EU Field Security Policy

On June 7th 2006 the Council approved a "Policy of the

European Union on the security of personnel deployed
outside the European Union in an operational capacity
under Title V of the TEU" whose aim is to ensure that all
reasonable practicable measures are taken to protect
personnel deployed outside the European, Union from
harm and injury. This is referred to as "Field Security
Policy' and is set out in the document bearing the
number 9490/06.

The need for an EU FlGlCl

Security Policy

Deployment of personnel in the field in a crisis or

potential crisis situations is never entirely risk-free.
The level of threat against personnel in crisis
management operations has increased significantly in
recent years. The 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad
demonstrated that not even the neutrality of the UN is
any longer a safeguard against terrorist attacks.
Personnel working to assist others in situations of
political turmoil are not exposed to the collateral
consequences of conflict and criminal violence;
increasingly, they are also themselves becoming targets
of forces who wish to disrupt and prevent the return to
conditions of peace and stability.
EU Field Security Policy
In short, crisis management entails risk. The purpose of
security measures is to reduce risk to an operationally
acceptable level. The aim of the EU policy is therefore
to ensure that all reasonably practicable measures are
taken to protect personnel deployed on missions
outside the territory of the European Union.
Policy cove rage

This policy applies to all deployments of personnel to

the field - including:

1) General secretariat of the Council and other EU

personnel;

2) National Experts seconded to European institutions;

3) Personnel assigned by contributing Member States or

third states to a crisis management operation or to a EU

Special Representative (EUSR); and

4) International local staff contracted under the

authority of a Head of Mission (HOM), Operation and

Force commanders or EUSRs.

They can be deployed as part of a crisis management

operation including in support of non-EU led

missions/operations, or under the authority of an EUSR
whether short or long term.

Roles and ReSpOHSlbllltleS

The responsibility of the General Secretariat of the
Council in planning and managing the security of a
mission or EUSR deployment is described in the Field
Security Policy and, as far as the Security Office is
concerned, in its mandate.

Pursuant to article 14 of Decision 198/03 of the

Secretary-General/ High Representative (SG/ HR):
For the deployment of civilian GSC personnel and ~ as
appropriate civilian member State personnel in the
context of missions or field activities undertaken within
CFSP, the GSC Security Office shall ~ without prejudice
to the specific responsibility for mission security of the
Head of Mission be responsible for drawing up security
policy and standards for all such missions and field
activities.
Responsibility of the General Secretariat of the
Council is described in the Field Security Policy
GSC Security Office shall be responsible for
drawing up security policy and standards for all
missions and field activities

Council of Secunty Office

The Security Office will:

As appropriate, be included in all mission

preparation discussions and ensure that all
security-related requirements relative to the
security of the Mission, its staff and its assets
and resources are met;

Be responsible for developing and

implementing generic Field Security Directives
and supporting procedures for the
aforementioned missions and field activities
and for gauging their effectiveness;
Contribute to the development of security
requirements for Agreements or Arrangements
with the Host State relative to the security of
the EU-led mission;

Contribute to the definition of the profiles for

local contract security staff and f where such

staff need to be hired participate in the

planning of the recruitment and the selection
of such staff in co-ordination with the Mission's
staffing section;

Ensure that Mission staff receive the

appropriate briefings relative to their personal
security;

Conduct evaluations or cause evaluations to

be conducted ~ relative to the security
requirements for the protection of EUSRs;

Carry out inspections as appropriate to ensure

compliance with the Security Regulations,
Field Security Directives and supporting
procedures.
Counc1l Secunty Office
The Field Security Policy specifically attributes to the
Security Office a number of responsibilities, namely:
It shall conduct security assessments for crisis
management operations;
When an EUSR is to be deployed outside the European
Union, and at regular intervals thereafter, it shall
conduct an assessment of security arrangements for him
or her and assigned personnel in the field, drawing on
the full range of resources available, including input by
Member States, the European Commission, third States
and international organisations with a presence in the
field.

Council Secunty Office

Security Office has a number of responsibilities:
Conduct security assessments for crisis
management operations
Conduct assessment of security arrangements
for assigned personnel in the field

Field security policy attributes a number of

responsibilities:
Drawing up guidelines for implementing core
security measures
Providing guidance and advice to EUSRs and
Heads of Mission
Monitoring implementation of mission specific
security plans
In addition, the field security policy attributes a
number of responsibilities to the General Secretariat of
the Council which are exercised by the Security Office,
namely:
Drawing up guidelines for implementing the core
security measures contained in the Field Security
Policy;
Providing guidance and advice to European Union
Special Representatives and Heads of Mission on
applying measures for the security of personnel,
including on drawing up mission-specific security plans;
Monitoring, through security assessments,
implementation of mission-specific security plans and
ensuring that they are coherent across the full range of
EU crisis management operations.

The Councrl Security Office Will? (check all that apply)

Ktrn4
El ensure that all secunty-related requrrements
relative to the security of the Mission, its staff and
its assets and resources are met

D ensure that Missmn staff receive the appropriate

briefings relative to their personal security
(J D conduct evaluations - or cause evaluations to be
conducted - relative to the security requirements
for the protection of EUSRs
A n swe r
The Council Security Office
shall be responsible for
drawing up security policy and
standards for all missions and
field activities.

SITCEN and Watchkeepers

Within the General Secretariat of the Council, the EU

Joint Situation Centre (SITCEN and Watchkeepers) is a
service operating 24 hours a day to gather, assess and
provide information and evaluations of a civilian and
military nature covering aspects of the EU's role in crisis
management.

The Field Security Policy specifically attributes to

SITCEN and Watchkeepers, through SIAC (the Single
Intelligence Analysis Centre), the responsibility for
providing the Council with a risk assessment, including
defined risk ratings, of the threat against personnel in
an intended area of operation to help the Council to
take a view on security measures required before
establishing a crisis management operation.

Host State
The primary responsibility for the security and
protection of personnel employed by the European
Union rests with the Host Government. This
responsibility flows from every government's normal and
inherent function of maintaining order and protecting
persons and property within its jurisdiction.
This does not obviate the requirement for the European
Union to take adequate steps of its own to ensure the
security of its personnel, particularly if the state
authority is limited or non-existent.

EUSR/ Head of MISSIOH

In accordance with the Field Security Policy, the EUSR

will, in relation to the security of personnel, including
in the context of a crisis management mission, take all
reasonably practicable measures, for the security of
personnel under his or her direct authority. This must
take into account the security situation of his or her
geographical area of responsibility and be in conformity
with his or her mandate. He or she can then apply,
mutatis mutandis, the specific measures incumbent
upon a Head of Mission listed in the Field Security
Handbook.
The Head of Mission will take all reasonably practicable
measures, in conformity with his/her mandate and the
security situation in the area of operation, for the
security of personnel under his/ her authority.
Missmn Secu n ty Staff
Mission Security Officer:
The MSO, directly accountable to the HoM or EUSR, will
be responsible for all physical, organizational and
procedural measures related to security prevention and
preparedness and for crisis readiness as described in
the Field Security Handbook.
Wardens:
When required by the size of a mission and in order to
facilitate coordination of the security arrangements,
information and instructions, the HoM or EUSR will, in
consultation with the Security Management Team,
appoint a number of wardens (and where necessary
deputy wardens). Each of the wardens will ensure the
proper implementation of the security plan in a
particular predetermined zone. The role and
responsibilities of the warden are outlined in the Field
Security Handbook.

Question
The primary responsibility for security and protection
of personnel employed by the EU rests with...?
k SITCEN and Watchkeepers
(I c the Host Government
k SIAC
Answer
The primary responsibility for
the security and protection of
personnel employed by the
European Union rests with the
Host Government. This
responsibility flows from every
government's normal and
inherent function of
maintaining order and
protecting persons and
property within its
jurisdiction.

Secunty Phases

The security phase system serves the purpose of

adopting security measures commensurate with the

current situation in the area of activity and/ or

deployment of a mission.

There are 6 phases:

No Phase - No restrictions

Phase One - Precautionary

Phase Two - Restricted Movement

Phase Three - Relocation

Phase Four - Programme suspension

Phase Five - Evacuation

Decisions on phase changes are based:

Either on an area-specific imminent risk

established by the HoM or EUSR
Or on a change in the risk rating attributed by

the EU Joint Situation Centre (SIAC) to a

particular theatre of operations.

Please note, in geographically scattered missions,

different locations may be under different phases.

No Phase - No restrictions

Definition:
This phase is the normal one, when there are no threats
against the mission's personnel, assets, resources and
information.
Declaration:
The HoM or EUSR may declare No Phase.
Travel:
Travel should take place in accordance with the
procedures contained in the Mission Specific Security
Operating Standards (MS-SOS) and in the relevant
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Other measures:
Other measures should be in accordance with the
procedures contained in the MS-SOS and in the relevant
SOPs.

“Question
How many security phases are there? 6

Phase One – Precautionary

Definition:
Phase One should be declared when one or more
isolated incidents have happened in a part or in all the
Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the mission and these
incidents have not targeted EU personnel, assets,
resources and information.
Declaration:
The HoM or EUSR may declare Phase One
Precautionary to warn mission personnel that the
security situation in the country or in a portion of it
warrants this declaration and that they should take
action as outlined for this phase, as well as be prepared
to take action as outlined for subsequent phases.

Travel:
Implicit in the declaration of Phase One is a ban on
travel to the area where the incidents happened
without the prior clearance of the HoM or EUSR. The
necessary precautions are to be taken before and
during travel.
EU crisis management mission personnel must ensure
that the office of the HoM or EUSR is aware of their
movements within the country.

Other measures:
After notification of the declaration of Phase One to
the SG/HR and PSC, through the SITCEN and
Watchkeepers, the HoM or EUSR may take any or all of
the following actions:

Notify the Member States' representations in

the safe haven country, as well as in nearby
countries, of the implementation of Phase One;

Convene the Security Management Team (SMT)

and establish a coordination centre. It is
essential that this centre be located in a
suitable position to coordinate security
arrangements and emergency measures;

Convene a meeting of wardens with the

following agenda:

Review and update the security plan;

Check and update lists of mission personnel
and locations within the country;
Identify mission personnel members for
specific security-related tasks;

Ensure that Area Coordinators are advised to

maintain regular contact with the HoM or
EUSR;

Advise the M50 or doctor of any medical

condition which might require attention should
relocation/ evacuation be ordered;

Notify all mission personnel of the

implementation of Phase One, reminding them
to adopt the necessary precautions for all
movements and to check the validity of their
identity documents;

Advise the SITCEN and Watchkeepers of any

cases of hospitalization or other medical
problem that could need special attention;

Update essential reserves and supplies:

Refuel all EU crisis management mission

vehicles;

Check food, water and gas supplies;

Check flashlights, candles, matches and

finthMG.

Question I
What is the definition of Phase 1?
L An incident targeted at an EU. building
b ManyinCidents targeted at EU personnel
fi/c One or more isolated incidents not targeted faithU
Answer
Phase One should be declared
when one or more isolated
incidents happened in a part or
in all the Area of Responsibility
(AOR) of the mission and these
incidents have not targeted EU
personnel, assets, resources
and information.

Phase Two - Restricted

Movement

Definition:
Phase Two should be declared when one or more
isolated incidents have happened in a part or in all the
AOR of the mission and these incidents have targeted
EU personnel, assets, resources or information.
Declaration:
The HoM or EUSR may declare Phase Two Restricted
Movement to signify a much higher level of alert than the
precautionary phase and to impose important
restrictions on the movement of all EU crisis
management mission personnel.
Travel:

During this phase all mission personnel will

adopt precautionary measures in order to
prevent any kind of incident.

Travel to the areas where the incidents took

place should only occur:
When specifically authorised by the HoM or

EUSR as necessary travel; and

When they have filled out the required

clearance form.
Other measures:
Following the notification of the declaration of Phase
Two to the SG/HR, through the SITCEN and
Watchkeepers, the HoM or EUSR may take any or all of
the following actions:

Notify the Member States' representations in

the safe haven and nearby countries that
Phase Two has been implemented;

Instruct all EU mission personnel living and/or

deployed in the areas where the incidents took
place to remain at home, except those who are
required to maintain operations or implement
security measures;

Determine, in consultation with the SMT,

which staff members could be considered as
non-essential in the event that Phase Three is
implemented.
Notify all EU mission personnel deployed in
the area where the incidents took place of the
following measures they must immediately
take:

Pack one suitcase of clothing per person

(each not exceeding 15 kg). Label each
suitcase with name.

Prepare extra food to be taken in case next

phase is implemented; and

Ensure that updated copies of inventories

of personal effects are submitted for
transmission to headquarters, keeping
copies for personal records.

Notify EU mission personnel in other parts of

the country not affected by the declaration of
Phase Two that all travel to the affected area
must be cleared;

Maintain close liaison with government

authorities, as appropriate;

Obtain from host government details of any

road or rail restrictions and the current
situation of ports and airports, as applicable;

Request, as appropriate, police or army

assistance for road control and/or escort
duties in the area where the incidents took
place.

A n swe r"

Following the notification to

the SG/HR, through the SITCEN

and Watchkeepers, of the

declaration of Phase Two, the

HoM or EUSR may take a series

of predefined actions.

Phase Three - Relocation

Definition:
Phase Three should be declared when incidents have
happened in a part or in all the AOR of the mission and,
even if not targeting EU personnel, assets, resources
and information, contribute to a downgraded general
situation in the Area of Responsibility.
Mandatory actions:
Phase Three Relocation is to enable the HoM or EUSR
to implement any or all of the following actions:

Temporary concentration of all EU mission

personnel in one or more sites within a
particular area;

Relocation of all EU mission personnel to

alternative locations within the country;

Relocation outside the country of all non-

essential EU mission personnel.
Essential vs. non-essential EU mission personnel:

The determination of which EU personnel are

designated as essential for security purposes
will be made by the HoM or EUSR.

When making that decision, he/she will take

into consideration the recommendations of the
SMT.

Any mission personnel that are unable to

effectively carry out their assigned tasks due
to the deteriorating security situation should
be considered non-essential.
Other measures:
With the declaration of Phase Three, the HoM or EUSR
will take all of the following actions:

Notify the Member States' representations in

the safe haven country, as well as in nearby
countries, of the implementation of Phase
Three;

Notify the host government and request

assistance as necessary;

Notify wardens and Area Coordinators to

instruct mission personnel regarding actions t(
be taken;

Brief wardens and Area Coordinators, as

necessary, on further steps that may be
required including:

transportation arrangements;
securing of housing and personal property;
and
arrangements for luggage, documents and
food;

Review other arrangements to be taken under

Phases Four and Five, including modification of
the Security Plan to take into account the
departure of some personnel;

Notify mission personnel in other parts of the

country unaffected by the declaration of
Phase Three of developments through the Area
Coordinator;
Notify the GSC Security Office that no official
travel by mission personnel or visiting HQ staff
should be undertaken without the explicit
approval of the HoM or EUSR through the GSC
Security Office.

Fielding of new mission personnel:

Specific measures necessary for the continuation of

essential program activities may be approved by the
SG/HR or the Political Security Committee (PSC).

In this respect, the fielding of any new mission

personnel which is considered essential - when
approved and duly justified by the HoM or EUSR - must
be notified to the GSC Security Office.

Question
WE. q
“Any mission personnel that are unable to effectively
carry out his/her assigned tasks due to the
deteriorating security situation should be considered
non-essential."
e True
L False
An swe r
During Phase 3 - Relocation,
any mission personnel that are
unable to effectively carry out
his/her assigned tasks due to
the deteriorating security
situation should be considered
non-essential.

Phase Four - Programme

suspensmn
Definition:
Phase Four should be declared when incidents have
happened in a part or in all the AOR of the Mission
targeting or not targeting EU personnel, assets,
resources or information but contributing to a
downgraded general situation in the AOR that makes it
impossible to pursue the activities of the mission.
Declaration:
Phase Four Programme Suspension is to enable the HoN
to recommend to the SG/ HR and PSC through the SITCEh
and Watchkeepers, a halt to the activity of the mission
in a non-secure region or in the wide Area of
Responsibility and, if the security situation so requires,
the relocation to another region of the AOR or outside
the country of all remaining EU mission personnel,
except those directly concerned with emergency
operations or security matters. All other EU mission
personnel previously considered essential to maintain
mission activities will be evacuated at this time.

In case of emergency, the HoM or EUSR could declare

Phase Four and inform the Secretary-General/ High
Representative as soon as possible thereafter, through
the SITCEN and Watchkeepers.

Actions:

With the declaration of Phase Four, the HoM or EUSR

will take all of the following actions:

Notify the Member States' representations in

the safe haven country, as well as in nearby
countries, of the implementation of Phase
Four;

Notify the host government and request

assistance as necessary;

Notify wardens or otherwise instruct EU crisis

management mission personnel on action to
be taken;

Review the Security Plan and make necessary

adjustments;

Partially activate the Evacuation Plan.

Member States' representations:

Member States' representations:

When Phase Four is declared in a mission, Member

States' representations in the safe haven country and in
nearby countries shall make preparations for possibly
receiving mission personnel should Phase Five be
declared.

Phase Five – Evacuation

Definition:

Phase Five should be declared when the general

situation in all of the AOR of the Mission is so
downgraded that the activities of the Mission become
impossible and all remaining personnel of the Mission
must leave the AOR or the Country.

Declaration:

The decision to initiate Phase Five - Evacuation, which

should be taken by the SG/ HR, signifies that the
situation has deteriorated to such a point that all
remaining EU mission personnel are required to leave.
In case of emergency, the HoM or EUSR could declare
Phase Five and inform the SG/HR as soon as possible
thereafter, through the SITCEN and Watchkeepers.
Mandatory actions:

With the declaration of Phase Five, normally by the

SG/HR, the HoM or EUSR will take all of the following
actions:

Notify the Member States representations in

the safe haven country, as well as in nearby
countries, of the implementation of Phase Five;

Activate and implement the Evacuation Plan;

Activate the Destruction Plan for sensitive

resources and information;

Notify the host government and request

assistance as necessary; and

Designate a senior locally-recruited staff

member as officer-in-charge and issue
instructions for, inter alia:

the safety and welfare of locally-recruited

staff members;
the security and safekeeping of EU
facilities, assets, resources and
information.

Member States' representations:

The Member States representations in the safe

haven country will be responsible for the
evacuated personnel in tem of organising
their reception, for assistance in finding
accommodation and for the payment of any
subsistence allowance payable to them.

They will also lend all possible assistance to

evacuated EU crisis management and EUSR
mission personnel on a reimbursable basis.

Relocation of individual members of personnel:

Situations may arise in which an individual

member of personnel of an EU crisis
management mission (internationally-
recruited or locally-recruited) is threatened
because of his/her nationality, ethnic origin or
religion. In addition, during emergencies a
personnel member may be threatened due to
the location of his/her residence.

In such cases, the HoM or EUSR may - in

consultation with the SG/HR through the
SITCEN and Watchkeepers, which will also
inform the GSC Security Office - relocate the
personnel member to an alternate location
either within or outside the mission location.

In cases of extreme urgency the HoM or EUSR

may authorise relocation within or outside the

mission location and inform the SG/HR post

facto.

Core Policy Measures

When deciding to establish a crisis management
operation or to deploy an EUSR in the field, the Council
must examine the security component within the
framework of the planning documents, including the
Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and the Operation
Plan (OPLAN) and the Joint Action in the case of EUSR
missions. The resulting security measures will be
elaborated in a mission-specific security plan and apply
to all personnel deployed as part of the operation.

Core Policy Measu res

RlSk Assessment

The purpose of risk assessments is to identify existing or

potential threats to the deployment of EU personnel in
the field and how they may affect the objectives of the
envisaged deployment.
The risk assessment process will include risk ratings
defined by the GSC which will guide the level of
protection measures to be provided for in preparing and
conducting crisis management operations.
The purpose of the security assessment is to recommend
physical, organisational and procedural measures aimed
at reducing risks identified in risk assessments to an
operationally acceptable level. The security office of the
GSC will carry out regular security assessment updates
during the course of the lifetime of a mission.
Based on the risk and security assessments and
exchanges with the parties and stakeholders,
appropriate protection measures will be put in place to
ensure an operationally acceptable level of security of
personnel, assets (including premises, transport and
communication), resources and information in the
theatre of operations.

Question
What is the purpose of the Risk Assessment?
tr to recommend physical, organisational and
procedural measures aimed at reducing risks
(”3 identify existing or potential threats to the
deployment of EU personnel in the field and how
they may affect the objectives of the envisaged
deployment
L to establish a crisis management operation
An swe r
The risk assessment process
will include risk ratings defined
by the GSC which will guide
the level of protection
measures to be provided for in
preparing and conducting crisis
management operations.

The Minimum Security

Operating Standards (MSOS)
The Minimum Security Operating Standards (MSOS) are
designed to establish standard criteria for minimum
security arrangements to ensure the safety and security
of personnel deployed in EU crisis management
operations and in support of EUSRs and to reduce risk
to the mission's assets, resources and information to an
operationally acceptable level. The MSOS set out the
mandatory minimum security standards and provide
guidance for developing and implementing a mission-
specific security plan.
In accordance with good practice, HOMs and their
SMTs, and EUSRs, regardless of the existent security
phase applicable to their missions, are required to
develop and implement a mission or country-specific
security plan, drawing on the baseline M505 and taking
into account the country-specific requirements set aut
in the security assessments conducted by the GSC
Security Office.
The M505 are presented in tabular format and set out
in a phased structure. No Phase sets out the minimum
standards at the pre-implementation phase and is
implicit to all other phases (e.g. the requirements of
MSOS under Phase Three include all the requirements of
No Phase, Phase One and Two).
Phase changes may be decided by the HOM, either based
on an area-specific imminent risk established by the
HOM, EUSR, the GSC Security Office or by a change in
the risk level attributed by the SITCEN and
Watchkeepers to a particular theatre of operations. In
addition, different geographical areas of a theatre of
operations may well be at different security phases
depending on the local threat environments. For
example, the security risk in the capital may be LOW,
while outlying areas may be at MEDIUM or HIGH. When
moving to up to a higher phase (from Phase One to
Phase Two, for example) the increased measures for the
new phase should be implemented within 60 days of the
phase change.
MSOS have been developed to define the absolute
minimum standards of equipment, structures and
procedures required at each field duty station.
The Development of MS-SOS
The development of each MS-SOS must be preceded by a
detailed and thorough threat assessment conducted by
the SITCEN and Watchkeepers.
The HOM and the SMT are responsible to develop their
MS-SOS. Only one MS-SOS is usually produced for each
country. The five steps required in the development of a
country-specific MSOS are as follows:
Step 1: Conduct a Threat Assessment and determine the
level of Risk. Confirm and communicate Security Phases
for the various areas of operation to the EU Joint
SITCEN and Watchkeepers and the Council Security
Office, taking care - inasmuch possible - to take into
account the security phasing of other international crisis
management actors active in the area.
Step 2: Compare the extant security measures in each
security Phase against those required in the ‘baseline
MSOS', and determine shortfalls, if any.
Step 3: Identify what additional measures are required
above the requirements of ‘baseline MSOS', if any.
Step 4: Once all MSOS requirements have been
considered and documented, the table should be
completed. The SMT will then concur to this mission-
specific MSOS and forward it to the Council Security
Office for review.
Step 5: The Council Security Office will authorise the
MS-SOS. The MSOS is then implemented at the country
level, with equipment obtained and installed, training
undertaken and structures put in place.

