Holbrook Travel Emergency Response Plan
I. OBJECTIVE
The objective of our Emergency Response Plan is to outline the actions our organization will take in case of serious accidents, incidents or other emergencies involving participants in a program facilitated by Holbrook Travel.
II. DEFINITION OF AN EMERGENCY
An emergency is defined as any serious incident or situation occurring during a travel program that significantly threatens a group as a whole or is an incident involving one or more participants that may have broader implications. Any reference to an emergency, serious accident or incident will be referred to as an emergency. Triggers that will activate our Emergency Response Plan:
¨ Multiple injuries resulting from a specific incident
¨ Unusual group emergency (e.g., robbery, terrorist attack, etc.)
¨ Death
¨ Injuries of a life-threatening nature
¨ Natural disaster resulting in rerouting of program and/or damage to facilities in which participants are staying or visiting
¨ Missing participants
¨ Any other serious matter that has impact on group stability and/or safety
Field Management Criteria and Requirements
Level 1 Incidents
· Flight delay that affects transfer in only
· Late cancellation(s) of 1 or more person(s) but not entire group
· No show
· Transfer not provided on arrival
· Lost/left/misplaced items
Actions:
Guide Role: Identify issues to Tour Operator, update tour operator on resolutions.
Tour Operator Role: Communicate with Holbrook to resolve issues and update on group progress.
Holbrook Role: Communicate with field providers/Airlines to resolve/communicate problem(s)
Level 2 Incidents
· Flight not booked for 1 or more person(s)
· Flight delay/change that affects services in addition to the transfer in
· Minor complaint or issue with hotel/activity/meal
· Missed or delayed confirmed services
· Minor sickness, or injury that doesn’t require visit to doctor or medical facility
· Mechanical breakdown of vehicle or vessel
· Entry requirement issues
Actions:
Guide Role: Identify issues to Tour Operator, update tour operator on resolutions. Prepare Incident Report and submit to Tour Operator.
Tour Operator Role: Communicate with Holbrook to resolve issues and update on group progress. Secure Incident Report and forward to Holbrook.
Holbrook Role: Communicate with field providers/Airlines to resolve/communicate problem(s). Incident report required for sickness and/or injury. Communicate with client on actions.
Level 3 Incidents
· Complaint about guide
· Delays that cause delay of more than 1 day of program services
· Multiple complaints/issues with field programming
· Any sickness or injury that requries medical attention
· Non violent crime
· Behaivoral contract violations by services providers or participants
Actions:
Guide Role: Identify issues to Tour Operator, update tour operator on resolutions. Prepare Incident Report and submit to Tour Operator.
Tour Operator Role: Communicate with Holbrook to resolve issues and update on group progress. Secure Incident Report and forward to Holbrook.
Holbrook Role: Create Quality Control Audit form with details of complaints/issues/etc. Communicate with field providers/Airlines to resolve/communicate problem(s) follow up with team with actions taken. Incident report required for sickness and/or injury. Follow up in field on actions.
Level 4 Incidents
· Death
· Natural Disaster
· Terrorist Attack or threat
· National Security Alert issued while group in country
· Violent Crime
Action: Holbrook Emergency Response Plan invoked.
Level 4 Incident involving Death(s)Death of a Participant, IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES – To be assigned on a case by case basis
· The traveling companion or spouse of the deceased participant will need support and guidance from on-site staff and perhaps local clergy or grief counselor.
· The group is likely to feel a sense of loss & reactions are unpredictable. We can only do what we judges best at the time, but the group will look to us to help them deal with the grief.
· The group will need to be notified. Holbrook will prepare a general statement as soon as possible rather than allowing news to filter through to the group. Tour Operator would make arrangement to get this statement to each participant.
· Holbrook and On-Site staff may need to find ways to help each other deal with feelings of grief in order to reaming supportive and helpful to the group during this time.
· Minimizing impact on individuals, as well as the program, will be a difficult challenge. The group will need support and guidance but the program must go forward.
