Bulwark Intelligence

Summer 2016 Travel Security Tips

TREND: ATTACK LEISURE SEEKERS

Terrorism is a security threat affecting just about every continent in the world today. Attackers are increasingly choosing to strike people while they are going about their daily lives or just out having fun. Terrorists have struck unsuspecting civilians at various soft target locations at work, at the beach, at their place of worship, at a restaurant, at a concert, or at the airport.

It is important that we all begin learn how to adapt to this security trend. Below are a few security tips that will help you and your families stay safe while you are out and about enjoying the summer holiday.

GTI index

HAVE A SECURITY MINDSET

  • Train yourself to have a security mindset by being aware of your surroundings.
  • Know what is going on around you, analyze actions in your immediate environment and understand how these actions can affect you.
  • One of the major ways to be aware of your surroundings is to take your eyes off your phones. This single act could save you immensely if an unprecedented disaster strikes.
  • Another way you can help develop a security mindset with other family members or travel companions, is to play the awareness game. Ask members of your group to remember details about people they come in contact with or places they go.
  • For example, after you settle in a restaurant, ask members of the group if they remember any details about the host or hostess who directed you to your seats.

 

ASSESS YOUR SURROUNDINGS

  • As soon as you enter a room, a restaurant, a concert hall, a hotel lobby etc. look for the emergency exits. Try and determine how you will get out of a situation if there was an emergency. Ask yourself “what if?”.
  • If you’re visiting a new location, familiarize yourself with the area. Try and note the general city layouts which may be in grids or surrounded by waterways. Look out for and memorize a few landmarks to help you find your bearings.
  • Know which areas to avoid. Locate and note important public safety facilities such as the nearest police stations, fire departments, hospitals, embassies or consulates. To help remember these locations, relate them to landmarks you can remember.
  • Identify and monitor the local news, weather, and traffic radio or TV channels for updates on happenings in the area.
  • When you’re out and about, know how to recognize suspicious behavior around you. keep your wallet and phones or other electronics in your front pockets to prevent yourself from being a victim of pickpockets.

Indian tourist outside buckingham palace holding a map and his camera

HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN

  • Having a contingency plan is important especially if you are travelling as a group or a family. This plan doesn’t have to be complicated.
  • Simply designate a meeting place for your group in the case you are separated during an emergency situation.
  • Ensure everyone has emergency contact numbers saved on their phones and also written down on a piece of paper on their person.

 

SELECT HOTELS AND OTHER ACCOMODATION WITH CARE

  • When Selecting Hotels make sure you read the reviews of both the hotels and the area where its located. Pay particular attention to any comments about the security setup of the hotel
  • Select hotels that have professional security and other ‘obvious’ physical security measures as these also serve as a deterrent to would-be attackers
  • When it comes to room selections, it is advisable to select a room between the 3rd and the 6th Choosing between these floors makes you less susceptible to break-ins, but it also makes it fairly easier to escape in case of an emergency.
  • Consider prepacking a small “go bag” which contains essential items, so that in case of an emergency you can just grab your go bag and …. Go. Some key things to have in your go bag include: “copies of travel documents, emergency cash, essential medicine, a phone charger, personal alarm/whistle, spare eyeglasses, and copies of photos of family and companions for identification purposes”.

gobags

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

  • Find out more about the security threats in any areas you intend on visiting. Contact Bulwark Intelligence and request information that can help you understand, prepare for and mitigate travel risks. Request for more travel information by emailing: [email protected]

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