Question
Different geographical areas of a theatre of
operations may well be at different security phases
depending on the local threat environments.

c True

g False

An swe r
For example, the security risk
in the capital may be LOW,
while outlying areas may be at
MEDIUM or HIGH.

Assistance to Locally- Recrruited

Mission personnel

The HoM or EUSR must maintain a regularly updated list

of locally-recruited personnel with a view to assisting in

the event of an emergency.

A local warden system should be established to

cover all locally-recruited personnel.

Wherever appropriate, this warden system for

locally-recruited personnel could be
integrated into the warden system for EU
personnel.

In the event that all EU crisis management personnel

are temporarily removed, responsibility for the
continued operation of the EU mission's offices, to the
extent feasible, would pass to a locally-recruited senior
official (SLO).

The responsibilities of the SLo and his/ her designated

colleagues will include:

maintaining the routine operation of the office

to the extent possible;

maintaining contacts with the authorities;

ensuring to the extent possible the protection
of all mission premises and property.

Exposure to risks by the SLo and his/her colleagues

must be avoided at all cost.
Measures in Case of an
Emergency
During the various phases of the security plan, the
measures set out below will apply to locally recruited
mission personnel:

During phase one.. locally-recruited personnel... will be

alerted in the same manner as EU mission personnel.
During phase two... locally-recruited personnel... should
not report to work unless otherwise instructed.

During phase Three, Four and Five... locally-recruited

personnel...

may be after consultation - given an agreed salary

advance and, if necessary, an allowance to cover
transportation costs.

Depending on the actual situation, and in consultation

with the GSC Security Office, the HoM or EUSR may
exceptionally permit locally-recruited mission personnel
to absent themselves from the duty station on special
leave with pay or may relocate them to a safe area
within the country.

Mahaous Acts Insurance

The GSC has a duty of care for all personnel deployed

under ESDP and EUSR missions. This is defined as the
obligation to exercise a level of care towards an
individual, as is reasonable in all the circumstances, to
avoid injury to that individual or his property.

All EU personnel deployed in the field are covered by

the EU's insurance policy. Personnel deployed on EU
missions should mitigate against the risks they face by
increasing their level of training and awareness. All
personnel being deployed to LOW or MEDIUM Risk
environments must successfully complete the GSC's
Computer Based Training.

For personnel being deployed to HIGH Risk

environments they must undergo either the GSC's Hostile
Environment Security Training (HEST) or a GSC-
approved programme in their own Member State.
Similarly, non-compliance of MS-SOS measures may be
used by Malicious Acts Policy underwriters as
justification for denying or reducing compensation in
the event of an incident involving EU mission
personnel.

Question
Put the phases in the correct order from 0 to 5
Phase Three Relocation
Phase Four Programme suspension
Answer
No Phase - No restrictions
Phase One - Precautionary
Phase Two - Restricted
Movement
Phase Three - Relocation
Phase Four - Programme
suspension
Phase Five – Evacuation

http://www.newocr.com/ http://www.newocr.com/
Module 2 OCR
Working in the Field

Working in the field is becoming more and more

dangerous. EU staff are frequently targets of violence
for a host of reasons:

Animosity towards the presence of outsiders in

general or the EU in particular

A general breakdown in law and order

The nature of the work being performed

The perception that internationals will possess

much wealth that can be taken

Observation and Awareness

Your observation and awareness of the events and
situations around you and your ability to deal with
them will form the basis for your security whilst on
mission.

There are three basic elements that you need to think

about constantly:

Deter Adhere to the security framework that

you are provided with and following all the
guidelines that are recommended you will be
showing a strength of force which will make
potential attackers look for an easier target

Detect Use your observation and

understanding of the situation and threats
around you to identify problems as they arise.

This allows you to prepare for the next step in

good time and without undue concern

React The action! Sometimes the correct

reaction is to do nothing, but whatever your
chosen action is must be done as a conscious
decision and one that seeks to get you out of
trouble in the shortest timeframe with the best
overall result for you, your colleagues and the
mission
Staff Safety
While in the field, security, safety, health and welfare
are all interdependent; they must all be addressed
together as any lack of cohesion between these
elements leaves a weakness that can be exploited. In
this way staff safety stems directly from reducing
danger, minimising fear, protection from injury or loss,
and from a personal sense of well being. With all these
matters addressed staff will feel confident about facing
problems they encounter with the full knowledge of
their capabilities and the support they can expect to
receive.

What are the three basic elements of observation. and

awareness?
Deter, Detect and React
Approach, Involve, Attack
Defer, Defect, Escape
Answer
Your observation and
awareness of the events and
situations around you and your
ability to deal with them will
form the basis for your
security whilst on mission.
Personal Behav1our
As EU staff everything that you do, whether at the
office, in public or at home, reflects on our
organisation, its reputation, its popularity, its
objectives and its values. Your actions will always be
observed by others and it is their perceptions of your
behaviour that reflect on the image of the organisation
and can directly affect your safety and that of your
colleagues. Your personal behaviour has a significant
effect on your health, your safety and your security.
Conduct at Work and Home
When it comes to security there are many factors or
elements that we cannot control. One of the things we
CAN control, however, is your conduct at work and your
lifestyle outside the office. Remember, once in the field
the way you conduct your life does not stop when you
walk out of the office doors. Even when you are
relaxing at home or out with friends you are still an
ambassador for the European Union and your behaviour
should reflect it.

Respect

As representatives of a tolerant and engaging

international community you must always conduct
yourself in a manner that is respectful of all people,
regardless of ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual
orientation, age, physical condition, economic or social
status, geographical location or culture. The pluralist
and benign community that we represent needs to be
shown to be exactly that.
Personal Appearance
You should always be clean and well groomed. Dressing
in a way that might be seen as offensive to local
customs, even though it might feel more comfortable, is
a sure way to erode at the trust and friendship that is a
necessity for our security in the field. Some
organisations provide guidelines on how you should
dress in culturally specific situations, but you should
always seek advice from experienced visitors to the area
you are working in and always remember to be smarter
than you might expect, it is easier to ‘dress down’ from
being smart than to ‘dress up’ from being scruffy.
You should also note that as part of your personal
security it is better to ‘blend in’ as best you can. The
wearing of jewellery or expensive watches should
usually be considered an unsafe option.
Personal Demeanour
You should approach all situations in a calm,
professional and mature manner. Remember not to be
provocative if you are confronted with hostility or
potentially hostile situations, it is all too easy to
aggravate a situation by losing one's temper. Avoid
loud, boisterous behaviour and learn about the meaning
of body language and gestures in your location.
Question
“It’s good to stand out in the crowd so people will
know who you are and who you work for”
An swe r
You should also note that as
part of your personal security
it is better to ‘blend in’ as
best you can. The wearing of
jewellery or expensive
watches should usually be
considered an unsafe option.
Alcohol
Learn and respect the laws and customs of the country
you are working in. Do not over-indulge with alcohol,
especially in public. Understand that even small
amounts of alcohol can impair your judgement and
reactions, particularly if you do not regularly use it and
are not used to alcohol in the climate of your host
country. Driving while intoxicated is expressly
forbidden and do not drive in a car driven by an
intoxicated person. It is better to prevent a colleague
from driving intoxicated than to let them and allow
them to cause harm to either themselves or to the local
community.

Never use illegal drugs or narcotics. Be well aware in

advance of the side effects of any medication you are
taking. Many drugs, whether legally prescribed or not,
can impair your ability to act and react. Some
medicines are licensed only in particular countries and
remain illegal in others. Before departure you should
check with the EU General Council Medical Centre if you
have any doubts or are taking prescribed medicines
overseas.

Sexual Relations

Sexual activity with children, defined as any person

under the age of 18 regardless of the host country’s age
of consent, is prohibited. Exchange of money,
employment, goods or services for sex (including sexual
favours or other forms of humiliating, degrading or
exploitative behaviour) is prohibited.
Sexual relations between EU staff and beneficiaries of
EU assistance are strongly discouraged as they are
based on heavily distorted power dynamics.

Such actions may be perceived negatively by the local

community or an individual and may trigger an
emotional or cultural response that could result in
physical harm to the employee, the institution or the
beneficiary. In addition it may also undermine the
credibility, impartiality and integrity of the EU's
operations within that'area. Sexual relations may also
expose you to the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other
sexually transmitted infections and contagious diseases
unless suitable precautions are observed. In all
circumstances be aware of the types of ways in which
your relations of all types with international staff,
national staff and the local population may be
perceived.
Standards of Conduct
The values that are fundamental to our organisation
should also be the founding values that drive your
decision making in all actions: human rights, social
justice, the dignity and worth of the human person and
respect for the equal rights of all men and women.
Common elements of the Standards of Conduct are:
Demonstrating respect for people and their
cultures
Demonstrating respect for the environment
Acting with integrity and impartiality
Not using illegal substances
Not misusing power or authority
Not using sexual exploitation or sexual abuse
Not accepting gifts or bribes
a Wins are co f , f i
1 * 75 f‘f‘ffff f-‘f-‘fz’ 1 ’ i 4

Demonstrating respect for people and their

cultures
Acting with integrity and impartiality
Not using sexual exploitation or sexual abuse
AcCepting gifts or bribes
Not misusing power or authority

A n swe r
The values that are
fundamental to our
organisation should also be the
founding values that drive your
decision making in all actions:
human rights, social justice,
the dignity and worth of the
human person and respect for
the equal rights of all men and
women.
EU Core Values
The standards of conduct we have discussed are the
basis for our demeanour in our operations but the
General Secretariat of the Council of the European
Union also has a set of core values which represent all
that it strives to achieve in its operations and actions
around the world. They are the foundation of the
European culture and as such should be used as a
reference for us in all our actions in the field. They
are:

Professionalism In our work we demonstrate

integrity, professional competence, efficiency
and commitment. We are active and open-
minded in seeking solutions. We are
responsible and accountable for our work.

Esprit de corps We cooperate and

communicate so that the General Secretariat
can carry out its mission effectively and
consistently.
Impartiality We are objective in carrying out
our duties and treat all Council members
impartially in keeping with our duty of loyalty
to the Council. In our multicultural
environment, we treat all individuals with
equal respect
Secu n ty Myths
There are many stories or ideas about security that
people believe to be true and which will place the user
at much greater risk, they relate to all areas of security.
Some of them are identified here and are easy to
believe, but there are many more...

It will not happen to me as I always work in

safe places Working and living in a ‘safe’ area
greatly increases your security. However, areas
change rapidly, particularly in countries that
require international assistance, complacency
exposes us to more risk as we cease to observe
conditions with the same effectiveness.

The EU is seen as a positive force for good so

we are not a target EU staff are the subject
of attack increasingly, they are targeted by
opportunists for petty crime but also are often
used as the scapegoat by others leading to a
heightened profile and greater chance of
attack.

Security is the job of the Security Office, not

mine. There are security procedures in place
to protect me so I do not need to get involved
f Wrong. Security is reliant on everybody and
it is everybody’s job. Within the security
procedures are aspects that you must fulfil and
if you do not then you expose the remainder of
the staff, their families and the assets to risk.
You should always know what you are supposed
to do and how you might be able to assist the
security officer.

I'm only coming here once / Lightning doesn’t

strike twice f Any area is subject to risk at any
time. Holidaymakers in Thailand, Sri Lanka and
Indonesia in December 2004 felt themselves at
no risk but were devastated by the effects of
the tsunami. Another tsunami struck Sumatra a
year later.

Off L1 mlt Areas

Remember to be security conscious at all times,
especially when you are outside the office during
workdays, weekends or while on holidays.
Always be aware of the security situation within your
areas and avoid:
Religious buildings unless you are of that faith,
particularly burial grounds
All known minefields and mined areas
Recent battlefields
Any military installations, buildings or land
Any other area that has been marked as off
limits or you might consider off limits, where
security incidents have taken place previously
or areas that are politically sensitive
Question
What are the three core values of the EU as set out by
the General Secretariat of the Council of the European
Union? Select all that apply.
PfdfeSsionalism
Dress code
Preconcewed ideas
Impartiality
Answer
These are the foundation of
the European culture and as
such should be used as a
reference for us in all our
actions in the field.
Culture and Influence

Our view of the world has been constructed from our

own cultural experiences, how we were brought up and
educated, the influence of our families and how we live
in our environment as an adult. Our normal behavioural
reactions are all based on these fundamental senses of
what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in our society and are often
called ‘common sense’. This term is misleading as it
supposes that we all behave in the same ways, which we
do not.

It is essential that we understand the effects that

cultural and social norms can have on our ability to carry
out our roles. Appreciating the differences in culture
and these effects can be difficult.
When meeting people for the first time we understand
that just as our perceptions are coloured by our own
culture, theirs will be also. We must be patient and
accepting of other people’s ways of doing things.
Stereotypes, whether of societies or individuals, rarely
apply and quick judgements are a sure way to make
mistakes.

When working with other cultures we must first establish

trust. Listening carefully and adopting a formal and
polite approach will make a good start and allow you to
check your understanding carefully. Language barriers
will increase the difficulties you face but you should be
patient, flexible, positive and honest. Stating ideas in
different ways will help showcase ideas in a positive
fashion and may highlight how different cultural
approaches may be affecting issues.
A simple checklist of things to do to help cross cultural
barriers:

Cultivate reliable and credible contacts

including local elders or people of influence,
develop a list of them

Understand the current key issues affecting

the local people

Listen carefully to local concerns

Take time and make time to talk with the locals

wherever you are DAILY! Think first, then
respond and act
Use your eyes - expect the unexpected and be

alert and sensitive to new challenges

Respect elders and local customs, results in a
good reputation
Always be polite and appear calm
Learn lessons from new cultural experiences
and share them with colleagues
Learning about other cultures from those we meet and
work with is fundamental. We need to know the
customs, traditions and expectations of the country in
which we are living and we must be prepared to change
our perceptions and ways of doing things in order to
integrate and enhance our ability to function well in a
new society.
There are many places to go for information, such as:
Colleagues who have been in the area for some
time
Personnel who have experienced similar
difficulties to you can give good advice not
only on the local culture and customs, but
also on methods that they have found
effective in coping with the differences
National staff who understand your role in the
country and are used to working with
internationals
Local staff who understand your culture will
be well placed to advise you on the
differences and how to avoid the ‘classic’
mistakes that they often see made
Embassy staff
Embassy staff are generally well trained on
cultural issues. Their role requires them to
have a good cultural understanding and
communication between themselves and the
host government is reliant upon it
SITCEN in Brussels
SITCEN in Brussels is manned by national
experts for each of the countries EU
personnel are deployed to, they have in
depth understanding of the people and
customs of the countries and even the
differences in communities and tribes
Staff from other humanitarian agencies and
NGOs
In a very similar fashion to how other EU
personnel with experience in the area can
give good advice, the International
Community has great inter-connections,
frequently relying on one another to
provide programme sustaining support.
Often the humanitarian agencies and NGOs
have a great deal more exposure to the local
communities than EU mission staff
A simple list of questions to consider as a starting point
includes the following:

Greetings - Are people addressed by their first

name or their formal title? How do you address
elders or tribal leaders? How physical is the
greeting and is there eye contact?

Appearance - What type of clothing do people

wear? Are there other occasions where this
might be too formal or informal?

Body Language f Are the physical gestures that

you know the same over here? (thumbs up,
shrugging etc) Do some gestures have special
meaning? What are their gestured insults? (for
avoidance)

Physical Contact - What is considered

appropriate and what is expected? (Hugging?
Holding hands? Kissing?) Does the gender of
either person make a difference to this?

Respect - What helps you gain or lose respect?

How do you regain it once it is lost?

Elders - Are elders venerated? Is there a

particular form of address? Would it cause
offence if you were to question the idea of an
elder?

Gender f What are the differing roles of men

and women? How do these affect your
employment of staff? How does this affect the
working dynamics for your team? How do you
ensure you are meeting all their different

needs?

Decision making - Is there a hierarchy that

explains who has the authority to make
particular decisions? How are they made? By
consensus, by order or collaboratively? Do
different people within a community make
decisions in differing topics? (by gender or age
or status)

Emotion - What emotions can be expressed

openly without causing embarrassment?

Relationships - What are the customs for

socialising outside the workplace? Are there

particular rituals or obligations?

Face - Is disagreement openly shown? Can it be

shown in public or is saving face more
important than being direct?

Time - How punctual are people normally?

What do they mean by “soon” or “later”?

wank?“
React without thinking
Respect elders and local customs
Remain calm
Answer

Learning about other cultures

from those we meet and work
with is fundamental. We need
to know the customs,
traditions and expectations of
the country in which we are
living and we must be
prepared to change our
perceptions and ways of doing
things in order to integrate and
enhance our ability to function

Personal Safety
The EU standards of conduct
and core values provide a basic
grounding in how you should
conduct yourself if you are in
any doubt at any time
Adapt personal safety
guidelines to your own mission,
situation and abilities and
always consult with your
security officer if you are
unsure or have any concerns.
Personal safety is an individual responsibility. No-one is
totally safe from criminal activity. The security risk can
be reduced by using a sensible approach and taking
precautionary actions. The most effective solution to
remaining safe is to not expose yourself to trouble
initially. This is far simpler than trying get away from
trouble once it has started to take place. To do this you
must start to develop your sense of security awareness
and behave in the most sensible way taking into
account the environment around you. Your observation
of your environment will be critical for this to take
place. You the individual play the most important
role in maintaining your personal security.
Personal Safety - Prevention
You should always know your own abilities. Be honest
with yourself and be aware of your own capabilities and
particularly your shortcomings; it is easier to know of
weaknesses in advance and plan for them. Try to stay in
good physical shape and remember nothing is worth
losing your life over, not even the important work you
are doing. There are some basic but important
prevention tips:

Keep a low profile by dressing and behaving

conservatively. Do not display jewellery, cash,
keys or other valuables at any time.

Always follow your instincts. If you feel

uncomfortable about a location or person then
leave immediately.
Do not hesitate to call attention to yourself if
you are in danger or feel threatened: scream,
shout, blow the horn of your vehicle

Stay away from situations which could become

threatening (political rallies, demonstrations
etc)

Learn a few phrases in the local language so

you can signal a need for help should it be
requhed

Learn a few local phrases about your mission

and its role in the country, you cannot
guarantee that all attackers will understand
what you are saying in your native language

Personal Safety - On the Move

Avoid establishing routines which will allow your
movements to be easy to predict and vary your routes
and times to and from work. This is all part of the
‘deter’ function that we spoke about at the beginning
of the module.

Be alert to any evidence of surveillance of your home,

office or travel route between the two and be aware
that most accidents take place within a short radius
around either the office or the home.
Serious attacks are usually preceded by a period of
surveillance, so beware of unusual or suspicious people
around your office or home.

Personal Safety - At the MISSIOH

Be sure you and your family know all the specific
security arrangements in place at your mission
headquarters. Ensure that not only you but all the
family know how the communication system operates
and practice it.

On arrival at a new Mission find out about the local

customs, how you are expected to behave, potential

threats and areas to avoid.
Personal Safety - Rehearsals
It is a good idea to practice the actions you might take
if you were attacked. There is no right or wrong way to
react to an attack as each situation will be different so
you should consider instead the potential problems that
might be involved rather than just considering what is
immediately apparent:
Could this attacker be armed?
Could this be the beginning of a hostage
situation?
Whether to resist an attacker or not might be the only
decision you can make, but in general you will be
immediately limited to a few options:
Talk your way out of it
Shout for help or yell ‘fire’
Escape or run away
Fight
Go along with what is being demanded of you
Follow your instincts
Learn a few phrases in the local language
Attend political rallies
Keep a low profile
A n swe r
Personal safety is an individual
responsibility. The most
effective solution to remaining
safe is to not expose yourself
to trouble initially, this is far
simpler than trying to get
away from trouble once it has
started to take place.
Personal Safety - Walking
There are some basic steps to take while on foot to
improve your security:

Make sure all your bags are closed, put wallets

or cash in front pockets or in a secure bag
under clothing, ensuring that your cash is not
all carried in the same place (shoe, sock,
pocket, jacket pocket, bag etc)

Wear shoes that allow you to move quickly and

comfortably

Keep alert to your surroundings without

distractions such as listening to a personal
stereo

Walk near the kerb, not near the building

where there are alleyways and doorways into
which you cannot see
Walk against the traffic so that you can see if
vehicles slow down as they approach
Avoid walking alone, particularly at night
Keep keys to hand so that they can be used as a
weapon or to get into your building or vehicle
quickly
Never take shortcuts through isolated places
Mark your keys so they can be identified
quickly in the dark
Personal Safety - In Town
If you stop for any length of time in a town or small
city, inform the authorities of your mission, even if you
are just spending one night. Where possible, invite the
most appropriate local political authority to visit or to
travel with you to witness your work. This could reduce
suspicion and might also raise the security profile that
the host nation provides for you.
Beware of people who:
Offer to exchange money for you at the black
market or using the black market rates
Pose as security officials or police who want
you to accompany them to another location.
Obtain their proper identification and call your
office to verify before agreeing to go with them
Personal Safety - At Home
To increase your basic security at home you should take
the following actions:

Lock your doors using both locks and bolts

where possible, even if you are home and even
if you leave only for a few minutes

Ensure that all windows are covered with

shades, curtains or blinds
In general you should not put your name in the
local telephone directory or on your gatepost
or door

Ensure you do not leave useful items as

potential tools where criminals could find them
(ladders, crowbars, screwdrivers etc)

Never open your door without checking who is

there first

Get to know your neighbours and their

movements

Try to sleep with the windows closed or have

security locks fitted to them

Get to know where your nearest police station

is and where the local shops and restaurants
are that are open late at night in case you
need somewhere to get help

Personal Safety - Domestic

Staff
Before hiring staff you should always check with your
admin or security officer. They will conduct background
checks or be able to advise on where you should look to
find staff.

You should always know where your domestic staff live

and have details of their security cards or national
identity cards.

Domestic staff should have at the most keys to only one

door and you should have a second lock on that door
that only you have a key to. This lock should be engaged
whenever the staff member is not due to be in the
house, even if you are there.

If you have ANY concerns about their reliability or

trustworthiness then dismiss them immediately,
ensuring they return all keys or access codes. It is worth
considering changing the locks if this should occur.
Ensure that domestic staff know what security
standards you expect to be maintained and that all
security staff know what roles you want them to
perform, the frequency at which they are to carry out
their duties and their prime responsibilities. You must
also ensure that they have adequate equipment to
conduct the tasks you are asking them to perform. If this
has not already been provided for them you should do
so.

Personal Safety - Elevators

Elevators are a useful method for movement within a
tall building but are very simple to isolate, limiting the
options available to you. Be aware that once you are in
an elevator there is normally only one exit, so you
should not get in if you feel at all uneasy.

If someone enters the elevator who makes you feel

uncomfortable then leave at the next possible
opportunity.