· Below are guidelines
o Immediate Action By Guide/Tour Leader – if death occurred in public, keep people away. If you are alone with the group, ask a few participants to help with crowd control. Try not to touch anything. Contract emergency service and/or a local doctor to determine whether you should cover the body.
o Contact: Holbrook Travel and the US Embassy or Embassy of the country the person is a citizen of for assistance.
o Report: Complete and submit an Incident Report Form. The On-Site staff should email this report to as soon as possible.
o Gather belongings: If the deceased was traveling without a companion, the On-Site Staff may be asked to gather for shipment to next of kin.
o Family contact: You may be called on to notify next of kin.
o Press: Do not make any statements to the press. Refer all questions to Holbrook Travel.
o Be Responsive to the travel companion: Offer support and assistance to the traveling companion. Remember that different people react in different ways. If the traveling companion is not aware of the death, you should tell him/her in private.
EMERGENCY TEAMS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES
http://www.holbrooktours.com/fieldinformation/
Holbrook will assign specific individuals to four (4) teams as described below.
The Holbrook Emergency Response Leader (HERL) position will be filled by one of the individuals listed below in order of priority and availability:
Laurie McLaughlin, VP Air Operations
352-377-3920 home
352-538-7443 cell
352-377-7111 x311 office
Andrea Holbrook, President
352-338-2954 - home
352-538-7789 – cell
352-377-7111, x335 - office
Stephanie Kowacz, Chief Operating Officer
386-454-7459- home
352-538-0829 – cell
352-377-7111, x309 – office
HERL responsibilities:
· Activating National or International Emergency Response Teams.
· Contact the U.S. Embassy in the host country to report the emergency if necessary. Required for a death(s).
· Coordinating communication with participant, on-site coordinator and family of participants and organization or educational President, Board of Directors, Principle, etc.
· Inform Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, the insurance claims handler to report the emergency, 866.375.3838 Ext. 379 | Fax: 715.295.5078
· Communication with families involved in the emergency.
· Authorizing cash expenditures.
· Scheduling Action Plan Meeting.
· Maintaining a personal daily log of conversations and actions taken.
The Action Team Manager (ATM) position is filled by the senior person on-site in the country the emergency occurred. This position may be assumed by the Tour Leader in some regions.
ATM responsibilities:
· Coordinating communication with the Tour Leader and participants.
· Contacting a counselor, spiritual figure or therapist in cases where there has been trauma.
· Assigning personnel as needed to respond to emergency.
· Responsible for reporting to the HERL during check-in-meetings.
· Assure a written police report is secured if necessary.
· Whenever possible, obtain an emergency report from the in-country leader.
· Maintaining a personal daily log of conversations and actions taken.
· Interfacing between participants and the HERL.
· Traveling to the site as needed.
· 24-hour availability for as long as needed.
· Knowledge of / experience with area of emergency.
· Refer all questions about the emergency to the HERL.
· Preparation of Incident Report documentation.
· Assisting with coordination of emergency services.
The Tour Leader (TL) position is filled by the local guide/tour leader that is on-site with the participant(s). In some cases the Tour Leader will assume the role as the ATM.
· Coordination of transport for medical services.
· Providing guidance on where to seek emergency services such as ambulance, police, fire, rescue, first aid and etc.
· Interfacing between participants and the ATM or HERL.
· Being available at all times for onsite management of the problem.
· Providing information to the group participants.
· Assisting with securing paper work related to the incident from third parties.
· Responsible for assisting the ATM with preparation of Incident Report documentation.
The Support Team Manager (STM) position will be filled by a Holbrook Travel employee located at the Gainesville, Florida office and will be filled by one of the following individuals listed above in the HERL list or in order of priority and availability from the list below:
Pelin Karaca, Vice President of Program Development
352-377-7111, x338 – office
352-376-2576 – Home
352-316-2303 – Cell
Jennifer Hudson, Operations Manager
352-377-7111, x354 - office
352-258-2792 – Cell
STM responsibilities:
· Maintain all documentations pertaining to the emergency and for writing final report. This includes:
o Preparing master list of Emergency Response Plan team members, their contact information and other important numbers.
o Collecting personal communication logs each day.
o Attending all meetings and maintaining a comprehensive log of the event (list of action items, contact numbers, meeting/conference dates and times).
o Collecting all emergency materials (copies of emails, incident report, police reports, etc.)
· Selecting any required Support Team member who will help coordinate the logistic for all meetings, this includes:
· Providing administrative support to the HERL, ATM and TL Team.
· Reporting to the HERL during check-in meetings.
· Maintaining a personal daily log of conversations and actions taken.