the relevant staff at Yale for further follow up.
4. As needed, contact the nearest U.S. consular service or embassy or the embassy of your country of citizenship. Ask International SOS to make such calls for you if needed

In addition to planning for classroom and course needs, it is essential to plan as much as possible for student needs outside of the classroom such as:

• A student becomes ill and needs to visit a doctor.
• A student is involved in an accident and needs to go to a hospital.
• A student suffers emotional stress and needs to talk to a psychological counselor.
• A natural disaster occurs in the host city or country.
• A terrorist attack occurs in the host city or country.
• A student's passport is lost or stolen.
• A local political situation destabilizes the host city or country.

Neither Yale nor the instructors representing Yale can be expected to ensure with absolute certainty that no physical or emotional harm will come to a student. However, we must have a plan and resources in place that allow the instructor(s) or on-site coordinator to deal effectively with adverse situations that present themselves. Therefore, a significant step in program planning should include:

1. Preparing a Resource Packet of Information Consisting of:

Yale’s Travel Assistance and out-of-country medical coverage. Become familiar with the material on the website of the Office of the Controller (Risk Management): https://ogc.yale.edu/erm/ISOS
Make sure you are familiar with International SOS resources should you need in-country support. Consult study abroad staff with any questions you have about International SOS. All program participants (i.e. students, instructors, and assistants) are covered under this plan.

2. Establishing an Emergency Action Plan

Read over the Yale Study Abroad Emergency Action Plan in the Appendix of the Instructor Handbook.

3. Reviewing the Incident Report Form

If an incident occurs while abroad, the instructor must complete the Incident Report Form within 24 hours at most. Please review this form in advance so that you know what types of incidents must be reported and what information will be required.