Stand near to the control panel and if you feel at all

concerned push the alarm button and the button for
the next floor so that you can get out as soon as
possible.
Personal Safety
Aggressmn and Threats
It is impossible and impractical to avoid all threats and
it is likely that you will from time to time find yourself
in a situation of agitation, hostility and potentially
danger, but remember that some situations can be
resolved if you stay calm, give honest, truthful answers
and take all the time that might be necessary. In
addition:
Speak to the highest authority available
Do not be provoked by hostile or aggressive
comments about your organisation, gender,
race, nationality, religion or political beliefs.
Never respond aggressively
Do not offer bribes as this might be
interpreted badly or lead to this situation
being repeated often for financial gain
You are the only person who can say how to react in a
given situation and sometimes you might have no option
but to defend yourself. If this happens then you must
report the incident immediately to your security
officer.
Your priorities in extreme cases should be:
The preservation of human life
Health
Dignity
Personal Attack – Knives
The most common weapon in use around the world is
one of the easiest to acquire. From the machetes that
are a permanent fixture in the hands of men and
women in developing countries through to the
widespread carrying of pocket knives and lock knives in
the streets of our home nations, knives represent a very
dangerous threat to us all.
When faced with an assailant brandishing a knife of
any kind you must take the threat seriously.
Keep your eyes on the weapon at all times
start to assess your options, you may have
several:
Hand over what is asked for
Run away
Disarm your assailant However it is
advised that you do not try to disarm the
assailant unless you have been trained to
do so. Trying and failing could have
devastating results including your death
Talk your way out of it
Think about your most vulnerable areas and try
to protect them
Throat
Torso
Face, particularly eyes
If the worst should happen and you do get stabbed you
should follow the procedures for treatment that are in
Module 4 f Looking after the Priority: You!

Privileges and Immunltles

The policy of the European
Union on the security of
personnel deployed outside the
EU in an operational capacity
under Title V of the Treaty of
the European Union (9490/06),
applies to all operational
deployments of civilian and
military personnel in the field
under Title V of the TEU, in
particular ESDP crisis
management operations and
EUSRs and their teams.
Each mission has therefore its own unique ‘status' which
is arranged with the host State and which entitles the
mission members to varying levels of specific privileges
and immunities under the law of the host State.
However, the core aspects of privileges and immunities
are contained in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations.
Before deploying on a mission, either you are a
Council's Staff, or a member of the mission, you must be
very clear regarding the status that you will fall under.
To clarify your personal status on a mission you need to
contact one or more of the following representatives:
The relevant Human Resources Services in the
GSC
CPCC (Civilian Planning and Conduct
Capability)
The Head of Human Resources and
Administration for your mission, or
Your own Member State representative
Where You Work and Live
You will get reliable advice about areas you can live in
from your security officer and experienced colleagues
at the duty station. Ask them about the nature of crime
in the area, what you should protect against and the
type of security your house should have.

There should also be a residential security advice sheet

or checklist available for you to assess the security of
any residence you inspect. Ask for the security officer
to come and inspect it with you before signing the
lease, he can provide useful information and will
certainly want to ensure that newer mission members
are sufficiently protected.

Selecting Your Neighbourhood

Always consider the following aspects when selecting I
the area you are looking for a house in:

Is the area lit at night time

Do other houses in the area have barred
windows, security lighting, guard dogs and
security guards. This indicates that the area has
high crime rates
How safe are the nearby parks and open areas
What other types of residence are in the area
Is there secure parking, if not what are the
parking arrangements
Are there colleagues living in the area or
international staff from other agencies
Is it a one way street or are there many routes
to and from the house. In the case of
kidnapping it usually takes place close to the
home or office and where there are limited
access routes
Types of Residence
If you chose an apartment:
Avoid being on the ground
floor and first floor
if in a high block try
remain relatively low so
that emergency help can
access you easily,
generally between the 2nd
and 7th floors
Ensure that there is a
doorman or an electronic
access system to prevent
strangers walking within
the block
local residences have when you are
choosing. There are a number of options:
Chain or picket fences
Solid fences or walls
Remember that a perimeter is only as strong
as its weakest point, usually the gate, so
ensure that gates are as strong as the
barrier and that the hinges are protected
and on the inside
Consider having an emergency exit
Types of Residence – Lighting
Lighting
Most criminals will try to target residences
that are dark or unlit so lighting can be a
great deterrent from crime. You should
consider adding external lighting. If you do
then ensure that it covers the complete
area from the residence to the perimeter
barrier, including any blind spots and all
shrubbery.

Remember also that it is harder to see into

light so make sure external security lights
point away from the residence

Types of Residence - Locks

Locks
All external doors should be fitted with both
primary and secondary locks as well as an
internal viewer
Never allow staff to have keys for both sets
of locks and never hide keys outside the
house
If you lose your keys then you must change
all exterior locks including those to the
garage door and the mailbox
Types of Ressidence
Windows and Door Grilles
Window and Door grilles
All windows and doors on the ground floor
or that are easily accessible with the use of
ladders or from trees should be fitted with
grilles
At least one grille in each sleeping quarter
must be hinged and equipped with an
emergency release in case of fire
Sliding doors should be avoided or if
necessary should have a strongly locked
metal grille fitted on the inside
All utility boxes on the outside of the
residence should also be locked and
protected
Types of Resflence- Alarm Systems
Alarm systems
Alarm systems can be of many types but are
only a deterrent unless they are monitored
and when triggered the alarm will be
investigated
Dogs make useful alarms and act as an
excellent deterrent to petty criminals. In
many countries dogs are greatly feared and
this can be used to your advantage
Types of Residence- Safe Rooms
Safe Rooms
In areas of high crime staff should consider
turning one of their internal rooms into a
safe room
Safe rooms should also be considered for all
offices.
A safe room is a room that is reinforced and
should be capable of withstanding sustained
attack for a minimum of 30 minutes

It should contain as a minimum the

following:
Bottled Water
Food
An independent communication device
(phone or radio)
Light/ Torch
Medical trauma pack
Blankets
A weapon might be considered
Types of Residene - Security Guards
Often security guards will be required for
single residences. You should ensure that
you use a reputable guard company,
possibly one that is already used by other
internationals. You should also keep a file
with a photo and background information.
Your security officer can advise you further
You might wish to have a health check
conducted on your potential staff
Frequently security guards will be provided
by signing up to a contract with a local
security agency or with the local police.
These security guards should be trained by
the Guardian Company in the use of radio
communications systems and in the use of
batons or in some cases firearms
Office Security
EU offices might be subject to threats or attacks by
groups who wish to draw attention to a particular cause
or issue. These are normally non-violent demonstrations
but on some occasions they might become violent and
might result in hostage taking. At the most basic level
offices should certainly have all fire fighting and first aid
equipment installed and clearly marked, these should
be checked regularly to ensure they are still effective.
Staff should also be alert to packages or unusual items
that appear in the office.
Offices should also incorporate the following features:
A reception area for receiving and holding
visitors which can be quickly sealed in case of
an incident
Desks in public areas should be free of all
items that might be used as a weapon (scissors
and any other sharp objects)
There must be a back-up power system
available for all offices
Office Visitors
Visitors are a necessary part of our work and should be
made welcome. There are some basic guidelines to
protecting ourselves when visitors come to the office.
No visitors, including workmen, should be
permitted to enter the office without proper
identification
In high risk areas visitors should be screened
with handheld metal detectors
The reception area should have a sturdy
physical barrier between unidentified visitors
and staff
There should be an emergency exit from the
office building
An alarm system or panic button should be
fitted to alert all staff in the building if an
incident takes place
Staff members should not give out information
relating to themselves or other staff members’
addresses or contact details
Staff should be alert to possible violence from
desperate visitors or to visitors bringing in
weapons or bombs
If threatening phone calls are received at the
office or a bomb threat is made, remain calm
and listen carefully to the information the
caller provides, noting all the details clearly
All cleaning and other domestic tasks in the
office should be overseen
All offices should be prepared to deal with a dangerous
visitor or individual who may be armed and who might
attempt to use the premises to express a grievance or
make a political statement.
Mobile Security
Road accidents are the reason for most injuries and
fatalities for staff working in the field. Around the
world 1.17 million people are killed every year in road
traffic accidents (RTAs), 9096 of these fatalities are in
developing countries. The threats include:
Weather
Road conditions
Other road users
Criminals
Civil unrest
Kidnap
Terrorist attack
Mobile Security
Pre-Departure Checks
In order to reduce the risks and to improve your safety
the following guidleines should be followed
All road travel should be authorised and
security clearance obtained. You should have
copies of all travel permits in the local
language and on officially headed paper
Before travelling you should always plan your
trip and check the security situation at the
destination
Follow the correct booking out procedure and
ensure that colleagues know of your travel
itinerary
Regular communication should be maintained
with your base location or radio control office
Ensure you are familiar with all breakdown
and lost procedures
Never take unauthorised passengers and avoid
travelling alone where possible
Where appropriate wear protective equipment
such as helmets or body armour
Avoid areas where incidents are known to have
taken place
Ensure that the vehicle is in a suitable state
for the journey and that you have adequate
food, water and blankets for an emergency
Ensure that the vehicle has adequate spare
parts and medical equipment is complete and
within date
Ensure that the vehicle communications
systems are appropriate and in a good state of
repair
Often you might prefer to live in a single dwelling
rather than an apartment block as this gives more
privacy but there are risks concerned with both. If you
should ever return home to find a forced door or
window do NOT enter, seek assistance before going in
to the house as intruders may still be there.
Whichever you choose you should consider the following
important security measures for your home:
Perimeter barrier
Any perimeter barrier will at least deter a
criminal as they must risk being seen at the
earliest stage of their crime. You may add a
barrier but be sensitive to what the other
Mobile Security
Vehicle Checks
In order to make sure that the vehicle you are travelling
in is fit for the journey you should check at least the
following before every journey and as often as possible
when you make a stop during a journey, using PowderB
as an acronym:
Petrol f Is there sufficient for the journey?
Spare fuel?
Oil ~ Dipstick check
Water f both for the windscreen and for the
cooling system
Defects ~ Both inside and out
Electrics f check all lights, indicators, air
conditioning where applicable
Rubber 7 Tyres for wear and tear, tread and
pressure
Brakes ~ conduct both moving and static brake
Test
Mobile Security - Driving
Before getting into the vehicle
at any stage, ensure that there

is nobody else in it or around it

by checking in the back seat,

under the vehicle and around

the outside.
Being in a vehicle can give you a false sense of security
and actually make you a target of hijackers. When using
a vehicle always follow these tips:

Wherever possible travel on well-lit or

populated streets. Keep the windows rolled up
and the doors locked AT ALL TIMES

If possible ensure that vehicles travel in pairs,

particularly at night

Be alert to the traffic conditions and road

signs; ideally you will not stop the vehicle at all
so adjust your speed if you see a red light and
try to remain in motion until the light is green.

Be prepared to sound the horn or take evasive

action if you are threatened

Always ensure you have a map with you, you
may find you have to make a detour and you
might not know the smaller roads
Never pick up strangers, regardless of how
innocent or harmless they may appear
Always wear seatbelts and ensure that other
passengers do too. Remember, you are
responsible for the well being of all the
occupants of the vehicle
Mo51 [e Security
Defenswe Drivmg
A useful gauge to judge
whether you have enough
distance from the vehicle in
front is the two-second rule. As
the vehicle in front passes an
object count the time until your
vehicle also passes it. If it is less
than two seconds then you are
driving too close and should
slow down to increase the
distance between you.
If you are in a dangerous
situation you may need to use
evasive driving techniques. In
high risk areas you should
consult your security officer
about receiving appropriate
training.
Anticipate situations ‘What if?’ is a good
question to ask
Always drive at a speed that allows you to stop
within the distance you can see to be clear
Always drive within the limits of the vehicle,
your ability and the road conditions
Defensive driving is a positive technique that you can
use to reduce the risk associated with driving by
anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse
conditions or the mistakes of others. This is achieved by
sticking to a variety of general rules as well as driving
in a controlled manner.
There are six ‘safe-drivi ng’ essentials:

Concentrate all the time

Take your time, better to be late than not

arrive at all
Scan the road ahead by keeping your eyes
moving
Mobile Secunty
Local Driving Conditions
Be alert to the road about you, it is likely that the
‘normal' rules of the road that you have back at home
will be different to what is commonplace in the field
just as the use of the horn varies from country to
country within Europe.
Take advice from other staff in your mission and take
your time to develop ‘road sense' for the local habits
and customs on the road.
Be aware that different weather
conditions will have a serious
effect on the handling and
capabilities of your vehicle.
Whilst you might be aware of
these things, do not assume that
other road users will be and
drive cautiously.

Mobile Security
Local Drivers
Be aware that your driver may
expose himself to risk by going
into an area where his presence
is not welcome. You are
responsible for knowing and
dealing with this before it
happens, just as they are likely
to warn you if your presence is
going to cause offence.
In many field missions local staff are employed to be
drivers. This has many benefits as they are used to the
prevailing road conditions and understand the local
driving habits, but always remember that YOU are in
command of the vehicle and you must take
responsibility for controlling the driver if you or any of
the other passengers feel uncomfortable.
Drivers also can be valuable sources of information
about the local situation, security or tribal customs.
Their experience and knowledge can be invaluable and
their assistance has often resulted in the saving of lives.
Mobile Secunty
Vehicle Check Poins
It is likely that you will come across many different
vehicle checkpoints (VCPs) during your field mission.
VCPs are a useful way to ensure that migration and
movement is controlled; they are not always run by the
government however. It is important to be aware that
there is a distinction, often hard to determine, and
how you behave at both will have a significant bearing
on whether you pass through safely or not. In areas of
higher risk or greater instability they will be more
common and there are several different types.
Legal:
Fixed Police or Military checkpoints with
barriers, chains on concrete bollards
Snap Using vehicles or other devices to
form an improvised barrier covered by
recognised uniformed armed military
personnel

Illegal:

Snap Insurgent/criminal/terrorist vehicles

or barriers covered by armed personnel.
They may also wear combat clothing and
cover their heads or faces.

Mobile More permanent than ‘Snap’,

perhaps using tents /shelters and flags

which can be quickly taken down and

moved when government forces approach
Ruse ~ Any of the above may be imitated for
criminal purposes
Mobile Security
Conduct at VCPs
VCPs represent a significant threat, during which your
movement is intended to be ‘controlled’ by others. You
must remain alert to all possibilities throughout the
checkpoint, including the approach and exit. A useful
way of remembering how to conduct yourself is: READE
Recognise the VCP itself as early as possible
and try to identify what type it is and which
group is in control of it
Evaluate f the threat that it poses and the risks
that are inherent
Avoid f if appropriate
Defuse f reassess the situation constantly and
take steps to reduce tension if the situation
appears to be deteriorating
Escape/Exit f if appropriate and possible
Introduction

The European Union is taking an increasingly large role

in providing assistance to developing countries,
support to nations post-conflict and to nations which
have suffered devastating natural disasters. It should be
noted that a mission can only be established after
invitation from the government of any of these states
and as a result they retain prime responsibility for our
safety and security within their borders.
Although the host nation has prime responsibility it is
widely recognised within the EU that there is a
requirement for ‘duty of care’ towards you as mission
staff and that it must take steps to provide you with
your own framework of security.
In order to achieve this it is necessary to understand
exactly what the realities are within the host nation and
what threats and risks you will be exposed to. Once this
is understood then it is possible to mitigate (reduce or
negate) that risk to an acceptable level. This is carried
out on the fact-finding mission before the full mission is
set up so that the necessary procedures and budgetary
allowances can be made.
Ensuring your safety and security

One of the primary methods of mitigating risk is through

education. If we do not understand what causes us to
be exposed to a threat then we are unlikely to be able
to understand what our risks are, nor how to reduce
them sufficiently to be able to work effectively and
safely. An example of that is this course, it is designed
to give you a basic introduction to security and to help
you to understand what dangers exist, how they
manifest themselves and what to look for. Once you
know this then you are much more aware of the danger
so less likely to be hurt by it: you have mitigated
therefore some of the risk.
It is the nature of the environments that we work in to
be more dangerous than our home countries and the EU
is fully committed to ensuring that you understand not
only the threats facing you but also the ways in which
you can mitigate that risk effectively and the ways in
which you can evaluate the levels of risks. This function
is not exclusive to those who work in security and is the
responsibility of all staff members, in this way we all
take responsibility for the safety and security of each
other even if this is not your primary role in the mission.
Definitions

The words ‘Threat’ and ‘Risk’ are commonly used and

are often confused by people but they are two entirely

different concepts. Get used to using them correctly as

this helps when talking about security.

Threat Those things that can harm us

Risk The chance that a threat WILL harm us

It is easy to see the difference when put in such a

context.

Threat’ and ‘Risk’ are often confused.

Threat - Those things that can harm us

Risk - The chance that a threat WILL harm us

question
Who has prime responsibility for your safety and
security in country?
The Council of the EU
Your Head of Mission
The Host Nation

A n s we r
Although the host nation has
prime responsibility it is
widely recognised within the
EU that there is a requirement
for ‘duty of care’ towards you
as mission staff.

Definitions- Threats

The potential threats that we

need to examine are all
contained within 6 topics:

War
Terrorism
Kidnap
Crime
Natural disasters
Accidents

Threats exist or they do not, we cannot affect this.

What we can do however is sort though the threats to
find out which threats are truly there and which only
appear to be there. We can also decide which threats
are specifically going to be directed at us and which are
more general, environmental threats. We classify them
into these four categories:

Actual threats Threats that are proven to

exist. This could be the risk of eruption if you
live at the foot of an active volcano, or the
threat of suicide bombers if you are working in
Baghdad.

Perceived threats Threats that only appear to

be there, but in actual fact are not. As an
example: we know that the host nation we are
in has a lot of snakes so we must be very
careful not to get poisoned. The reality might
be that the nation has no venomous snakes, so
there is no threat.
Direct threats Threats that are directed at
you, either as an individual or at the mission.
For example masked gunmen seizing the EU
office in Gaza after the publication of cartoons
depicting the prophet Mohammed in a Danish
newspaper.
Indirect threats Threats which are not
directly targeting you. For example the Bali
bombings; there was no individual targeted, all
the victims were just in the wrong place at the
wrong time.
Definitions - Risk
Risk however is something that we can certainly affect,
and this can be done in a variety of ways. What this
module will look at is the way in which we can examine
the risks effectively and find ways to reduce it.
We can certainly affect or red uce/mitigate ‘Risk'
This module looks at ways to achieve this
Field Risk Assessment model

The EU Field Risk Assessment is used at all levels within

a mission, from the initial fact-finding and planning,
right through the implementation to the withdrawal of
the mission. It is a simple tool that can be used by all
staff and can also be applied to other areas of the
operation for all aspects of projects and even to your
personal risks in the home. Most people conduct
automatic risk assessments all the time; what we use is
just a formalisation of that process to ensure we do not
miss anything out and to give us a record to refer back
to as the situation changes.
The Field Risk Assessment model has 7 stages to it, we
will concentrate on the first 4 during this course as
these are the parts that allow us to evaluate our risk
and examine options that will allow us to reduce it. The
first 2 of these stages relate purely to the gathering of
information that is pertinent to our mission
environment, to examine threats that do not exist
wastes time and effort, most of it yours. The 7 stages
are:
Threat assessment
Vulnerability assessment
Risk analysis
Options
Decide and Plan
Implement
Review and Modify

An swe r

Indirect threats - Threats which

are not directly targeting you.
For example the Bali
bombings; there was no
individual targeted, all the
victims were just in the wrong
place at the wrong time.

Threat Assessment
Here we identify and rationalise the threats that we
may encounter, it will explain to us the ‘who, what,
when, where and why' of the threats.
There are many different sources for the information
that we need in this stage, being part of a large union
of nations gives us some additional sources that we may
not otherwise have access to:

Governments The EU itself has the SITCEN

that can provide information from the desk
officer for your host nation and region, but we
also have some access to our Member State
Governments and the information that they
possess. Most embassies and consulates have a
Military Attaché or security officer who will be
happy to give you information once you have
identified yourself
Security Services Both of Member States and
of the host nation.

Diplomatic

Non-Governmental Organisations NGOs are

often in the host nation before we are and they
are usually located further into the field. They
have access to the local population and also
have generated a great deal of experience
within the country.

Media The internet has revolutionised

information sharing and there is now plenty of

open source information available online.

Remember that information you find online

might not be accurate but it will all give you a

flavour of the truth.

Local population A great source of

information about local issues (minefields,

landslides, climatic changes, water sources,

local warlords or criminal activity etc)

Vulnerability Assessment
Here we assess the strengths and weaknesses of our
current security posture and we must be brutally honest
about these. We may identify physical problems such as
a lack of fencing or a lack of possible routes available
to us, or we may identify weaknesses in our ability to
gather data or a lack of training. Whatever it is we must
assess it coldly as it will have an impact on our options
later on.
Some of the areas that might be weak are:
Lack of reliable information on the threats
Lack of security / medical training
Poor quality support from host nation security
services
Political / Agency agendas conflicting
Intelligence between nations is closely
guarded and it may be that one or more
Member States does not wish to share its
information with another. This can be a
distinct weakness.
Inexperienced analysts Information is just
data, it needs to be examined and options
considered, inexperienced analysts can often
overlook or mistake data which would lead to a
different conclusion
Quantity of information - Too much
information is as bad as too little as this can
take too much time to examine or can conflict.
RlSk AnalySIS
Now that we have the information from our threat and
vulnerability assessments we can determine the level of
risk posed: the aim of the assessment. The Risk Analysis
stage combines deductions from all the information
contained in the threat and vulnerability assessment to
determine the potential impact on you and your
mission and puts it together with the likelihood that it
would occur. It is the balance of these two that
determine our level of risk.
Fifimmmkz

Impact and Likelihood

Threat and Vulnerability
Information and Analysis
Answer
The Risk Analysis stage
combines deductions from all
the information contained in
the threat and vulnerability
assessment to determine the
potential impact on you and
your mission and puts it
together with the likelihood
that it would occur. It is the
balance of these two that
determine our level of risk.
Impact
This is often judged from experience within the mission
and host nation but may also have input from
experiences gained in other environments and may
include:

Financial loss

Death or injury to staff

Minor injury / psychological harm

Destruction of assets

Loss of information

Defamation of the EU
Loss of public confidence / credibility (either
in the host nation or the international
community)

Delay or cancellation of projects

Impact is generally rated according to severity:

Critical Catastrophic disaster. Death and

severe injury to staff, major equipment loss
and cancellation of projects.

Severe Devastating. Severe injury to staff,

significant equipment loss and possible
cancellation of projects.

Moderate Injury to staff, some equipment

loss and delay to projects.

Minor Potential minor injuries to staff, some

equipment damage and potential delay to
projects.

Negligible Minor disturbances with no

likelihood of injury or equipment loss.

Likelihood
This can be estimated using previous experience, how
many times it has occurred previously or by calculation,
it is generally rated in the following categories:

Certain / Imminent (Occurs daily) - This event

will certainly occur and requires immediate
measures of protection, sometimes this may
involve evacuation.

Very likely (Occurs frequently, every1 to 5

weeks) f There is a very high probability that
this will occur and every effort needs to be
made to reduce this probability.

Likely (Occurs regularly, every 1 to 3 months)

The probability of this occurring is high and
significant efforts must be made to prevent

Moderately likely (Occurs occasionally, every 1

to 2 years) - There is a reasonable chance that

this will occur and effort should be made to

prevent this.

Unlikely - This will probably not happen but

we should keep monitoring.
Level of Risk

This is a calculable outcome and we quantify it by

taking the ‘Impact’ rating we used and plotting it on a
graph against the ‘Likelihood’ rating. This then will give
us a ‘Risk rating’ of ‘Critical’, ‘High’, ‘Medium’, ‘Low’
or ‘Negligible’. We can take this further using the more
detailed numbers on the side of each of the boxes to be
more precise about frequency or severity, and this will
give us a total risk rating out of 100.
You will note that even if the impact of an event was
critical, but it was felt unlikely to happen then this
becomes a ‘Low’ risk. This allows us to prioritise where
we spend our time, effort and budget in our mitigation
strategy.
Critical
We cannot assess this without balancing against
the likelihood
Low

An swe r
By taking the ‘Impact’ rating
we used and plotting it on a
graph against the ‘Likelihood’
rating we will have a ‘Risk
rating’ of ‘Critical’, ‘High’,
‘Medium’, ‘Low’ or
‘Negligible’. You will note that
even if the impact of an event
was critical, but it was felt
unlikely to happen then this
becomes a ‘Low’ risk.
Options
We have several areas that we
can use as standard when it
comes to mitigating the risk:
Now that we have our level of risk for each particular
threat we must decide what options are available to us
to lower it to an acceptable level.
We know that we can not change a threat, it either
exists or it does not. But as we said before we CAN
reduce the risk. We can achieve this in three ways:
We can reduce our vulnerabilities
We can reduce the impact
We can reduce the likelihood
We can use any ideas that we have to try to reduce the
risk. Some will be useful, some will be discounted but
all will try to improve our situation. Ultimately we
want to have as many options as possible to choose
from for the next stage.
Dec1de and Plan
With our risks identified and our options complete we
can decide which options will be best suited both to the
situation and to the budget. We must prioritise our
options in light of which risks should be mitigated first
and create a timeframe for the work to be completed.
In light of our options we must now:
Decide which are best suited to us
Prioritise their implementation
Create a timeframe for implementation

It is unnecessary and

prohibiting to the operations

within the mission to go to

extreme lengths. If there were

no tarmac roads in the country

from the previous example and

we made a rule to ban the use

of tracks then we would not be

able to perform our mission's

role.
Implement

To carry out our plan we must make a concerted effort

to stick to the timeframe, nonetheless we should be
prepared to make these considerations a priority within
the mission:

Training All mitigation will involve a degree

of training and if we do not take time out from
our projects to carry out the training then we
will be exposed to greater levels of risk

Purchase of equipment Procurement takes

time so we must ensure that the process is
effective and realistic at all times

Cancellation of some plans already in place

We may find that a particular threat no longer
needs us to mitigate it (peace between

warring factions) and we should not waste our

budgetary resources if this becomes the case

Changes in personnel It may be that we need

different skill sets than originally anticipated
and we should ensure that we make the
necessary adjustments in good time
Review
While not all threats change,
most will and we need to be
constantly reviewing our risk
assessments in order to keep
them valid. A frequent
weakness of mission security is
that once an assessment has
been done it is treated as
finished, this is not the case; it
is cyclical in nature as the
environments in which we
operate are constantly
changing.
This culminates the Field Risk Management package and
should review the entire process from start to finish to
ensure that we are achieving what was set out in the
plan and reducing our risks effectively. It might
include:
A ‘lessons identified' agenda
Identification of new threats
Refinement and updating of the assessments
Adjustment of the implementation plans if they
are not meeting their goals
Which of the following should NOT be considered a
priority within the mission when implementing our
plan?
Changes in personnel
The leave programme
Cancellation of some plans already in place
An 5 we r
To carry out our plan we must
make a concerted effort to
stick to the timeframe,
nonetheless we should be
prepared to make these
considerations a priority within
the mission:
Training
Purchase of equipment
Cancellation of some
plans already in place
Changes in personnel
Once we know the situation, l
strength and weakness for each
threat we can use this information
to assess the ‘Impact' and the
‘Likelihood' using the Risk Matrix
table statements. This then will
allow us to determine what the risk
is for each of these threats.
Road Ambush The impact of this
would be severe, in this case ‘Serious
injury, severe disruption to
programmes'. The likelihood is ‘Very
likely'. This then gives us a risk
rating of ‘HIGH'.
Breakdown If this occurs the impact
would be ‘Minor injuries, minimal
delays to programmes’. The
likelihood of this event is ‘Unlikely’
if we are staying on the main roads.
The risk therefore is ‘NEGLIGIBLE’.
Kidnap The impact of this would be
devastating for the mission, even in
the very best case this would still
warrant ‘Serious injury, severe
disruptions to program’. The
likelihood, if we are ambushed is
‘Very likely’. Again this gives us a
risk level of ‘HIGH’.

Mitigation strategies,
For Road Ambush we can see that
there are two strategies that are
achievable, ‘Ask Police for escort or
weapons’ and ‘Stay off main roads’.
Staying off main roads would mean
that this route cannot be used, but
having a Police escort will allow us
to continue with this route. As the
Police have been left alone by the
bandits this will reduce the
likelihood of attack to ‘UNLIKLEY’
and so our risk rating reduces to
LOW. Is this acceptable? Yes.

For Breakdown there are no

mitigation strategies that can be
achieved within the timeline, but
the risk rating was already
NEGLIGIBLE. Is this acceptable? Yes.
Finally for Kidnap we again have two
strategies that can be achieved
within the timeline. ‘Stay clear of
kidnap sites by avoiding main roads’
and ‘Take Police escort to prevent
being captured’. Staying clear of the
main roads again makes this route
un-useable, so we must discount this
strategy. ‘Taking a Police escort is
possible however and would again
reduce the likelihood of kidnap
considerably to ‘UNLIKELY’ and so
again our risk rating reduces to
LOW. Is this acceptable? Yes.
If we now look at Option B in
exactly the same way, we can see
that the ‘Threat’ and ‘Situation’
paragraphs have been completed.
Read through them and you will note
that all the information was given to
you earlier, it has just been put into
the relevant areas.

Breakdown The impact of this

would be noticeable, in this case
‘Minor injuries, minimal delays to
programs’. The likelihood is ‘Likely’
due to the rainy season and dirt
roads. This then gives us a risk rating
of ‘LOW’.

Mines If an accident involving a

mine happened, the impact would be
catastrophic, in this case ‘Death or
severe injury’, the highest rating.
The likelihood of this event is ‘Very
likely’ as we are not on the main
roads and there are known to have
been mined areas near the tracks.
here is acceptable or we can draw
up mitigating factors to reduce the
risk for each threat.
For Breakdown there are no
mitigation strategies that can be
achieved within the timeline, but
the risk rating was already LOW. Is
this acceptable? Yes.
For Mines we can see that there is
only one strategy that is achievable
within the timeline, ‘Drive only on
main roads' but this would make this
option un-useable and so must be
discounted. This leaves us with no
mitigation strategy that can be
achieved before the journey and a
risk rating that remains at CRITICAL.
Is this acceptable? No.

here is acceptable or we can draw

up mitigating factors to reduce the
risk for each threat.
For Breakdown there are no
mitigation strategies that can be
achieved within the timeline, but
the risk rating was already LOW. Is
this acceptable? Yes.
For Mines we can see that there is
only one strategy that is achievable
within the timeline, ‘Drive only on
main roads' but this would make this
option un-useable and so must be
discounted. This leaves us with no
mitigation strategy that can be
achieved before the journey and a
risk rating that remains at CRITICAL.
Is this acceptable? No.
Finally for Disease we have one l
strategy that can be achieved in the
timeline, ‘Burn waste quickly’. This
will undoubtedly improve our
situation in the longer term but will
have no real impact on the likelihood
of disease spreading in the short
term before we can get a medicine
resupply. The risk rating therefore
remains at MEDIUM. Is this
acceptable? With no other option,
this risk has to be acceptable if we
are to continue the mission,
particularly given that the impact is
not life-threatening. So, Yes, the risk
is acceptable.

I'
In this case we would choose to go
with Option A, via the main road,
with a Police escort.
Having made our decision we then
need to implement it by arranging
the Police escort and finally review
the plan before departing with the
Police.
You have now conducted a Field
Risk Assessment. It is a simple tool
to allow you to make balanced
decisions in the right timeframe.
Please note that this is an example
only and should NOT be regarded as
the solution to any real scenario.
You should note that in a real
scenario you would also have
the option of deciding that both
options A and B carry too much
risk and that therefore you
should cancel your journey.
This, however, carries its own
risks and in this example would
have led to infection and
disease spreading to the
outstation through lack of
medicines and potable water.
For simplicity it was discounted
at the earliest stage.
Module 4
Introduction

There are many different factors that will affect your

ability to cope with the conditions and environment
that your mission will take you to. Your age, sex,
general health and awareness and understanding of the
risks posed by your environment are all major
contributing factors.

EU field staff will be exposed to a variety of health risks

in these environments and they can minimised by
taking active precautions throughout the duration of
your mission, before departure, during your mission
and upon your eventual return.

Location

You will be able to obtain

excellent advice about your

mission location from the EU

Council Medical Office, but you

must ensure that you contact

them at least 4-6 weeks before
your date of departure so that
there is enough time for any

pre-treatment to take effect.

Those who regularly visit

missions should be prepared for

departure at all times. Your

vaccinations schedule should be

up to date to be ready without

delay, except for the ad hoc

malaria prophylaxis. Even

without a specific mission in

mind, you should ask the

medical service about your

current vaccination status to

ensure it is up to date.
The first item that must be considered is your
destination; this will begin to give you a firm idea of
what health risks are going to be in front of you. Some
of the most basic information that you will need will
include the general quality of hygiene within the
country and city that you are going to be living in, the
state of sanitation, the climate and seasonal
differences and the medical and blood services that are
available.
You should also examine the type of animal and plant
life that grows in the mission environment; exposure to
insects, rodents, other animals and poisonous plants
makes assignments in many remote regions particularly
hazardous.

Du ration
Knowing how long you will be in the field for also has a
significant effect on your health planning. The longer
the duration the greater the exposure to health risks.
This becomes more important when you consider the
potential effects of such threats as industrial pollution,
continued exposure to diseases such as malaria or
typhoid. This information will be very important to your
medical advisor in particular as they will need to
prescribe the right medication for extended or
shortened durations and most particularly the proper
malaria prophylaxis.
For example the right malaria treatment for a stay of 6
months in West Africa would be different to the malaria
treatment for a three week trip to Indonesia.

Documentation
Yellow fever in a many endemic
countries and meningitis for
pilgrims going to Mecca are the
compulsory international
vaccinations.
In the DR Congo you will be
asked for your Yellow Fever
vaccination certificate on
arrival in the country; if you
are unable to provide a valid
certificate you will be injected
at the arrivals desk or you will
not be allowed to enter the
country. This exposes you to
contaminated needles and
associated diseases including
HIV/ AIDS.
Your medical documentation is as important as your
passport when travelling internationally, particularly in
developing countries. They are required for entry into
certain countries and allow your local medical services
in the field to be able to treat you effectively should
you need to receive any type of medication or
treatment.
What are the Compulsory International Vaccines?
Malaria and Hepatitis B
Yellow Fever and Meningitis
Rabies and Hepatitis A
An swe r
Yellow fever in a many
endemic countries and
meningitis for pilgrims going to
Mecca are the compulsory
international vaccinations.

Vaccinations
You should also have a dental
check-up before you go. Dental
facilities are often hard to find
in the field.
Vaccinations provide a reliable method to build the
body's antibodies to prevent a particular disease being
able to affect us. Many diseases have effective
vaccinations to combat them but some take longer to
be effective than others, up to 6 weeks in some cases.
There are some diseases that still have no vaccines
however.
You must receive these vaccinations at least 6 weeks
prior to departure for your mission so it is vitally
important that you contact your medical advisor as son
as you think you might be asked to go into the field.
Not only will they be able to provide you with al the
right vaccinations but they will also be able to advise
you on any other health requirements for your mission.
Determining Health Risks
There could be a fourth
category added - Hazardous
plant and animal life, this
should be investigated
thoroughly prior to departure.
The health risks that face mission staff need to be
accurately evaluated if they are to be negated and
there are three main areas that should be looked at:
Sanitation and living conditions
Communicable diseases
Prevalent diseases
Sanitation and Livmg
Conditions - Waste Disposal
Sanitation and Livmg
Conditions - Waste Disposal
Piles of waste also encourage
rodents to breed. This in turn
encourages the larger creatures
that feed on them, snakes,
spiders, small carnivores and
other animals are drawn to
these areas and can cause
serious injury or death to
IlaI
Ensure that your waste
facilities are hygienic and
regularly emptied to ensure
that disease and infestation
does not have a chance to take
place.

In general developing countries do not have organised

or well managed waste disposal facilities, neither for
food waste nor for human waste. As waste is left in
piles they become a breeding ground for bacteria and
disease which can quickly spread to nearby settlements
through insects or through the air or contact with
surface water.
Some vaccinations take as long as how many weeks to
be effective?

Many diseases have effective

vaccinations to combat them

but some take longer to be

effective than others, up to 6

weeks in some cases.

Sanitation and Livmg

Conditions - Water Sources

Many infectious diseases are transmitted by
contaminated water. All water must be proven to be
clear of infection. In most cases this will require boiling
and filtering to remove impurities, to avoid risk with
drinking water it is best to stick to sealed, bottled
water where possible.
Remember that steritabs (water purification tablets are
available from most pharmacists in your home country
and can be bought before deploying on mission) are a
useful tool when you are unable to boil water.
Ice cubes are often overlooked when in a hot climate
and you should be aware that they are usually made
from unpurified water. Unless you know that they have
been made from bottled or boiled water it is better to
refuse them.
Water is the most important
ingredient for the human body,
particularly in hot climates. The
human body can survive for
several weeks without food, but
only several days without
water.
Non-bottled water should be
boiled for a minimum of 10
minutes. Ideally use water
filters as well as previously
boiling the water as dirt will
reduce the effect of boiling and
sterilisation.

Age (mainly children and old

people) and general physical

condition (diabetes, liver

cardiac and kidney conditions)

can modify resistance to lack of

water.

Sanitation and LiVing

Conditions - Food Preparation
Some basic tips for food
handling and preparation are:
Avoid uncooked food or
undercooked meat
Only eat fruit and
vegetables that can be
peeled or shelled
Avoid eating food that you
have not seen cooked or
that has been pre-cooked
Make sure that you wash
and dry your hands
thoroughly in safe water
before all food
preparation and before
eating
Remember if you cannot
peel it, cook it or boil it
the leave it
Contaminated food is another main cause of illness and
disease that mission staff face. Food handling, storage
and preparation techniques are not the same as our
bodies are used to and it is very important that all staff
take extra care not only in their own and their domestic
staff 's methods of cooking, but are also alert to the
possibilities of disease when eating food from
restaurants or buying food from street vendors.
Sanitation and LiVing Conditions
Household/Office Hygiene
It is necessary to be much more thorough in the hygiene
of both your office and your residence than you might be
used to doing in your home country. You should
establish a routine to ensure that all areas within the
house are cleaned rigorously to prevent either disease
developing or infestations of insects and animals.
Bacteria and disease find it far easier to breed in hot
climates than in cold ones.
For purification, how long should you boil water - as a
minimum - before filtering? 10 minutes
5 minutes
30 minutes
Non-bottled water should be
boiled for a minimum of 10
minutes. Ideally use water
filters as well as previously
boiling the water as dirt will
reduce the effect of boiling
and sterilisation.
Sanitation and LiVing

Conditions - Staff Training

It is likely that you will have domestic staff who conduct
your food preparation and the cleaning of your office
and your residence. It is very important that you clearly
set out the standards that you expect to be maintained
and that you inspect regularly to ensure your
instructions are being carried out accurately. Your
family's health and that of your colleagues is put at risk
if you do not.
Colleagues will be able to
advise on where you get
domestic staff and will also be
aware of what services they
should be able to provide.

Sanitation and LlVlng

Conditions - Overcrowding
Another cause of poor hygiene and sanitary conditions
is overcrowding. This allows disease and infection to
take hold and makes treatment extremely difficult. In
areas where it is not possible to avoid overcrowding it is
imperative that you increase all levels of personal
hygiene, particularly the regular washing of hands and
feet as well as the rest of the body. Neglecting to
maintain the highest of personal standards will result in
illness and overcrowding will allow this to spread
rapidly to your family and colleagues.
Communicable Diseases
Diseases can be developed and transferred in different
ways. Whilst we can fight some disease with pre-
treatment (vaccination, prophylaxis etc) and we can
reduce the opportunities for disease to develop by
following basic sanitation and hygiene rules, there are
several other types of communicable disease which are
broken into the following basic categories:
Intestinal
Airborne
Contact and Sexual transmitted diseases (STD)
Blood transfusion or blood contaminated
utensils.
Insect/vector borne
Communicable Diseases
Intesti nal
Diseases of the intestine or gut are debilitating and in
some cases can be fatal. Germs and parasites are
generally passed in excreta (bowel motions, vomit or
urine) from infected persons and animals, though
contaminated food and water will also regularly result
in at least some of these. Hands and household material
are also important vectors of germs. Whilst there are
many more intestinal diseases specific to individual
countries, some of the most commonly caught are:
Diarrhoea
Dysentery
Enteric Fever
Cholera
Worm diseases
Poliomyelitis
Hepatitis A
Communicable Diseases
A1 rbo me
Even the common cold and flu
germs are different in nature in
your country to those you will
be exposed to in the field.
Historically these germs have
killed entire communities as no
antibodies have been available,
but this is unlikely to be the
case given the advances in
modern medicine.
Transfer of disease through the air from person to
person is easy for germs to achieve. Droplets of moisture
containing these germs are expelled by breathing,
sneezing and coughing. Large droplets will travel a
distance of 3 metres, whilst smaller droplets will travel
much greater distance.
Some of the most prevalent diseases that are airborne
contaminants are:
Meningococcal Meningitis
Colds
Influenza
Tonsillitis
Diphtheria
Whooping cough
TB
Pneumonia
SARS
Communicable Diseases
Contact
Some disease needs to have contact with skin in order
to pass from victim to victim; these are collectively
known as the contact group and can be regarded
further as those which require direct skin to skin
contact and those that need only indirect contact.
There are some that can be passed both directly or
indirectly, impetigo (a contagious bacterial skin
infection that often results in blisters on the face and
hands) is a good example of one of these.
Direct contact infections include venereal diseases
and scabies. The indirect group includes fungal
infections and conjunctivitis.
Sexually transmitted diseases
are regarded as having their
own category and can be
avoided by restraint, the
limitation of sexual partners
and by systematic and proper
use of condoms.
When sneezing or coughing, large droplets can travel
up to...?
3m
1m
2m
Droplets of moisture
containing germs are expelled
by breathing, sneezing and
coughing. Large droplets will
travel a distance of 3 metres,
whilst smaller droplets will
travel much greater distance.
Communicable Diseases
Insect/ Vector borne
Other insects such as ticks,
(Lyme disease and other tick
borne diseases) fleas and
certain aquatic snails are also
considered to pose considerable
threat in the transfer of disease
Often it is diseases carried by insects that are the
hardest to avoid. Insects can be responsible for the
spread of many of the previously covered types of
disease as they are drawn to faeces and waste where
disease is rife and then transport this on their bodies
over larger distances until they come into contact with
food or skin where the bacteria or disease may be
deposited.

Insects also cause the spread of more violent diseases

by biting or injecting their victims and transporting the
illness to the next human or animal. They are largely
responsible for the spread of:
Malaria
Yellow Fever

Dengue

Plague

Epidemic Typhus

Some haemorrhagic fevers

Schistosomiasis

American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease)

African trypanosomiasis (sleep disease by Tse

tse)

Prevalent Diseases - Malaria

Malaria causes disease in
approximately 515 million
people and kills between 1 and
3 million, the majority of whom
are children in sub-saharan
Africa
Malaria is caused by protozoan
parasites of the genus
Plasmodium (falciparum,
malariae, vivax and ovale)
which multiply within red blood
cells and liver
There is no 100% protection
with prophylaxis but the worst
clinical and dangerous forms of
malaria (cerebral malaria)
affects mainly people who
dismiss their prophylaxis
Malaria is an infectious disease that is widespread in
tropical and subtropical regions throughout the
Americas, Asia and Africa. There are several strains of
malaria and some of these have become resistant to
particular types of drug treatment. When visiting your
doctor 4-6 weeks before you deploy, you should ensure
that he knows where you are going to so that he can give
you the right malaria prophylaxis.
Malaria is transferred by Anopheles mosquitoes and
causes symptoms (sometimes difficult to recognise as
they can be mild, non specific or appear months later)
that include:

Anaemia symptoms:

Light headedness
Shortness of breath
Tachycardia (rapid beating of the heart)
Fever
Chills
Nausea
Flu-like illness
Coma
Death
There is no vaccine available for malaria
although there are preventative drugs which
must be taken regularly regularly at a correct
dosage and timing before, during and after the
mission, to reduce the risk of infection. The
most commonly used prophylaxis medicines are
Chloroquin, Mefloquine, Malarone® and
Doxyccicline.
Prevalent Diseases - Yellow
Fever

The vaccine is readily available

and is extremely successful.
Yellow fever is an acute viral disease that can
cause haemorrhagic fever (fever and bleeding
disorders), and has been the source of several
devastating epidemics. It is spread via the bite of
mosquitoes primarily. After infection the virus
replicates and then uses the lymphatic system of
the body to establish itself throughout all the
major organs including the heart, liver and
kidneys. Due to this victims often suffer from
jaundice as the liver is damaged, leading to the
name ‘Yellow Fever’.

Infection is frequently severe but more moderate

cases occur if there has been a previous illness
from the same group.

Yellow Fever is difficult to diagnose in the initial

stages as it bears similarities to many other

illnesses:
Early symptoms
Fever
Muscle pain (particularly backache)
Headache
Shivers
Loss of appetite
Nausea / vomiting
Loss of appetite
Nausea / vomiting
Later symptoms (1 5% of victims enter this toxic

phase within 24 hourS)

Jaundice

Abdominal pain with vomiting

Bleeding from mouth, eyes, nose and

stomach
Blood appears in faeces and vomit
Anuria (no urine production)

The worst form of malaria, cerebral malaria, mostly

affects people who.
Have been previously infected
Have an unusual Blood Group
Dismiss their prophylaxis
There is no 100% protection
with prophylaxis but the worst
clinical and dangerous forms of
malaria (cerebral malaria)
affects mainly people who
dismiss their prophylaxis.
Prevalent Diseases - HIV/ AIDS
HIV/AIDS is a topic that we are all aware of. This
global epidemic is a viral infection which attacks
the body’s immune system and causes acute
illness, long-term disability, and death. Its effects
are seen globally and there are many myths,
particularly in developing countries.

Transmission methods of the virus have been

equally well documented and whilst mission staff
may be careful with sexual partners and the use of
sterilised needles or surgical instruments, there
are many instances of transmission of the virus
through emergency blood transfusion.

It is important to note that the virus cannot be

transferred by work or social contact, from
swimming pools, public lavatories, handshakes,
telephones or insect bites.

Precautions:

The use of condoms has been effective in

preventing the spread of the disease, but staff
should avoid sexual contact with multiple
partners, sex workers and intravenous drug
users
Avoid blood transfusions in countries where
blood is not screened where possible

Avoid body piercing and tattooing

Carry your own supply of sealed sterilised

needles so that these can be used in

preference. Be careful, for security reasons

you can’t carry with you needles in a cabin

plane. They should be in the general luggage.

Prevalent Diseases – Rabies

Rabies is another well-documented viral infection

that can infect any mammal and the route of
infection is usually, but not always, by a bite;
infection can also take place through the mucus
membranes. In many cases the infected animal is
exceptionally aggressive, may attack without
provocation and exhibits uncharacteristic
behaviour; they are commonly foaming at the
mouth as the disease is present in saliva and
causes the victim to produce excessive amounts.
Rabies can be prevented by pre-vaccination and
can also be treated if prompt action is taken
immediately after initial infection. If neurological
symptoms have developed already then rabies is
almost always fatal.

Initial symptoms normally appear within 2 to 12

weeks but can take as long as 2 years. The initial
symptoms are flu-like but then quickly develop
through the central nervous system to include:

Slight or partial paralysis

Cerebral dysfunction

Anxiety

Insomnia

Confusion

Agitation

Paranoia

Hallucinations

DeathPrevalent Diseases - Hepatitis

The Hepatitis family is a viral infection that can

be caught in two ways, either by contact with
contaminated food and water (Hepatitis A and E)
or by the same methods as HIV is contracted
(Hepatitis B, C, D and G). The virus affects the
liver and can be self-limiting (it cures itself,
mainly Hepatitis A) or can progress (hepatitis B
and C) to scarring of the liver and permanent
damage.

Hepatitis A is generally asymptomatic and self

limiting in children.

It is generally called Acute if the duration is less

than 6 months and Chronic when it persists for
longer. It is also possible to be a carrier of the
virus without showing any symptoms.

There are only vaccines against Hepatitis A and B

but not for all. Consult your doctor for further
information on which viruses can be vaccinated
and which are relevant for your mission.

Modes of Transmissmn
There are 5 ways that diseases enter the body:
Inhalation Breathing in to the lungs
Contact Organisms gain entry by our
scratching, through wounds or through mucus
membranes
Ingestion Swallowing into the alimentary
tract
Injection Insect or animal bites and stings
Penetration Organisms penetrating the skin
Disease Prevention
Anti-Vector measures are
methods by which we prevent
the insects and animals from
reaching our skin and include
the following:
Treated clothing ~ Once
clothing has been treated with
insect repellent it will provide a
good degree of protection, but
remember that all exposed skin
is still vulnerable. Thin clothing
is much less effective even
when treated.
Mosquito nets Nets are the
best solution in general, with if
correctly managed, and come in
many different types, some can
be also be treated with insect
repellents or insecticides. The
size and strength of the net are
the key factors however and it
is worth getting the best net
you can afford.
The smaller the mesh size the
better and it should be no
larger than 1.5mm at worst.
Nets must be constantly
inspected to ensure they are
not damaed.
Air conditioning - This does not
prevent the insects entering the
room but is preferable to having
open windows. Air conditioning
creates cold conditions which
make the insects less active.
Insect repellents - Substances
that are used directly onto the
skin or clothing to prevent
contact. Some substances last
longer than others and frequent
reapplication is normally
requked.
Deet is the most common and
comes in varying strengths, you
should test some on a small
patch of skin to ensure that the
concentration does not
adversely affect your skin. It is
sometimes inappropriate for
younger children.
Mosquito coils These serve an
excellent function in a room
but over-ventilation affects
their performance. One coil will
normally be enough for an
entire night in a bedroom.
Insecticide sprays - These are
extremely effective but must be
used at least 1 to 2 hours before
the room is then used for
sleeping.
The key to preventing ourselves from becoming
victims of illness and diseases such as we have
discussed earlier is through the application of
simple measures and adopting high personal
standards.

Education This is the start point for all

prevention. In order to understand how to
keep ourselves in good health we must
understand the problems that are likely to face
us and how we might reduce our exposure

Prophylaxis Beginning a treatment whose

purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or
cure, disease

Waste disposal Basic hygiene standards that

we need to maintain to reduce the opportunity
for disease to manifest, and to prevent
infestation by insects and rodents that are
natural carriers of some of the worst types of
disease

Anti-Vector measures Methods we can use to

prevent bloodsucking insects and animals from
being able to inject or bite us (See tip for
details)

Personal hygiene By having the highest levels

we can ensure that the surface of your bodies
do not become environments in which fungal
infections and lice might be able to settle, we
are also more aware of the initial signs of any
infection as we are inspecting ourselves daily

during the cleaning process

Dust suppression Dust is made up of decayed

organic matter, mites, skin, dried and
desiccated faeces and small particles of dirt.

Many diseases are carried in this and the

mucus membranes in the nose and mouth allow

rapid absorption. Using water to damp down

dusty areas and keeping houses and offices
dust-free is a requirement in most hot

climates.
Venomous Am mals
If you are bitten or stung at
ANY time, it requires immediate
attention and should be treated
as a medical emergency. If
possible take a photo of the
animal so that the right anti-
venom can be administered.
Follow these steps if you or one
of your colleagues is bitten:
Calm the casualty and treat for
shock - calming the heart-rate
slows the passage of the venom
into the body.
Wash off the venom and rinse
the bite, DO NOT scrub as this
will allow more venom to
penetrate.
Immobilise the entire limb using
splints and raise it above the
level of the heart if possible
this will again slow the rate of
penetration of the venom.
DO NOT try to suck out the
venom. This will not work, will
do more damage to the site of
the bite and may cause the
‘sucker’ to be poisoned also.
You must seek local advice about the presence of I
venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions and insects,
some species are particularly active at night and
some venoms are fatal within minutes if not
treated immediately. Avoid poking or trying to
capture venomous animals, the majority of the
time they will avoid you unless you startle them or
threaten them...then they get nasty!

Follow these tips to reduce your chances of being

bitten or stung:

Examine clothing and shoes before using them

Do not walk barefoot or in open sandals
Do not place hands or feet in crevasses or
Examine clothing and shoes before using them
Do not walk barefoot or in open sandals
Do not place hands or feet in crevasses or
under rocks where snakes, spiders and
scorpions may be hiding
Wear long trousers and boots or closed shoes
Always take care at night, check areas with a
torch before sitting, particularly when using
toilets
Do not sleep directly on the ground
Maintain good camp hygiene
Climate Injuries

Check your urine colour to

know whether you are properly

hydrated. The more yellow and

the stronger smell your urine

has, the more dehydrated you

are. Ideally you should aim to

urinate clear liquid at least

once a day. Alcohol will distort

your immediate colour and will

lead to greater dehydration. Exposure to extreme temperature environments

that we are not used to can result in many health
issues. It is important that we know our own
capabilities clearly and monitor our own bodies
and any changes that occur if we are to make sure
that we are not unduly affected and are still able
to conduct our jobs.

In order to prevent climate injuries we can take

some simple steps:

Acclimatise On arrival in the mission location

try to have a programme of events that is
manageable and which allows you to settle in
to the new climate

Overexertion Many people arrive in a new

environment and maintain a rigorous training

schedule, this is not possible and we need to

be aware of how our bodies tell us that we are

struggling (for some this may be extreme

sweating or light-headedness, for others it

might be shortness of breath)

Fitness A fit individual will generally be able

to acclimatise more easily, but will also fight
off disease better and be more capable of
adapting to the new climate. If you are
overweight this will put your body under
greater stress to attune to your surroundings.

Maintain hydration In all extreme climates

(both hot and cold) we need higher fluid
intake. This is not only water but also salts to
keep our electrolyte balance correct.

Alcoholic beverages should not be utilised as a

method of hydration

Wear loose clothing in hot environments but

keep skin covered so as to prevent burning

In cold climates use a ‘layer’ system of clothes

to trap heat near the body

Know your own constitution It is vital that

you know what your personal limits are, and
how they are affected by the new climate.
Climate Injuries - Heat Stroke

lf one of your group has heat

stroke it is likely that others

will be suffering with heat

exhaustion.

Knowing your own limits and

your body's reactions will allow

you to avoid this situation.

Hyperthermia begins when the

body's core temperature rises

above 39 Celsius.

Heat stroke (or Hyperthermia) occurs when the

body produces or absorbs more heat than it can
get rid of and is usually due to excessive exposure
to heat. When the body becomes sufficiently
dehydrated to prevent the production of sweat,
core temperature begins to rise swiftly. Victims
will become confused, delirious and possibly
hostile and might faint or collapse from low blood
pressure. This may progress to nausea and
vomiting and ultimately to unconsciousness and
coma.

Heat stroke requires emergency medical attention

and hospitalisation. Immediate treatment must be
swift:
Move the casualty indoors or into shade as a
Heat stroke requires emergency medical attention
and hospitalisation. Immediate treatment must be
swift:

Move the casualty indoors or into shade as a

minimum, clothing should be loosened or
removed if appropriate

Cool the body wrap the casualty in a cold,

wet towel or apply cold compresses to the
torso, head, neck and groin. Fan cold air over
the victim

Rehydrate the casualty ensure they drink

plenty of water or isotonic drinks. NEVER give
fluids to an unconscious person and avoid
alcohol or caffeine

Climate In] unes - Hypothermia

Hypothermia begins when the

body temperature drops to 35C

and becomes critical when the

body reaches 3oC.

The opposite of heat stroke, Hypothermia occurs I

when the body temperature drops too low for
normal metabolic functions; the body is unable to
keep internal organs warm enough to function.
Symptoms begin as quick and shallow breathing,
numb extremities (fingers and toes) and goose
bumps. Often a person will have a ‘warm
sensation’ before they get worse.

As the condition worsens shivering becomes

worse, muscle coordination does not work (try
getting them to touch their thumb with their little
finger), movement is slow and victim might seem
confused. The victim will be pale and their lips,
fingers and toes may become blue.
Eventually shivering stops, the casualty has
difficulty speaking and is likely to stumble and be
unable to use hands.

Treatment again must be swift:

Dry, shelter and warm the victim

Give the victim warm, sweet liquids

Close body contact from a companion will

reheat the victim quicker than blankets

Climate Injuries
Altitude Sickness
The body's muscles and organs need an adequate

supply of oxygen to function properly. As altitude

increases, the percentage of oxygen in the air
remains constant but the pressure decreases,
meaning we breathe in fewer oxygen molecules
with each breath. This leaves the body short of its
requirements and causes altitude sickness. Some
people are more susceptible than others, for some
otherwise healthy people Acute Mountain Sickness
(AMS) can begin to appear at around 2000 meters.
How severely someone is affected depends on how
high they go and how quickly they ascend.

AMS is the most frequent type of

altitude sickness encountered.

The best method of prevention is

acclimatisation. Make regular
stops as you ascend to ensure
that your body has sufficient
time to adjust.

Travel Illness
Travelling to and from field missions is usually
conducted by plane and, depending on the
location of the mission and your role, you may be
required to spend many hours on aircraft. There
are some illnesses that are closely linked to
prolonged air travel that you need to be aware of
and protect yourself from.

Travel Illnesses - Jetlag

It is not common to get jet lag

from a crossing of only one or
The condition is not linked to
the length of flight, but to the
transmeridian (i.e., east-west)
distance traveled.
Frequent changes of time zone
or working long hours or shifts
may reduce work output to only
60 to 70% of one's potential.

When traveling across a number of time zones, the

body clock will be out of sync with the
destination time, as it experiences daylight and
darkness contrary to the rhythms to which it has
grown accustomed. As a result the bodys natural
pattern is upset, as the rhythms that dictate times
for eating, sleeping, hormone levels and the body
temperature rhythm no longer correspond to the
environment nor to each other in some cases. Jet
lag occurs because the body cannot immediately
realign these rhythms. The speed at which the body
readjusts itself to new daylight/ darkness hours is
individually determined. Thus, while it may take
several days for some people to readjust to a new
time zone, others seem to experience little
disruption to their body's natural patterns.
Disorientation and/or grogginess
Insomnia and/or highly irregular sleep
patterns

Irritability, irrationality
Mild depression

Treatment for Jetlag is relatively straightforward:

sleep, relaxation, moderate exercise, and
sensible diet seem to be the simplest recovery
methods but the condition of jet lag may last
many days, and medical experts have deemed that
a recovery rate of "one day per time zone" is a fair
guideline.

Jet lag has symptoms which are extremely varied

from one individual to another but which may
include the following:

Dehydration (possibly because of dry air in the

plane)
Loss of appetite
Nausea and/or upset stomach
Headaches and/or sinus irritation
Fatigue
Travel Illnesses – DVT
Deep-vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood I
clot in a deep vein. It commonly affects the leg
veins, such as the femoral vein or the popliteal
vein or the deep veins of the pelvis. Occasionally
the veins of the arm are affected. If a clot
develops, it usually makes its presence known by
an intense pain in the affected leg. Medical
attention should be sought immediately if this
occurs, especially after a long journey. There is a
significant risk of the clot embolising and
traveling to the lungs causing a pulmonary
embolism (a blood clot of the pulmonary artery
which can lead to serious medical problems and
death).

A DVT can occur some days or even weeks after a

trip. In most situations the person will have no

symptoms and through normal movement the clot

will break up. However, the classical symptoms of

DVT include the following. If you have any of

these symptoms you must seek emergency medical

advice:

Pain the pain will be worse when walking or

standing

Swelling and redness of the leg

Dilation of the surface veins

Breathlessness and chest pain can occur hours

or days later if pulmonary embolism happens
DVT is difficult to predict, but there are some
conditions which make it more likely. The most
frequent DVT risk factors are:

A personal or family history of DVT

Active cancer or cancer treatment

Recent surgery (usually abdominal, urological,

gynecological) or leg surgery

Existing clotting abnormality

Obesity (BMI of above 30)

Chronic or acute medical illnesses

Hormones or the oral contraceptive pill

Inflammatory bowel disease

Varicose veins

Pregnancy or 2 months post-partum

Existing Cardiac problems or a history of

cardiac problems or stroke

Dehydration

Aged over 60
Although there is no guaranteed method of
prevention for DVT there is clinical evidence to
suggest that the following advice will reduce the
risk:

Try to exercise at least every hour on long

journeys. Exercise the calf muscles by rotating
your ankles; exercise the major leg muscles by
extending and curling your legs. Walking on
the plane is also a good idea.

Wearing compression socks while traveling also

reduces the incidence of thrombosis in people
on long haul flights. However it is important
that you do not wear any clothing that will
cause a restriction of circulation.

For long flights wear loose clothing. Due to

the change in atmospheric pressure in a plane,
parts of your body can expand due to
increased gas!
In the dry environment of a plane, it is a well-
documented fact that too much alcohol, tea
and coffee on flights can add to the problem of
dehydration. It is therefore very important to
remain hydrated during a long flight by
drinking plenty of water and fruit juices.

First Aid and Medical

Treatment in the Field
Note that this is NOT a first Aid
course, for First Aid training
you should ask your security
officer on the mission who may
be able to arrange it. Time
spent training in First Aid is
never wasted time.
It is likely that during your time in the field there
will be an injury that requires first aid and the
available medical facilities are either not
adequate or are too far away. In these
circumstances you should be aware of all the
qualified first aiders among your colleagues so
that they can treat the casualty.

If you have to be the one to treat the casualty

then there are some basic principles that will
assist you.

The first principle of First Aid in a potentially

hostile environment is not to become a
casualty yourself. Stop and think before you
act.
Call for medical assistance on the radio, by
phone or shout, as applicable

Look for major bleeding and control it

If the casualty is conscious and you have

controlled the bleeding, check regularly that
the situation has not changed and await
medical assistance

If the casualty is unconscious check to see that

they are breathing and then place them in the
recovery position

If the casualty is not breathing and you have

not been trained in CPR or airway clearing
techniques you must call for assistance

Control of Bleeding
The best method to control bleeding is direct
pressure on the wound:

Always wear protective gloves

Remove or cut clothing to expose the wound,

DO NOT remove any protruding objects (shards
of glass, knives etC)

Put direct pressure onto the wound using a

bandage if possible, but if it is not near then
use anything that is at hand

If the bandage soaks through, get another one

and apply it on top
Apply bandages firmly but not tight enough to

stop circulation.
Remember to note the exact time that the
bandage to arrest bleeding was applied
Check every few minutes that you have not cut
off circulation
If there are broken bones do NOT attempt to
move the fractured limb as this may cause
bleeding internally
Medical AdVISOI‘S and Records
On arrival at the mission office make sure that
you know who your medical advisor is. It is
worthwhile finding out where all the medical
records are kept, who is trained to deal with
medical issues in an emergency and where all the
medical equipment and blood is stored. He will be
able to advise you on what standard operating
procedures there are (for example, all mission
staff might write their blood group on a card in
their wallets).
You will also be able to ask about first aid or
trauma training and whether or not you will be
issued a first aid kit.
Blood Transf us1on

If you do not already know your

blood group you should find it

out quickly and make sure this

is noted down in your medical

records and marked about your

person.

Blood safety depends on

screening, storage and the

equipment used during the

transfusion.

Blood transfusion is one of the highest risks and

should only be conducted in a life-threatening
emergency

Dirty equipment or contaminated blood can lead

to contracting many severe diseases including
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B and C

Medical Kits

When you use an item you

MUST replace it in the pack.

Medical kits should be carried with you at all

times, but only carry equipment that you or your
colleagues know how to use. Basic medical kits
should include the following:

Bandages (triangular and padded)

Sterile dressings
Adhesive tape
Antiseptic wound cleaner
Scissors and safety pins
Water purification tablets
Water purification tablets
Oral rehydration salts
Eye rinse solution
Paracetamol
Antiseptic cream
Thermometer
Medical Kit - Additional Items
You may also want to add other items to your
medical kit:
Condoms (useful for carrying water)
Personal medication (for malaria and any other
requirement)
Anti-fungal powder
Imodium (or other symptomatic treatment for
diarrhoea)
Sterile needles and syringes
Alcohol hand wipes
Blister treatment kit
Do not confuse your medical kit with your Grab
Bag, although they should normally be kept
together
Stress
Stress management should begin before you leave
to go on mission. Effective planning of your
affairs at home so that they are well managed
while you are away means that you will have less
to worry about at home and more to look forward
to when you return. Make sure that you:

Organise bill and mortgage payments

Set up a clear communication method with your
partner, family and friends so that you both
know how much to expect

Setting goals to achieve during your mission or

deciding what new skills you might be able to
learn (maybe a new language or a new sport)

Once you have arrived in the mission there are

many other things that you should consider,
sometimes it is best to have a list of all these
things close by so that when you feel stressed you
can pick something from it:

Don’t suffer alone

Take exercise, play a sport or game with your

colleagues

Take time out to get to know your colleagues

personally, not just knowing their working
capabilities

Learn about the country you are living in and

if possible look around it
Decorate where you live and work, nothing is
worse than a blank room when you are
stressed or depressed

Read books or learn a musical instrument

Establish clearly with your colleagues the levels

of privacy you would like and those that they
would like

Write letters or a journal

If possible take an interest in a local project

that is not related to work

Keep a pet

At all costs avoid substance abuse, it will only

make matters worse in the long run

Early Consequences of Stress

Leave and regular breaks from
work are very important, they
provide you with the mental
stamina to continue working
safely and efficiently. This time
should not be used for extra
work but as time when you can
properly relax and benefit
yourself.

As a manager you must allow

your staff to take leave
regularly and you must take the
time yourself if you do not want
your workplace and your
productivity to decline.

The consequences of stress range from those that

are not easy to notice to the critical, a few of the
more basic ones are:
Lack of interest in work
Physical and mental exhaustion
Neglect of staff working for you
Regular arguments and lack of consideration
for colleagues and family members
Decreased productivity at work
An inability to think creatively
Lack of ability to plan ahead more than a few
days properly
Self-neglect, loss of appetite
Not taking leave

Start or increase to your usual alcohol intake

Extreme Consequences of
Stress
Stress can have more severe consequences than
those we have already covered:
Cumulative stress

This occurs when we do not resolve our

basic stressors over an extended period of
time and takes time to show its effects.

Rather than leading to an explosive

incident (which may happen) cumulative
stress leads to an erosion of many aspects
of your lives and can ultimately lead to
burnout.

In the shorter term it is very damaging to

our mental and physical health, our work

performance and productivity and can have

extremely negative effects on our
personality and relationships.
Burnout

Burnout may occur in many environments

but is essentially a state of exhaustion that
can result in a total loss of interest in
relationships, sex or work or a complete
numbness about life and self.

The early signs of burnout are chronic

fatigue and irritability. You become
hesitant and indecisive and increasingly
blame others for difficulties whilst losing
feelings of compassion for yourself and
others

As this progresses towards full scale burnout

there is an overwhelming sense of failure
and despair. Self-confidence and self-
esteem become non-existent and feelings of
depression and in some cases suicidal
tendencies occur. It is not unusual to suffer
from heart attacks or strokes

Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a severe stress condition which

always starts with exposure to a critical
incident and often has roots in unresolved
traumatic stress
develop such reaction when something
happens. There are not direct predictors
but the intensity, duration of trauma, the
extent of physical consequences for one
self of for others can trigger more often this
reaction

PTSD has an impact in every aspect of the

victim’s life almost all of the time and
requires professional corrective support and
action

It is a relatively rare disorder for mission

staff but if it does occur can cause:

Flashbacks
Panic attacks
Insomnia
Violent unprovoked rage
Depression
Disassociation
Anxiety
Increase in alcohol intake

PTSD symptoms may not appear until

months or even years after the event so it is
critical that all those who are exposed to

traumatic incidents receive professional

support immediately after the event so that
PTSD can be avoided at later stages of the
recovery process
A follow up should be given both in short
and long term
Treatment of Stress
Treatment for the more extreme forms of stress
needs more than just a quick visit to the doctor
for a prescription. Our cognitive and behavioural
needs must be addressed as well as our physical
and emotional ones. Asking for help is often the
first step in the recovery process as it means that
the victim recognises that there is a problem that
needs to be dealt with.

Treatment needs to be conducted by a

professional as failure to manage all areas of the
problem can lead to unresolved problems
manifesting themselves at much later stages.

Substance Abuse
Often individuals choose to use alcohol or drugs to
cope with stress. Alcohol particularly is an
accepted part of our everyday society and as such
is a relatively easy and inexpensive ‘quick fix’
solution.

Staff in missions sometimes find they do not have

the same resources to deal with issues as they do
at home or that they are already feeling more
vulnerable and as a result turn to alcohol,
tobacco or drugs to cope.

For many people drinking and smoking becomes a

regular short term solution to deal with low levels
of stress, however the immediate relief frequently
leads to long-term dependency and increasing
consumption. This in turn leads to further stress

problems as the ‘quick fix’ cure leads to faulty

decision making, addiction and family or work
related problems.

Recognition of your levels of intake and watching

out for your colleagues is important so that the
required professional help can be given before
problems spiral out of control.

Harassment and Aggression

Given that mission staff are bound to uphold the

core values of the EU, harassment is something
which might be far from our minds but it is
something that we must be aware of and prevent
from taking place. Anger and aggression are
noted side effects of stress and there are many
other reasons that might cause an individual to
behave unusually in this regard.

Harassment, or conduct that might reasonably be

perceived to cause offence, is a generic term that
covers many different areas but it should be noted
that all harassment can come in the shape of
gestures, comments or actions and does not have
to happen within the workplace.

The EU will fully investigate any claims of

harassment that are brought to their attention.

The following are common examples of

harassment:

Abuse of power - The improper use of an

individual’s position within the mission to the
detriment of another colleague or group. This
can manifest itself in several ways; for example
using power to prevent promotion or to
unfairly select for promotion. The effects of
power abuse within a mission can be
catastrophic for the mission itself and for the
other staff.

Sexual harassment - Any sexual advance,

verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature

that is unwelcome can be categorised as sexual

harassment. This is regarded as particularly
bad when it is made a condition of
employment or creates an offensive or
intimidating work environment. Although more
commonly carried out by men against women
there have been notable cases where a woman
has sexually harassed a male colleague.
Bullying Staff joining together to emotionally
abuse another staff member or trying to force
them out of the mission by comments,
gestures, insinuation or any other means.
Dealing Wlth Aggression
Often harassment in the workplace can be a direct
result of stress and it is important to understand
the causes of this in order to ensure that the
matter is dealt with properly. In a mission,
dealing with an angry or aggressive colleague
must be handled correctly. It is necessary for the
individual to be made aware of the results of their
actions, but this would be best accomplished
when they are at ease.
Once the situation and facts have been
established there should be a positive, noticeable
change; if not then both victim and managers
should begin to collect evidence of the behaviour
to deal with it in a more stringent way.

Preventative Management

As international staff in a mission we will all be

managers of some description and it is imperative
that we are effective and fair managers if we are
to create the healthy work environment that will
benefit all mission members.

Staff stress levels can be greatly reduced by

effective management with good communication
throughout the team and with opportunities to
speak out with ideas as well as complaints.

Providing a solid platform for your staff to work in

can be assisted by keeping things fresh and using 3
tools for their benefit:

Emotional Intelligence

Counselling

Challenges and activities

Emotional Intelligence
If staff recognise that they are

able to speak maturely about

how they feel they are more

likely to do so and it will bond

your workforce even tighter

together, defusing problems

before they occur.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to empathise

with others, understanding their problems and
emotions as well as understanding and managing
your own. Using this valuable ability to handle the
dynamics of interpersonal relationships sensitively
and respectfully can lead to harmony in the
workplace and effectively manage staff stress
levels.

Cou nselli ng

Professional counselling can provide an important

part of the support structure that mission staff
are called to rely on. Working in potentially
unstable political and security environments and
in different climatic conditions for long hours can
cause long term emotional problems which
counselling is designed specifically to address.

You must ensure that all staff know what

counselling is available in the field, if any, and
what counselling will be available to them when
they return on leave.
In the event of any traumatic incident, all
managers should consider requesting professional
assistance even if there seems to be little need at
first glance.

Challenges and ACthltleS

Ultimately in any mission all team members need
to be given the opportunity to bond with each
other and to expose their vulnerabilities to each
other. Trying new experiences or new activities
with each other as part of an organised program is
a sensible and reliable way to allow mission staff
to become familiar with one another and to is
another method of team building that will enhance
the workplace productivity, particularly in times
of crisis.

Openness, honesty and trust are three things that

will always benefit the wellbeing of any mission.

Professional counselling should be considered after...?

A) Any traumatic event

B) Any helicopter accident involving mission staff"

C) A series of murders involving mission. staff

In the event of any traumatic

incident, all managers should

consider requesting

professional assistance even if

there seems to be little need

at first glance.
Module 5

Introduction
The EU is increasingly being asked to provide missions
in hostile, post-conflict and post-disaster
environments. It is the nature of our role that we are
asked to assist developing countries such as these to try
and help them build a better state for all people,
whether that be to help them move through the early
stages of democracy, to provide monitoring missions, to
assist disaster recovery or even to assist in the provision
of free and fair elections. Whilst the EU remains
neutral in all of these environments, our staff have
become specific targets at times and risk the possibility
of injury or death as a direct result of the work that
they do.
The EU is increasing the number of missions in
potentially hostile environments
Their role is to help recover and redevelop the
societies for all host nations
Whilst the EU is neutral, their staff have become
specific targets at times and risk injury or death
Civil Conflict
Civil conflict presents us with threats that are almost
unknown in our home countries: kidnapping, terrorism,
small arms, bombs and mines as well as natural
disasters.
This module examines these subjects in greater detail so
that you can be prepared for what lies ahead of you and
can be confident that you will be able to meet the
challenges that your mission will bring.
Civil Conflict
Civil conflict presents us with threats that are almost
unknown in our home countries: kidnapping, terrorism,
small arms, bombs and mines as well as natural disasters.

This module examines these subjects in greater detail so

that you can be prepared for what lies ahead of you and
can be confident that you will be able to meet the
challenges that your mission will bring.

Crowds
The majority of the field missions that the EU conducts
are likely to be in developing states and countries. Quite
regularly these will be post-conflict environments which
are subject to rapid change or where there are fledgling
governments and little centralised security measures in
place or indeed where the rule of law is less respected
and development of the country has yet to take place.
In such environments public demonstrations are not as
controlled as they might be in our home nations,
equally public demonstrations that begin passively can
become aggressive or scared resulting in difficult
situations for mission staff to deal with.

Crowds - Motivations
We must consider in what circumstances public
demonstrations or crowds might come into direct
contact with the EU mission office or staff. In general
terms there are likely to be three areas in which the EU
mission might be approached:

1. Occasionally these demonstrations might be

directed against the EU themselves. For
example, demonstrations against EU
Commission compounds in parts of the Middle
East following the publication of some
cartoons in a Danish newspaper in 2006.

2. The intention might be to coerce the EU to

mediate in a local dispute: This calls into
question some fundamental issues regarding the
neutrality of the mission and the mandate
under which the mission was set up. There
have been instances where local people have
been misled by the host nation government as
to the role of the mission in the country.

3. The most frequent motivation however is the

call for assistance and to provide protection.

Crowds - Types
Not all crowds pose a direct threat to the mission, so
in general we regard crowds in three main categories
where they might pose an indirect threat:
1. A crowd with an aim - this might be to kill, to
kidnap or to riot.
2. A panicking crowd - A crowd that has been
manipulated or scared which is trying to
escape. During a peaceful demonstration a
bomb or even the threat of a bomb can be
enough to force thousands of people to flee for
their lives, such as was seen in Baghdad in
2005 when over 800 people were killed as they
tried to escape from a rumour of a suicide
bomber whilst in a religious procession.
3. A robbers crowd - Frequently when there has
been an incident there will be a crowd of
looters trying to benefit from the situation.
All three of these types of crowds could pose threats to
EU staff and assets whether they are in the office
compound or happen to be in the wrong place at the
wrong time. For the most part the EU is unlikely to be
the target of any threat although this is possible.
Crowds - Characteristics
If a crowd does pose a threat to us we need to evaluate
its characteristics in order to know how to effectively
deal with the situation. There are some simple questions
we should ask that will enable us to start planning and
making decisions:

What is the size of the crowd? - Estimating the

size of the crowd gives us an idea of the scope
of the threat. A crowd of 10,000 poses a much
greater threat than a crowd of 500, and will be
much harder to control

What is the temperament of the crowd? - are

they peaceful and calm or angry and
aggressive? If they are the latter we can draw
conclusions about how likely we are to be able
to influence them
What area is the crowd occupying? - is it an
open patch of land or a square in a built-up
area? This gives us an indication of what
resources might be required to control them

Is the crowd static or is it moving? - If the EU is

not the intended target of the crowd but just
happens to be on the route of the
demonstration this still poses a threat, but a
more limited one
What is the direction and purpose of the
crowd? - If the EU is not the target, what is? Is
this nearby? Could an incident at that point
pose more problems to the mission?

Does anyone in the crowd have weapons of any

description? - This again allows us to know
whether we are capable of dealing with the
situation or whether we need to withdraw into
our building and close down operations
temporarily

What is the danger posed to persons or

property? - Can we protect our assets and
personnel? Is this more difficult due to the
time of day? At night our staff are more likely
to be at home and although this spreads our
risk it also makes it much harder for us to
control and protect our personnel

Crowds - Loss of Control

Crowd manipulation can be
achieved easily. The anti-
globalisation demonstration in
London in May 2000 began as
an organised protest but was
turned into a day of rioting and
fighting by 8 masked individuals
who attacked police and shops,
causing a reaction from police
and resulting in mass
destruction and panic.

Food distribution in developing

countries is equally difficult.
Crowds gather for their share
and when they fear there might
not be enough they are
desperate enough to fight to
take it.
All these types of crowds are gathered and controlled by
some means. In an organised, peaceful demonstration
this would be by the organisers and they would try to
ensure that their objectives were met calmly. How then
does a crowd change from being a peaceful
demonstration to being a riotous mob?

Confusion
Frustration
Desperation
Manipulation - either by the crowd leader or by
other individuals or groups or through
bad organisation

Crowds - Regaining Control

The responsibility for crowd control should remain with
the host government and is unlikely to be a part of your
mandate. If it should come to a stage when you have to
deal with a crowd, either as an individual or on behalf
of the mission, you must remember your primary goal is
the safety and security of yourself, your personnel and
assets. As an individual your interest should be in getting
away from the crowd as swiftly as possible without
drawing attention to yourself.

Avoid eye contact - Primarily this relates to

when you are involved as an individual. Eye
contact attracts attention and in this instance
what you are seeking to achieve is anonymity
so that you can move away from the crowd
Do not get angry - Remain calm and in control
of yourself. It is all too easy to become
agitated when under such pressures and
particularly if the people you are speaking to
are unreasonable or angry themselves. If you
show anger they are likely to react to that with
aggression
Organise back-up from HQ - Contact your
mission as soon as you realise there is a threat,
the security officer will be able to provide
useful advice and should be able to organise
assistance for you
If possible try to get the crowd seated or at
least stationary - A stationary crowd is less
likely to over react, a seated crowd is unlikely
to be aggressive at all
Do not engage in unruly discussion - If you have
started to negotiate or speak with the
organisers of the crowd do NOT allow the
discussion to drift away from your main goals,
they may try to draw you into commitments
you cannot keep or into stating a position that
is clearly not the case
Armed or masked people - If the crowd
contains armed or masked people you must
walk away, no discussions, no comments just
get away as quickly as possible

Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are an everyday hazard in some areas,
you should check before you travel to your destination
whether or not it is prone to earthquakes or any other
regular occurrences. It is the unpredictable events that
regularly cause the most damage however. No-one
would have predicted that an underwater earthquake in
December 2004 would have caused a death toll
worldwide of nearly 250,000, most of whom were
never prepared to face such an ordeal.
As with all threats, there is a
certain amount of preparation
that we can do and there are
particular ways to deal with an
event when it occurs to
minimise the risk to our staff
and ourselves
Earthquakes
The word earthquake is used to describe any seismic
event-whether a natural phenomenon or an event
caused by humans-that generates seismic waves.
Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological
faults, but also by volcanic activity, landslides, mine
blasts, and nuclear experiments.
An earthquakes point of initial rupture is called its
focus or hypocenter. The term epicentre means the
point at ground level directly above this.
Earthquakes occur regularly along fault lines, the edges
of tectonic plates, and in active volcanic areas. These
areas are generally prepared for earthquakes to take
place and have emergency plans prepared as well as
instructions for individuals.
Effects: When an earthquake occurs, the severity of its
local effects is determined by the force of the
earthquake and the distance from the epicenter.
Normally the main effects are shaking and ground
rupture, both of which may result in damage to
buildings and rigid structures as well as injuries to
individuals
Side effects: Although the earthquake itself might only
cause shaking and ground rupture, it can have secondary
effects in terms of avalanches or landslides or, where
there is a population centre, we would expect fires as
electrical power lines and gas pipes are ruptured. These
often cause much more damage than the initial
earthquake
Actions in Earthquake
There are four areas in which actions are appropriate:
Preparation:
Stockpile supplies of food and water
Maintain your grab bag and ensure you have it
with you at all times
In all buildings ensure that your emergency exit
is unblocked and that there is a key on the
inside
During the earthquake:
Keep calm and do not panic
The motion is frightening and disorientating but
unless it shakes something on top of you it is
harmless. Buildings rarely collapse immediately
Indoors:
Stay inside - going outside you risk falling debris
hitting you, do NOT use the elevator
Take cover under heavy furniture, desks,
doorways etc and stay away from windows and
glass
Outdoors:
Move away from buildings, high walls and
utility wires
If beside a large building shelter under
archways or doorways, do not run near
buildings
Stay outdoors and go to open spaces
If in a vehicle, stop as soon as possible in an
open space and stay in the vehicle until
tremors subside
Tsunamis
A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of
water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced and is
usually caused by underwater earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions or other underwater seismic events. The
larger and more devastating tsunamis take place when a
huge earthquake occurs causing the plates below the
water to push up causing the water to create a huge
wave.
There is often no advance warning of an approaching
tsunami. If the first part of a tsunami to reach land is
the trough rather than the crest of a wave, the water
along the shoreline may recede dramatically, exposing
areas that are normally always submerged. This can
serve as an advance warning of the approaching crest of
the tsunami, although the warning arrives only a very
short time before the crest, which typically arrives
seconds to minutes later.
If you are near the ocean and an earthquake occurs, do
not wait, head immediately for high ground.
Effects: A tsunami is a higher body of water arriving at
the land rather than a typical ‘wave', the force behind
it can be catastrophic and it might knock down
buildings, trees and other obstacles rather than going
around them. Beware of glass and other debris if you are
caught in the water
Actions in Tsunamis
If you are caught in a tsunami follow these guidelines:
During a tsunami:
Stay out of the water if possible.
Climb to higher ground or evacuate where
facilities exist.
Stay away from the beach, particularly if you
see the water withdrawing.
Do not return home until the authorities advise
it is safe to do so.
Be aware that there may be a series of waves.
Action in the water:
If you are caught in the water:
Stay afloat - There may be driftwood or other
debris that you can hold onto.
Keep calm as you need more oxygen when you
panic.
If you are driven towards an obstacle try to
take the impact on your side.

If you are being pulled back out to sea try to

hold onto a fixed object to prevent this.

If you get pulled out to sea find some debris to

keep you afloat and swim steadily towards
shore.

When you get free of the water move

immediately towards higher ground as there
may be more waves.

Afterwards:
If you can get to a radio, listen for latest
emergency information.

Give first aid if you can.

Be aware that flooded sewage systems will
spread bacteria and disease, a small cut can
easily become infected.
Evacuate as soon as possible.
Volcanoes
There are many different types
of eruption from volcanoes:
1. large lumps of molten lava
thrown through the air from
the crater (Strombolian eruptions),
2. lava flows coming from fissures on the side of the volcano (Hawaiian),
3. dense clouds of ash-laden gas exploding from the crater(Vulcanian)
4. and solid rock being thrown (Phreatic).

The 2002 eruption of Mount

Nyiragongo in the DR Congo
pushed a lava river between
20om to 100om wide through
the city of Goma. 4095 of the
city was destroyed but because
of the warning there were few
fatalities from the lava althoug
the carbon dioxide clouds wer.
responsible for most of them.

A volcano is an opening or rupture in the earth's

surface which allows molten rock, ash and gases to
escape from beneath the surface. They are generally
found at the edges of tectonic or continental plates
where they come together or pull apart, not usually
where they slide past one another.

There are particular areas of the world that are prone to

volcanoes and volcanic eruptions, the Pacific Ring of
Fire being the most well known. They also occur in
‘hotspots' in the middle of tectonic plates in such areas
as Hawaii.

Volcanic eruptions are usually preceded by one or more

earthquakes which can act as a warning and they eject
ash, gas, lava and rock over the surrounding areas and
may also produce lava rivers. These are not the only
threats that come directly from volcanoes. There are
also pyroclastic flows (fast flowing currents of hot gas
and rock which move away from volcanoes at speeds
faster than 8o kmh along the ground and in which the
gas is up to 1000 degrees Celsius). There are also flows
of other debris that move significantly faster than
humans not to mention the threat that is posed to
breathing by the carbon dioxide and ash.

The good news is that most Volcanoes are monitored for

activity and eruptions can usually be predicted so there
should be plenty of warning for the mission before an
eruption hits.
Actions in Eruption
You should receive good warning that an eruption is
due, either through the monitoring service or due to the
earthquakes, and so should be able to follow the
evacuation plans if required and reach safety before it
occurs.
If you are not able to do so:
Make your way to the evacuation points and
follow your emergency plans.

Do NOT try to watch the eruption up close.

Protect your body against ash with long
clothing.

Wear a dampened face mask or cloth to

prevent yourself breathing in dangerous vapours
and ash.

Goggles are also a good idea.

Do not drive unless it is an emergency, ash is
hazardous to both you and your vehicle.

Floods
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land and
usually occurs when a river or lake is overburdened by
heavy or tropical storms particularly monsoon rainfall,
but can also come from seas and oceans, most typically
following a tsunami, heavy storms or a very high tide.
Effects:
Destruction of buildings and structures
Destruction of crops
Drowning of people and animals (including
livestock)
Breakdown of infrastructure (Gas, electricity,
road access etc)
Side effects:

Water supplies become contaminated

Disease is able to breed and spreads rapidly
Economic and social hardship as families
can not shelter or feed themselves, they
become refugees

Actions in Flood
There are two areas in which action is appropriate:
Preparation:
If your home or office is threatened, evacuate
to higher ground.
Store fresh water supplies before the system is
contaminated.
Secure anything that might float away in the
flood.
Turn off your mains power supply if
applicable.
Unplug all electrical appliances.

During
Keep calm.
If you have evacuated, stay away from the
floodwaters until you have been officially told
you can return to your house or office.
If you are caught in the water stay afloat, hang
on to debris or buildings.
Shout for help.
Try to make your way to dry land.
Be aware of disease and climate injuries and
Tornadoes
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air which is
contact with the cloud base and the ground, it usually
has a visible funnel and usually occurs during a
thunderstorm.
Tornadoes have a windspeed which can
be more than 400 kmh and can stretch as wide as a
mile, remaining in contact with the ground for
sometimes more than 10okm.
Although tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world,
the larger ones are generally seen only at sea or on the
largest landmasses that are not broken by mountain
ranges, these break up the weather fronts that are
required for a tornado to build.
A tornado may have more than
one funnel and may have
weaker ‘satellite' tornadoes
that ‘orbit’ around it.
A tornado over water is usually
called a ‘waterspout’ and is
formed from a severe
thunderstorm
Actions in Tornado
A Tornado is an extreme weather condition that
requires specific occurrences to take place. As a result
most weather monitoring and forecasting agencies can
predict them in advance. There should be ample time
for preparation of a storm cellar or to strengthen the
roof of the basement of your building.
Before the tornado strikes:
Listen for the tornado updates on the radio.
Be aware of the changes in the weather
conditions.
Look out for debris.
Move to your storm shelter and await the ‘all
clear' from authorities.
During:
Stay in the storm shelter.
Stay away from windows and doors.
Protect your head and neck from any debris.
If you are outdoors:
If possible get into a building or storm shelter.
Lie in a ditch or crouch next to a strong building.
Protect your head and neck from debris.
If you are in a vehicle:
Get out and into shelter.
NEVER try to drive away from an oncoming
tornado, you will not win the race.
Other Natural Disasters
There are many other types of natural disaster such as
bushfires and tropical storms but all these should have
ample warning time and there should be emergency
plans drawn up in advance which you should prepare for
through your mission security officer

Sexual Violence
Sexual violence can be directed at all people regardless
of gender, race or age and at any time and in any place,
however it is most commonly directed at women and
girls of child bearing age.
In extreme hostile environments
such as war or civil disturbance
it is relatively common for
gangs or groups to conduct all
types of sexual violence.

Male rape is enacted frequently

in situations of confinement
such as prison and has often
been used in conflict and post-
conflict scenarios as a form of
punishment or torture.

Sexual Assault
It is worth noting that
consumption of alcohol
increases the risk of sexual
assault from both the Victim's
perspective and the assailant's
perspective.

Sexual assault does not only constitute rape (forced

sexual intercourse) but includes any non-consensual
sexual act which is forced upon a victim by one or
more assailants. Whilst the violence is sexual in nature,
the act itself is motivated by violence and in general the
assailant or assailants intent is to dominate, control and
hurt the victim.

According to Police psychologists the majority of sexual

assaults are carried out by individuals who know the
victim. Although this might not be the case in the field,
outside of a confined scenario such as detention or
kidnapping it is likely that the victim will have come
into contact with the assailant at some stage, even if
only visually.
It is a violent and emotionally disturbing crime no
matter who carries it out.

For the victim, alcohol impairs

rational decision making and
may lead the victim to take
unnecessary risks, short cuts or
not be aware of a threat until it
is too late.
For the assailant, alcohol
reduces inhibitions and is
heightens the negative
emotions that are likely to
culminate in the attack.

Self-defence techniques are not

routinely taught and require
training and practice.
You may wish to consider receiving
training either before or during
your mission.

Sexual Assault - Options

Ultimately your only goal throughout any ordeal, be it
kidnap or sexual assault, is to survive. The worst case
scenario is your death. Try to remain calm and evaluate
the realities of your capabilities and the options
available to you at that time.

Be aware that choosing to resist in any manner may end

up meaning you are physically harmed or killed, but
remember you are the only person who will have the
facts at the time and the decision to resist or not is a
personal decision.

There are effectively three options available to you:

1. Active resistance - using anything and

everything at your disposal to prevent this from
happening. This includes screaming and
shouting for help, trying to escape or run
away, fighting back against your assailant with
all the tools to hand (nails, fists, elbows,
teeth, feet, knees and any other items
available to hand).

2. Passive resistance - trying to make the

assailant change his mind about assaulting you.
You may urinate or defecate on yourself or
vomit. Sometimes you might try to make the
assailant think of his mother or sister (V‘would
you do this to your mother/sister?'). You might
ask the attacker to use a condom to prevent
sexual diseases, this might put him off or it
might give you a chance to change your
strategy.
3. Submission - giving in to make the attack as
painless as possible and to allow it to be over
as quickly as possible. There are times when
this is the only option if you wish to remain
alive, which is your ultimate goal.

Although all these choices are available to you they do

not need to be rigid, you may use them in combination
or there may be times when the situation changes. You
are the only person who can make these decisions at
the time.
Sexual Assault - Actions after
Assault
The immediate thing to do after an attack is to get to a
safe place; that might be your home, your office or the
home of a friend or colleague. They will be able to help
you physically and able to mentally help you make some
very difficult decisions.

You are likely to be in a state of shock but time is

important if you are to help yourself medically and help
yourself emotionally.

Immediately:
You must seek medical assistance. Have a
friend or colleague accompany you if possible.
If you have gone straight to the hospital now is
the time to call your friend.

Decide with your friend who you should tell

about the event.
Decisions to discuss with the medical staff:
Have you been exposed to HIV/AIDS or any
other disease?
Could you be pregnant?
Securing evidence for possible legal action.
Subsequently:
If you are considering legal action:
Make sure you have a trusted friend or
colleague and if possible security staff with
you at all times when dealing with the
police or doctors.

You should keep all clothing.

Ensure that you have given doctors or
police all the evidence that they may
require and taken photographs of your
injuries.

If it is possible do not disturb the scene

where the assault took place until the
police have collected their evidence.

Write down all the details about the assault

and the assailant that you can remember,

the longer you leave this the more you will

forget.

If you are the victim remember that you

have been through a traumatic ordeal and
you are likely to experience extreme
emotions, this is a normal reaction to an
abnormal situation. You will benefit from
counselling and the mission office will be
able to arrange this for you. If you do not
tell the mission for whatever reason then
you should seek counselling to assist you
with the emotional healing process.

If you are the friend, colleague or member

of the security staff remember that the
victim has been through one of the worst

experiences imaginable and provide all the

support, advice and security that they will
require. You MUST treat all information
received with the utmost confidentiality and
not talk about it unless you have been given
express permission to do so.

Arrest
It is possible that you may be arrested while on
mission. If this is the case you must try to remain
calm, even if this is contrary to the diplomatic
status of the mission. Arguing or resisting arrest
may lead to worse mistakes being made by the
people arresting you.

Identify yourself as a member of the EU

mission and provide your identity papers,
driving licence or passport if you have it.

If you have colleagues with you who are not

under arrest ensure that they know where you
are being taken and that they will contact the
mission office immediately.
Explain what your rights as a member of the
mission are clearly and calmly without getting
angry and insist that these rights are adhered
to.
Communicate with your office and explain
where you are, why you have been arrested and
as much further detail as can provide.

Insist that contact is made with your office.

If you are questioned about your mission,
answer the questions truthfully, correcting any
mistakes or presumptions that the questioners
might have made.

Avoid admitting guilt in speech and in writing.

Do not sign or write anything until you have
seen a representative from your office.

Hostage Taking
In certain parts of the world, hostage taking has
become a way of life, predominantly in Central
and South America, but this has become a
frequent occurrence in parts of the Middle East,
Asia and Africa also. In general there are
conditions which will allow kidnap to flourish and
they are:

Extreme differences between the rich and the

poor with not much in between.
Security authorities under resourced, under-
trained and underpaid.
A corrupt judicial process.
Large unemployment or underemployment.
Bad/Corrupt Government.
Hostage Taking - Who's doing It

Essentially there are two types of groups who will

conduct kidnaps, criminals and political terrorists.

In terms of criminality, kidnapping is a relatively

easy crime to commit for which the payout is
significantly higher for much less risk than bank
robbery for example. Given the conditions listed
in which kidnap flourishes it is reduced even
further.

For political hostage takers there is much to be

gained in terms of publicity for their cause, fund
raising and recruitment of new terrorists to their
group.
Hostage Taking - Event Phases
No-one can predict how they
will react when they have been
kidnapped, sometimes the
people who appear weakest
deal with the situation better
than those who appear
strongest. There is no ‘wrong’
reaction, it is just your mind
and body having normal
reactions to some VERY
abnormal circumstances

EU mission staff may be taken for any act of

criminal intent, political leverage, terrorism or
protest.
No kidnap event is ever the same as any other, it
is a unique experience and whilst there are no
hard and fast rules, there are some general
guidelines that can help to minimise the risk to you
in the long term. Remember, your ONLY goal is to
survive.

Should kidnap occur then the hostage event can

be broken into 4 phases:
1. The capture.
2. Move to confinement.
3. Confinement.
4. Release or rescue.
Hostage Taki ng - The Capture
The vast majority of kidnaps occur during a
journey, within 200 metres of either the start
point or the arrival point, this is the point at
which most drivers and passengers are most
relaxed and stop observing their surroundings. It is
also the most predictable part of any journey and
as such provides the easiest opportunity for
preparation.

Initially you must make a decision about whether

to resist capture. This is a personal decision that
only you can make. Only resist or try to escape if
you are sure you will succeed; if you fail you are
likely to be beaten severely, drugged or
blindfolded. You may be physically restrained or
indeed physically incapacitated by your hostage-
takers.

Remember, whatever happens you have only one

goal: TO survive.
If you are captured, try to follow these
suggestions:
Take a deep breath and try to relax
Recognise that fear is a normal reaction to the
situation you are in
Keep calm and do what you are told
Do not speak unless you are spoken to
Do not make any sudden moves
The first 45 minutes are the most dangerous
time for you
Remember your attackers are highly emotional
and any unforeseen action on your part is
likely to be met with extreme reaction by them

Hostage Taking - Movement to

Captivity
There is no set time that this may take, you may
be blindfolded or you may be in the boot of a car.
Once the initial emotional charge has gone your
kidnappers are likely to calm down, but they are
likely to still punish you if you cause them any
trouble or concern. Remember from this point on
they will try to keep you alive until they have
either released you or got what they need, unless
you give them cause to kill you. Remember also
your ONLY goal is to survive.

Keep calm and try to relax

Without arousing suspicion listen to everything
around you (traffic noise, trains, airplanes,
city noises etc) and if you can see, try to see
what is around you
Speak only when spoken to
Be polite and do not argue
If you have any medical requirements or are on
medication ask for it if there is an opportunity

Hostage Taking - Confinement

Escape is always an option but
much the same as resisting at
the beginning of the ordeal you
should only try to escape if you
are certain to succeed.
Otherwise any rapport you have
built will be ruined and you are
likely to be severely treated and
to have made your situation
much worse.
If you have been kidnapped as part of a group you
may be together or you may be separated. If you
are together then try to make sure your colleagues
are dealing with the situation. Only talk amongst
yourselves if you are sure you will not provoke a
punishment. You may expect isolation to be a part
of your confinement and your kidnappers may try
to disorientate you with lack of sleep, lack of
natural light or using other techniques.

There are some steps that you can take to

minimise the effects of your confinement:

There is no way of knowing how long you are

likely to be held hostage for and how long your
confinement will last. Accept this and get on
with surviving, it is the only thing you can do
Stockholm syndrome
Describes the behaviour of kidnap victims
who, over time, become
sympathetic to their captors.
The name derives from a 1973
hostage incident in Stockholm,
Sweden. At the end of six days
of captivity in a bank, several
kidnap victims actually resisted
rescue attempts, and
afterwards refused to testify
against their captors
and the only thing that should concern you.
Try to think about something else - Think about
pleasant memories, good books that you have
read or films that you have seen, use your
imagination to let yourself have some freedom.
Many hostages find that prayer calms them and
allows them to deal with the situation better.

Try to develop a daily routine.

Do not act ‘tough' or be aggressive towards

your captors, they will react and might
seriously hurt you.
Equally try not to break down and cry, it might
be the worst experience of your life but you
need to try and gain the respect of your
captors, who will have little respect for
someone who is crying.

Ideally you would like them to regard you as a

human being who is worthy of their
compassion.
Without being obvious try to gather as much
information mentally as possible about your
captors and your location. It will make you feel
you are doing something and will be of great
help to the authorities once you are released.

Try to develop a rapport with your captors, but

do not argue with them. Listen to what they
are saying but remain neutral, remind them
that the EU is neutral and that you are here for
the benefit of all people. Beware of Stockholm
syndrome and look for it in your colleagues if
they are there with you.
Encourage your captors to let your mission
office or your family know you are alive and in
good health.

It is unwise to give advice to your captors, it

may not work and they might hold you
responsible.

You may ask for things like medicine or books

or a religious text. They might say no, but they
might say yes.

Your personal grooming and health is critically

important:

You will probably not feel like eating or

drinking but you must, without the energy
from this you will be prone to illness and
disease and will reduce your chances of
survival. There will be no chance of escape
if you have no energy.
Try to maintain an exercise regime (push
ups, sit ups, a run if it is allowed etc) as
this will help your mental state and also
increase your appetite again.

Hostage Taking - Rescue or

Release

Release at the end of a kidnap incident can be

abrupt. It might occur through a negotiated
release or it may come about through rescue by
police, military or Special Forces.

If it is a negotiated release you are likely to be

blindfolded and moved to another location before
being left by the roadside or in a town. Remember
your ONLY goal is to survive and you must get to
safety as quickly as possible.

Released:
Find the nearest safe haven or communication
device (telephone or radio) and contact your
mission headquarters. If you cannot remember
the telephone numbers then call any number
you can remember and get the message
through. You will need to tell them:
Your location.
Whether you are injured.

How many of you there are.

Where you will be waiting.

The number of the phone you are calling from.

Rescue by Force:

If you are rescued by force you will receive

little or no warning that it is going to
happen. You must immediately:

Drop to the floor and lie face down with your

hands on your head if possible. Your rescuers
are going to be in a heightened emotional stats
and if you jump up they may fine at you by
mistake.
Remain on the floor in a non-threatening
position.

After the fighting is completed call to your

rescuers from your position on the floor.

Do exactly what they tell you.

They may treat you rotghly until you are safe
and secure and they may leave your hands
tied. Do not complain or react badly, they are
trying to get you out alive, comfort is
secondary.

Once you are safe they are likely to ask you

questions to confirm your identity, answer
them clearly and honestly.

Hostage Taking - After Release

Kidnap is a tenrible ordeal that may be stretched

out over years. The key to recovery is to get
professional help. You may not want to but it is
vital that you do. Emotional problems can take
months or even years to develop and they can be
minimised or avoided by having treatment at the
earliest stages.

Mines and UXO

Mines were used indiscriminately

in almost all of the conflicts of
the 2oth century.
Most minefields were not
mapped so those that have not
been actively cleared by mine
engineers remain very
dangerous.

Many countries have mine maps

showing areas that are still
considered to be dangerous.
Whilst these are helpful tools
they are not always perfectly
accurate and mines are subject
to movement due to winter
rains, landslides or many other
natural methods.

Mines and UXO (unexploded ordnance] are spread

throughout the world, they pose a significant
threat to field operations particularly in post-
conflict environments.
Mines are explosives
designed to lay in the ground and detonate for
specific types of target.
UXO is explosives that
have been fired but have not detonated, for
example, shells or rocket heads.

There are three distinct types of mine:

1..Anti-vehicle mines These signify a larger

explosive charge designed to target vehicles
specifically. When new they require upwards of
150 kg of weight to be applied to the pressure
switch in order to detonate.

2. Anti-personnel mines Banned now by

international treaty, anti-personnel mines are
smaller mines that are designed to maim and
mutilate individuals who set them off. They
come in various types but the human body or a
small animal is easily enough weight to cause
them to detonate. Anti-personnel mines do not
merely need to be in the ground, they can be
placed to fire horizontally and can be activated
by tripwire.

UXO Although fired, UXO still retains an

explosive charge which can be set off by
almost anything.

Mines and UXO – Basic Guidelines

There are some basic guidelines for treatment of
mines and UXO:
Never enter a mined or suspect area for any
reason.
Never handle mines or UXO.
Only attempt to de-mine an area in an
emergency and only if you have been trained to
do so.
If you find a mine, mark it, warn others and
assume you are in a minefield.

When we are operating in the field we may well be

travelling to areas that are potentially dangerous,
some simple questions we might ask are as
follows:

Has there been any fighting in this area? If so,

when and where?
Are there any soldiers living Iworking/ passing
through the area?
Have there been any explosions in this area
that might be mine or UXO related that involved
animals, people or vehicles? Do we know what
caused it? Where and when did it take place?
Are there any road s/tracksfcrossings/fields/ wells/ houses
that the locals avoid?
Have there been any explosions?
How do local people mark Mine/UXO
contaminated areas?
Which routes/ areas are considered safe?

Mines and UXU – Identification markers and Signals

There are internationally recognised symbols to
mark minefields, but these are not always used by
the local population, who have their own methods.
Here are the international ones and the most
commonly used customs:

Skull and crossbones.

Red triangle with a red dot in the centre or
with a skull and crossbones on it. Sometimes
also the words ‘Danger: Mines’.
Piles of sticks or stones laid in the pattern of an
‘X’.
A written sign on a fence.
Grass tied in a knot.
Bottle upside down on a fence pole.
Red and white painted stones, usually with red
facing the minefield and white facing the safe
track 7 In this instance be careful, stones may
be covered up by dust or by winter snow
A barrier of military debris or anything
designed to block a path.

if you see a mine warning clue or anything

suspicious assume you are in a minefield.

Mines and UXO - Other markers

Remember: If you see a mine
warning clue or anything
suspicious assume you are in a
minefield.

As you will have seen, some of these are hard to

notice so become attuned to observing the area
around you and start to notice when objects look
unusual. There are other danger signs to look for
also:

Overgrown areas and destroyed buildings near

human settlements.
Destroyed vehicles - military tourism (going to
look at old military objects that have been
destroyed) kills large numbers of people in the
post-conflict environments.

 Markings on buildings.
 Animal bones and cratered ground.
 Mine packaging or any other military-looking
 trash.
 Trip wires or stakes sticking out of the ground.
 Unusual mounds of earth.

Mines and UXG - Emergency

Proced ures
Once in a minefield there is
little you can do but wait for
help unless you have been
properly trained and have the
right equipment. It is better to
sit in a minefield for two days
than the alternative of death or
serious injury.
If you have any reason to believe you have entered
a mined area, STOP! Use the acronym MINED
Movement: Stop, remain calm, do not move
your feet.
Inform: Tell other people around you and
contact assistance by phone or radio. Call for
help but keep others AWAY.
Note: Mark the area where you have seen a
mine. Can you see anything else that looks
similar? Visually locate your nearest safe area
(the last place you know you were on a safe
surface such as a tarmac road, well used path,
concrete or steel structure).

Evaluate: decide what options are available to

you. Take control of the situation.
Do not: Do not move. If you cannot get to a
known safe area without treading on unknown
ground stay still. Wait for help to arrive.

Terrorism
The growth of terrorism around the world is a
significant threat not only to our operations in the
field but also, increasingly, at home. Terrorism has
become so well known in the world that it hardly
needs explaining but in essence it is seen as acts
that are criminal in nature and which use some or
all of the following to create an effect:
 Extreme violence and brutality.
 The use of explosives against civilian as well as
military targets.
 Disregard for the lives of non-combatants.
 Soft-targets with low security are preferred.
 Designed to instil fear, emotional pain confusion
and uncertainty.
 Based in extremist political or religious
ideology.
 Targeting iconic structures or individuals.
 A lack of willingness to discuss, compromise or
reason.
 Uses the international media to convey its
message of hate which assists in fund raising
and recruitment.
Although we hear about terrorists using suicide
bombers, bombs and kidnapping people to execute
them, the terrorist arsenal retains many other
conventional weapons (small arms, rodrets,
grenades etc) as well as chemical and radiological
devices that might be used to create a ‘dirty’
bomb or which might be posted to individuals on
missions or at home, sudi as anthrax.

Combating Terrorism
Your mission is not to detect and defeat terrorism
and you would find it difficult to do so. What you
can reasonably do is be alert to your surroundings,
make observation of your environment and events
around you a constant activity; note the unusual
and report it. You never know what your
information might confirm or expose.

When you have the opportunity to take part in

security training, planning or briefings, do so and
take an interest in the updates that your security
officer provides you, they may save your life or
that of your family.
Weapons
It is likely that you will come across different
types of weapons during your mission, most of
which you will be familiar with either from
previous experience or from current affairs and
films. We will concentrate on two types of
weapons systems,
 the Direct Fire weapons and the
 Indirect Fire weapons.
Direct Weapons
Direct Fire weapons fire an object, usually a
bullet, in a straight line between the firer and the
target (allowing for gravity).
Collectively, Direct
Fire weapons that use an explosive are known as
Small Arms, and this includes:
 Pistols.
 Rifles.
 Grenades.
 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs).

Direct Weapons - Pistols

Pistols are Small guns that can be held and fired with
one hand.
Pistols are lightweight and easy to operate, and
are usually carried by officers or figures of
higher authority.
These can be revolvers (having a number of
chambers on a wheel which turns to present the
base of the bullet to the firing pin) or semi-
automatic (having a magazine fitted, usually
into the pistol grip f handle 7 which is spring
loaded and which forces the fresh bullet into
the single chamber once the old casing has been
ejected).

Pistols generally will have a capacity of no

more than 13 bullets (rounds) in the magazine.

Pistols are accurate to a range of 20 m at best,

even when handled by a trained operator who is
standing still.
Direct Weapons – Rifles Weapons
No matter what the effective
range of a pistol or rifle, every
round fired MUST come down
somewhere. In many areas of
the world rifles are fired up in u
the air in celebration. Whilst
this may show great joy at the
place where it is fired, someon
somewhere might well be
underneath when those bullets
come down. Make sure it is not
you

Rifles are longer barrelled weapons which require

both hands to fire accurately.

Most modern rifles are semi-automatic.

The AK47, the most common rifle in the world,

has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds. This is
about standard for a single magazine.

Rifles may also be ‘belt-fed’. This means that

they can have a long ribbon of bullets fed into
it, the ribbon can have any number of rounds in
it and can be attached to other ribbons so fire
can be sustained.

Most rifles have an accurate range of between

300 and 500 m when fired by a trained person.

Rifles with bi-pods or tripods (2 or 3 legged

supports) will be able to fire further, more
accurately.

Direct Weapons - Grenades

If you ever see someone

throwing a grenade or hear any
particular warnings, throw
yourself to the floor or under
cover and wait for the explosion
to pass before moving.

Grenades These are handheld bombs with a short

fuse that can be thrown up to the limits of the
person throwing but are normally used at ranges of
10-50 m. The grenade will explode, turning the
casing into fragments of red-hot metal which have
a deadly range of up to 50 m.

Direct Weapons – RPGs

When an RPG is fired, the

grenade will come out of the

front but a large jet of flame
shoots up to 5o m out of the
rear. This area is known as the
‘Rear Danger Area' and standing
in this area can be just as fatal

as standing where the grenade

lands

RPGs Rocket propelled grenades are similar to

grenades but have a rocket motor attached to the
rear of the grenade which allows for greater range
and accuracy.
They are usually used to target vehicles or
buildings.
RPGs have a maximum range of 300 m against
moving vehicles and 500 m against stationary
vehicles.

They can also be used against armoured

vehicles.

Indirect Weapons

Indirect Fire weapons fire an object. usually an

explosive warhead, up into the air in a calculated
arc designed to hit a target that is either too far
for Direct Fire or that is behind cover. They can
be extremely accurate. The two we will
concentrate on are:
 Mortars.
 Rockets.

Indirect Weapons - Mortars

The warhead is delivered fairly
silently at the target end and
the most you will hear before its
detonation is it whistling though
the air

Mortars These round tubes are held vertically and

the warhead is dropped into it with a calculated
explosive charge at the base, the explosion takes
place in the tube launching the warhead into the
air to land on the target.
Mortars come in different sizes. the larger the
size the greater the range.

Generally even the largest mortars have a range

no greater than 8 km.

Indirect Weapons - Rockets

Rockets - These also contain a warhead but have a
motor at the rear of the casing to propel the
warhead towards its target.

Rockets can also be used in the Direct Fire

mode and can be fitted with a control wire
which will allow the firer to change the course
of the rocket in mid-air.

Actions Under Fire

If at any stage you come under fire you must act

swiftly and decisively. Follow these instructions:

If you are under direct fire

Throw yourself onto the floor or behind cover.
Find out where the bullets are coming from and
where they are going to.
If possible crawl away from the area of the
fighting.

Call your mission office and let them know what

has happened and what they can do to help
you.
Get away from the area and to your nearest
safe location as quickly as possible.
If you are in a vehicle and you can still drive,
accelerate away from the area either forwards
or backwards as quickly as possible to your
nearest safe location. Contact your mission
office for advice and assistance. If you cannot
drive or the vehicle is damaged, crawl out of
the vehicle and follow the steps above taking
your grab bag with you.

If you are under indirect fire

If you are out in the open get onto the floor
immediately and crawl towards the nearest
overhead cover.

If you are in a building, get onto the floor and

crawl under heavy furniture (desks, tables etc)
or into a specially designed shelter.

Once there remain calm and wait for the all

clear signal to be given.

You should also contact your mission security

officer as soon as it is safe to do so and get
advice and assistance.

If

If you are in a vehicle and can drive away, do

so quickly and get to your nearest safe
location.

If the vehicle cannot be driven, get out, get on

the floor and crawl away from the vehicle. It
contains petrol or diesel and if hit, it will
explode.

IEDs are homemade bombs and are the preferred

weapon of terrorists. They are regularly used in
post-conflict and hostile environments and come in
many different formats. They must all contain
some basic components however:

An initiation system or fuse.

A detonator to ignite the explosive.
A power supply for the detonator.
An explosive fill.
A container.
IEDs - Categories
IEDs are broken into 3 main categories:
 Package.
 Vehicle
 Suicide.

We need to be alert at all times to the risks we

face and the targets we represent

IEDs - Packages
These can be large or small and can be delivered
to the target by several methods:

By post as a parcel or letter.

Placed in a public place, such as a station,
office blodr or airport, as luggage or in a bag.
Concealed in an everyday object left alone in an
open area (IEDs have been placed inside
footballs, water bottles, discarded clothing,
shoes etc).

IEDs – Vehicle
Generally these have more explosives attached
and are positioned or driven to a specific target,
these again break down into several delivery
methods:
Parked at the roadside - an unattended car is
left at the roadside until the target vehicle is
passing and is then detonated.

Proxy driver ~ It has been known for terrorists

to kidnap a person’s family and force the
person to drive the vehicle to the target by
threatening to kill their family. This is
particularly used to get into a secure compound
where the driver will be known and waved
through. If he calls attention to the bomb or the
vehicle his family will be killed.

Suicide - Suicide bombers do not only use

explosives strapped to their body, vehicle-
borne suicide bombers can create much more
devastation as they can have much more
explosive.

IEDs - Suicide

Suicide bombers as acts of terrorism were first

used in Sri Lanka in the late 1975. Since then they
have been adopted by terrorist organisations all
over the world to create fear and mistrust, to
damage local and sometimes national economies
and to achieve the atrocities of a terrorist
campaign
Although suicide bombers are most prevalent in
high risk environments they have been used
elsewhere in the world to great effect: London
June 2005, Madrid Mardi 2004, Bali October
2002 and October 2005 are just some of the
examples.

Suicide bombers do not have a ‘typical’ look

about them and can be anyone at any time.

In the words of Dr Ramadan Shalah - Secretary

General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad “Human
bombs cannot be defeated, not even by nuclear
bombs”.

l IEDs - Identification and Action

IEDs can be contained in almost anything but there
are some telltale indicators:

Electrical wires, batteries, explosives and

store items (clothes pegs, steel tubes and
springs) all in the same place.
Isolated boxes and containers along routes.
Trip wires, string or cables.
Disturbed soil or sand.
Unusual piles of rocks or stones.
Whilst these might for the most part seem like
everyday occurrences, being alert to them and the
dangers that they present allows us to be prepared
for encountering an IED. If you should suspect that
you have seen an IED DO NOT TOUCH IT. Warn
others around you and move to a safe location to
call for assistance
Module 6 OCR.
Your vital security tools and how to use them

Introduction
There are a range of security tools that are provided for
you by the Security Office of the EU and by your mission
security officer. These form the framework for your
security and safety and it is important that you know
what they are and how to use them effectively. There is
also a role for you to play and planning that you need
to carry out to make sure that you can comply with the
overarching plans.
This module explains what exists already, how it works,
what you need to do and also some useful guidance for
survival if it becomes necessary.
Missmn (Country)-specfiic
Security Plan
The purpose of the mission security plan is to detail the
actions to be taken to ensure the safety and security of
EU mission personnel, assets, resources and
information. It should take into account any potential
emergency situation including any medical
emergencies, civil or political unrest as well as natural
disasters.
The mission security plan is a sensitive document and as
such should be classified and its distribution carefully
controlled. Generally this would be given at least the
classification ‘RESTREINT UE’.
The Head of Mission (HOM) of each operation, assisted
by the Mission Security Officer (MSO), is responsible for
establishing the mission security plan. This should be
updated as a minimum every six months or, in the higher
risk countries, every three months.
MiSSion Security Plan
Contents
The mission security plan will list the roles and
responsibilities of all officials responsible for its
implementation, including contact details. These
officials include:
The HOM
The MSO
The Security Management Team
The Wardens and Deputy Wardens
Local employees will also have a parallel list of Wardens
and Deputy Wardens.
The mission security plan will also include:
Contingency plans
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the
mission
How the country is divided up into zones to
allow for changing security requirements in
different areas
List of mission personnel
Communications plan
Essential reserves and supplies
Office Security Plan
Where there is more than one office in a country there
is a requirement for each to have their own localised
security plans. These should allow flexibility for
changing security situations and should fit seamlessly
into the mission security plan.
All the elements that are contained within the mission
security plan should be reflected in the office security
plan.
For example, where the mission security plan requires
concentration points for collection of personnel in case
of evacuation, the office security plan should keep the
same concentration point. It should further explain how
staff will get to that concentration point, what assets
are there to help them and if there are any smaller
concentration points from which they will be collected.
The office security plan should also define the roles and
responsibilities of officials involved in its
implementation and should also provide designated
methods of communication to allow for coordination
both upwards to the mission security plan and
downwards to the personal security plans.

Your Security Plan

As you can see, all the security plans are designed to
‘interlink’ so that they all combine to achieve the
security you will require. You will need to develop your
own security plan to fit in with all the areas that have
been examined at the higher levels. For example you
will need to develop your own routes to concentration
points in case of evacuation and learn them so that you
can do them on foot in the dark, knowing how long the
journey will take.
There are several other personal security aspects that
you need to prepare and practice, these will be covered
later in the module.
When you look at the Security
Plans that are provided by the
office try to make sure that you
have a heading for each item in
your personal security plan, this
will ensure that you are fully
prepared and can tell the
security officer what you would
do at each staoe.
If you have any difficulties or
concerns, speak to your
security officer for advice, he
will also be able to give you
some suggestions to get started
or help you plan the whole thing
if you are finding it difficult.
Question
Your personal security plan should contain...?
h Only those headings which matter to you
L All the headings that you think matter
K “o All the headin s that are in the hi her level
L 8 8 security plans

When you look at the Security

Plans that are provided by the
office try to make sure that
you have a heading for each
item in your personal security
plan, this will ensure that you
are fully prepared and can tell
the security officer what you
would do at each stage.

Crisis Management

Many of you will be deployed in the field on Crisis

Management Operations (CMOps) in order to help the
state you are working in recover from a crisis that it has
suffered (natural disaster, change of government, war,
terrorism etc). You should therefore have a fairly good
understanding of how a ‘high-level' crisis must be
managed.
Crisis management at the more localised level (also
known as Critical Incident Management) can be any
significant event that has an effect on your operations
or on your ability to operate and which requires
important, timely decisions to be made to remedy or
control the consequences of that effect. The ultimate
goal of all crisis management and critical incident
management is to restore our operations or our ability
to operate to its level prior to the event.

Critical incidents can be caused

by many different things all of

which have different effects on

the mission and its operations.

One of the mission staff being

taken hostage is not the same as

an earthquake disrupting all

power within the host nation

and leaving the mission without

electricity, but both need to be

managed effectively and this

can be achieved through well

organised crisis management

0155 Management Teams
When an event happens it is critical that we start to
manage it quickly and efficiently. To that end a team
needs to be established immediately to begin the
process of recovery. This is called the Crisis
Management Team (CMT).

A CMT should be comprised of a representative from all

the elements that make up your normal business
operations, with the Head of Mission assuming his
normal role as Head of the CMT. All aspects must be
represented:

Administration and Human Resources This

representative must consider the impact on
families both in country and at home, and must
also consider the impact on administrative
support within theatre.

must consider events from the safety and I

security perspectives: communications
availability (internal and external), situation
updates, movement control, personnel

location, vehicle states, evacuation or

relocation plans, warden systems and
resources.

Operations This representative must consider

the “implications to the programme”: location
of personnel, immediate internal
communications, resources, damage to
relationships.

Media This representative must consider

what to release if anything, how, where to,
press enquiries, PR of the mission.
Medical - This representative must consider
current and potential future casualties,
supplies, personnel medical issues.

Financial This representative must consider

implications on finances, cashflow,
affordability of options, resources.

Legal This representative must consider the

mandate and must represent precise
limitations on options and advice on precise
legal authority to empower decision makers.

The Head of Mission (or his deputy if he is not

in theatre or has been incapacitated) is
responsible for Executive authority: he or she
must be prepared to make hard decisions if

agreement cannot be reached by discussion

within the team; must be aware from the
outset of the timeline for making decisions and
acting.
Although all these areas must be
considered by the CMT, it is
entirely possible that one
person might represent two
areas, although this should only
be the case in smaller missions.

Question
In general the Head of Missmn would assume which
role in a Crisis Management Team?
L Treasurer

Operations representative

‘fi/c Head Of the CMT

Answer
A CMT should be comprised of
a representative from all the
elements that make up your
normal business operations,
with the Head of Mission
assuming his normal role as
Head of the CMT.

CMT - Tasks
The CMT has been established to manage the situation
and in a crisis should streamline decision-making. It is
responsible for the following tasks:

Command Making decisions and plans.

Control Of events and their results.

Co-ordination Of available and acquirable

resources and of appropriate responses.

Communication Internally to the mission,

internally to Brussels or the country
headquarters and externally to the media,
other international agencies and the host
nation.
Information both collating information from
A well managed crisis can
enhance your reputation
dramatically; a badly managed
crisis will have exactly the
opposite effect.
Contingency Plans
As part of the preparation at the start of any
mission a number of Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPS) need to be drawn up. Although
this can be done from a basic template all the
information contained within it has to be specific
to the individual mission and it must go into
detail. This forms supplements to the Security
Plan and stands as a pre-planned method for
dealing with particular issues, with all tasks
identified and catalogued.
For CMTs, who must manage
situations effectively and
rapidly, this provides a very
useful tool. In an emergency
everyone knows what their role
is and what they need to
achieve so that they can act
together to achieve the goal.
Role-playing scenarios is a
technique often used to
examine the worst case
possibilities. From these we can
establish what the minimum
amount of resources we would
require to survive (water, fuel,
food, radios, torches etc) and
work out where the best place
to store them would be.
Contingency Plans - Types
all sources and disseminating information to
those sources and others.

CMT - Key Considerations

Of course there are ‘lifelines’ that must be maintained
and these are the key tasks that the CMT must address,
with representations from all departments and clearly
within the brackets of the specified and implied tasks.
The key considerations are:

Security and safety of personnel f This must be

the primary goal. Do not forget to consider the
implications for local staff and drivers.

Medical and Casualty evacuation f This should

follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
within the security plan but events may force
changes and if so new plans must be developed
as a priority.

Protection of assets and information / evidence

the mission infrastructure must be protected

to allow operations to return to normal once
the crisis has been concluded, similarly the
classification of our information and
intelligence must maintained for both the
mission and the member states’ protection.

Consideration of culture and environment All

the actions we take will have an effect on our
standing in the community and on our ability
to operate in the host nation.

Coordination with

Business managers (admin/HR etc).

Host authorities.
Embassies.
Media.
Families.
Suppliers.
Travel agencies.
There are many different SOPs that are required,
the critical ones are:

Evacuation.
Medical Considerations.
Fire.
Breakdown.
Shooting/Ambush.
Mortar/ Rocket.
Power Cut.
Natural Disaster.

For all SOPs it is worth

developing an ‘Actions On'
sheet that can be issued to each
individual so that they have the
correct considerations in mind
when faced with a crisis.
A well managed crisis can
enhance your reputation
dramatically; a badly managed
crisis will have exactly the
opposite effect.
Contingency Plans
As part of the preparation at the start of any
mission a number of Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPS) need to be drawn up. Although
this can be done from a basic template all the
information contained within it has to be specific
to the individual mission and it must go into
detail. This forms supplements to the Security
Plan and stands as a pre-planned method for
dealing with particular issues, with all tasks
identified and catalogued.
For CMTs, who must manage
situations effectively and
rapidly, this provides a very
useful tool. In an emergency
everyone knows what their role
is and what they need to
achieve so that they can act
together to achieve the goal.
Role-playing scenarios is a
technique often used to
examine the worst case
possibilities. From these we can
establish what the minimum
amount of resources we would
require to survive (water, fuel,
food, radios, torches etc) and
work out where the best place
to store them would be.
Contingency Plans – Types
There are many different SOPs that are required,
the critical ones are:
Evacuation.
Medical Considerations.
Fire.
Breakdown.
Shooting/Ambush.
Mortar/ Rocket.
Power Cut.
Natural Disaster.

For all SOPs it is worth

developing an ‘Actions On'
sheet that can be issued to each
individual so that they have the
correct considerations in mind
when faced with a crisis.

Evacuation - Types
There are 2 Evacuation types that need to be
planned, they may share some elements but this
does not have to be the case.
Medical and Casualty There is a distinct
difference between these two in that a
casualty will require much quicker evacuation.
There are great considerations to make
however with regard to injury or disease
management, protocols for having the right
treatment during the journey, availability of
medicines and drugs and carrying them across
borders, planning for evacuations to different
specialist areas (for casualties, the nearest
trauma operating facility might be a Member
State medical facility in a nearby country but
for a violent disease, repatriation to home
nation might be the best option).
Security Again this has many facets to it and
must offer sufficient options to meet the
needs on the ground which could be
dependent on whether air transport or road
transport is available, for example, or
embassies will be evacuating and mission staff
can go with them, who makes the evacuation
decisions, has the host nation security force
lost control.

Pre-planning these scenarios

allows us to understand at what

point we have to make hard

decisions that will affect us

further into any disaster. For

example if we know our only

evacuation option is by road,

we know that we need a

particular number of vehicles

to take us all and that each

vehicle will use a certain

amount of fuel to cross the

border to safety then we know

we must begin our evacuation

BEFORE we have only that

amount of fuel remaining.

Evacuation - Requirements

As the situation changes during an incident, it

may be that some parts of the evacuation plan
would no longer work, so flexibility is required
throughout the evacuation process. To that end
the evacuation plan must contain alternate
options and alternate routes.

Options

The purpose of this is to examine in advance all

possible options that may be available so that
contacts are pre-prepared, the availability of
aircraft, fixed wing or rotary, boats, or other
vehicles and methods of transport are determined.
This must be not only realistic but must be
constantly reviewed, monitored and updated as
the situation changes so that our information

gathering is up to date when the need arises.

Routes
Several different routes must be planned. Not
only for the evacuation itself but also for the
collection of personnel, equipment and other
resources. We must plan routes using aircraft, if
available, by road and by water. In the end we
may end up using all of these methods but we must
know our capabilities before we can make
decisions in a crisis.
Question
i.:;_. J _= _ _-_l=
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) should form
part of the...?
L» Head of Mission’s file
Q The Security Plan
L The Radio Communications brief
An swe r
These form supplements to
the Security Plan and stand as
pre-planned methods for
dealing with particular issues,
with all tasks identified and
catalogued.
Medical Considerations
Certain information needs to be considered and
be readily available when required. It is useful for
full scale disaster as well as smaller more
localised problems. For example:

List of First Aid trained personnel in the

mission.

The location and stock of medical supplies.

Routes for internal medevac.

Vehicle priority for medevac.

The chain of medical reporting.

The procedure for notifying Next of Kin.

The location of personnel medical records.

Identification of blood groups for personnel.

Fire

It is the M505 responsibility to include an SOP on

Fire Evacuation. Often the fire plan is the basis
for all emergency plans, it must address
What the alarm signal/siren is.

Diagram of the building showing all exits and

fi re-fighting equipment.

When fire equipment was last checked and

serviced and when it is next due.

Contact details for all local fire-fighting

services.

List of the evacuation points (and

alternatives).
The procedure for accounting for personnel
once evacuation has happened.
The procedure for the recovery/ destruction of
key equipment and documents.
Alternative accommodation/workspace plan.
Breakdown
Breakdown is a common occurrence, but in a
hostile environment this can present challenges
both in security terms and in climatic terms.
Considerations:
What equipment is held in the vehicles it
should be checked before each journey.
When is servicing to take place, when did it
last take place?
What are the contact details of any recovery
agency (even if this is the local military)?
What is the reporting procedure and what are
the travel control measures?
What are the communications requirements.
Question
Thebasis for many emergency plans is...?
L7 Thesfiif'eakdownSOP
L; m z fi‘llledica’ ‘ “l EmergancySOP
(A; Theme 50?
An swe r
The fire plan is the basis for
many emergency plans.
Shooting/ Ambush
A very much more severe plan for what should be
done in the case of an ambush or shooting on foot
and in vehicles. This should be practised regularly

The immediate action drill Direct Fire (see

Module 5 Weapons and Small Arms).

The reporting format what information you

need to send and who to send it to.

The extraction plan from the ambush area,

not from the country!

The medical plan how to fit into the medical

plan for casualties; who to contact, where to
go, who is the nearest person who can treat
your casualty, what hospitals are closest.

Mortar/ Rocket
Again this SOP is set to deal with a severe
emergency and should have options to cover
occurrences when on foot and in vehicles.

Immediate action drill Indirect Fire (See

Module 5 Weapons).

Location of hardened cover if away from bas:

location you should have this information to
hand before travelling.

Extraction plan from the area under attack,

not the country!

Medical plan how to fit into the medical plan

for casualties; who to contact, where to go,
who is the nearest person who can treat your

casualty, which hospitals are closest.

Power Cut

This is a frequent occurrence in developing

countries and the majority of time will be a

temporary measure, but even this interrupts our

operations on a daily basis. The key

considerations are:

Locations of generators.
Locations of fuel supplies and stock check
schedule.
Responsibility for maintenance and refuelling.
Locations of torches/ candles.
The need to plan for failure of generators
communications requirements, heating,

lighting.
Question
The SOP for Power Cut should contain...?
(3 Locations of fuel supplies and stock check schedule
L Country energy plan
L Local weather forecast
Answer
Key considerations
Locations of generators
Locations of fuel supplies
and stock check schedule
Responsibility for
maintenance and
refuelling
Locations of
torches/candles
Need to plan for failure of
generators
Natural Disasters
Please see Module 5 for preparation, but this
should include plans for all major natural
disasters that are possible within your area of
operations.
Your Personal Security Plan
As we have seen there is a great deal of mission
preparation done to provide you with a framework
of security, but it is you who controls how well
you integrate into this. It is very important that
you treat the preparation of your personal security
plan as a priority. This will allow you to make the
most of your mission and your time off, safe in the
knowledge that if something does go wrong you
will know what is happening, where and how you
can assist others or get help from others. You
should use your experience and that of your
colleagues to review your overall security both at
your residence and the mission office and your
daily travel arrangements!

You may be asked to take on several additional

roles, and you should understand how they work

and what your responsibilities are clearly. For

example, a warden is the person responsible for

coordinating and communicating with colleagues
living in a specified sector of the community.

Security is a collective responsibility and we must

all help to keep the framework in place.

Personal §ecuri ty Plan

Preparation
You must prepare yourself for all eventualities
and there are three areas of preparation that you
should work on straight away:
Evacuation documents.
Question
Your Personal Security Plan preparation should be...?
c A priority for you to do on arrival at the missiOn
K- Given to you by the Security Officer on arrival at
the mission
L Not done until you understand the environment in
which you are living
Answer
It is very important that
you treat the preparation
of your personal security
plan as a priority. This
will allow you to make
the most of your mission
and your time off, safe in
the knowledge that if
something does go wrong
you will know what is
happening, where and
how you can assist others
or get help from others.

Evacuation Documents
You may be required to evacuate quickly and for
this you will need to have the necessary
documentation with you. It should include:
Your Passport (note expiry date and always
ensure it has at least 6 months left to run).
Visa and or work permit for host nation
ensure it is in date.
ID cards with photograph.
Letters of authority from local agencies
(police, military etc) try to get them on
official headed paper as there is no guarantee
that whoever inspects them will be able to read
but they should recognise crests.
Maps and sketches Of your routes to the
concentration or extraction points as well as
to your embassy if possible and to the
airport/seaport, the distances between points
and the amount of time you think it will take
between each point.
Evacuation SOPs (for Security, Medical and
Casualty evacuation).
Vaccination certificates.
Contact list f keyed into your phone, but also
paper copy in case your phone is damaged or
not working.
Tickets for travel if by commercial airline.
Cash small denomination bills, both local and
hard currency.
Notebook and pencil.

It is worth getting visas for all

the countries neighbouring your
host nation so that in an
emergency you will not need to
wait on the border. Remember,
there might be a plan to travel
one country but the situation
might make that impractical or
you may have no option but to
go to another country. Not
being granted access because
you have not prepared enough

could result in serious injury or

death.
Contacts
In your evacuation documentation it is marked
that you should make a note of all contact
numbers necessary, but some are more essential
than others. Always ensure that you have the
following numbers and CHECK regularly to see
that they have not changed and CHECK that they
can be contacted out of office hours, if not get a
number that can:
Security officer or your security provider.
Warden.
Airport / Port.
Mission colleague numbers and emergency
numbers for SITCEN and Watchkeeper
Brussels.
Your own embassy.
Other useful numbers:
Military bases.
Police.
Fire service.
Hospital.
Coastguard (if applicable).
Grab Bag
Your Grab Bag is your life support system. It
should remain packed and within reach of your
hand at all times of the day or night. It can be as
small as a pouch on a belt or as large as a
rucksack although most people tend to use a small
daysack. It should have at least:
Your emergency documentation.
An emergency space blanket or Shamagh.
A basic medical kit.
The contact list.
A mobile phone that is always charged (if you
get a spare battery pack this is advised).
A water bottle (keep it filled).

Water purification tablets or a purifying pump.

A multi-tool or knife.
A torch or strobe light.
A hand mirror.
Money lots, in small denominations and in
several currencies.

Question
Your emergency documentation should have visas
for...?
L Only the country in which you are Working
(7 The country in which you are working and the
country that is planned for evacuation
c The country in which you are working and ALL
neighbouring countries
An swe r
It is worth getting visas
for all the countries
neighbouring your host
nation so that in an
emergency you will not
need to wait on the
border. Remember, there
might be a plan to travel
one country but the
situation might make that
impractical or you may
have no option but to go
to another country.
If you leave your grab bag
behind you can almost
guarantee that then will be the
one time you need it! Get into
the habit of checking it is close
to you all the time.

Information Security

In Module 2 we looked at surveillance and what

information would be useful to an agency or
individual targeting you. To counter that there
are security classification systems for information
relating to work and you should follow the
guidelines for each classification. There are
protocols established for each type of information
storing and passing device you have, whether it is
a computer, a telephone or a paper file.

Any classified information generated for the

purposes of a crisis management operational
deployment or for an EUSR deployment is
designated EU Classified Information (EUCI).

The management of all EU classified information

will be regulated in a specific SOP which is
annexed to the mission security plan
Primarily be aware of who is
around you when you are
working and try to avoid
discussing future plans as part
of informal conversations when
out in public or during travel
Voice Communication Security
modern mobile telephone systems are digital but
they are not encrypted; equally most radio
communication is not encrypted. Although it is
possible to encrypt both these types of
communication it limits the people that you are
able to talk to. Instead we assume the basic
concept that ‘someone is always listening’. As a
result we need to be careful about what we
discuss and where we discuss it.
You should pay extra attention when you are
discussing sensitive information such as:
Political information or discussing a political
position.
Any military information.
Staff and personnel issues.
Any convoys or travel of any kind.
Staff locations.

Movements of desirable objects such as food

aid, cash or other assets.

IT Security

As we move further and further into the digital

age, we rely to a greater extent on electronic
information and most of what we do is stored in
computer files. Computers are at constant risk
from hackers or viruses and we must follow the
designated IT protocols wherever we are. Do lock
computers away at night and secure them to
desks during working hours.

The initial protection that we are automatically

provided with is:
Firewalls.
Anti-virus software.
Remember email can be
intercepted too. Be aware of
what you are saying in them.
The simplest solution is to use
“veiled” speech. This means
using nicknames for people,
giving names to particular roads
or referring to, rather than
mentioning the subjects.
These provide us with a degree of protection but
as viruses and hackers constantly develop, there is
no guarantee.
We have further means of protection by using
virtual private networks (“VPNs) but in the end the
safest way is to follow the policies that have been
set up for us and practice good basic IT
techniques:
Back-up your files to an external drive or disk.
If you do not know the person who has sent you
an email think twice before opening it.
Use proper password protocols and change
your password at least once every 3 months.
Question I
l .: - 7 L i- -j
When usmg the telephone, we should always assume
that...?
L The phone is encrypted

3 Someone else 15 listening

L Talking quickly will confuse anyone listening
Answer
Although it is possible to
encrypt both these types

of communication it limits

the people that you are

able to talk to. Instead

we assume the basic

concept that ‘someone is

always listening’.

Document Security

The creation and handling of EU classified

information is governed by the Council's security
regulations. Contact your security officer if you do
not understand about security classification of
documents but you must respect the designation
each document is given. In order to practice good
document management, use the following tips:

Restrict copies Only make a certain number

of copies, number them and do not hand out
the file in electronic format.

Control destination Ensure that only the

intended recipients receive them.

Record copyholders You have a limited

number of copies (all with numbers), ask the
holder to sign a receipt for it and they are

much more likely to look after it. If a copy

(photocopy or original) should turn up you will

know who it was stolen from.

Audit copyholders as part of your monthly

audit process ask all copyholders to bring them

to you. If one is missing you know who it was

and that I happened only in the last month.

Install a safe for highly sensitive documents or

a have a secure room for reading them.

Use CCTV - to monitor them also.

You should develop a policy

regarding the destruction of

your personal secure documents

in case of emergency. Your

office should have a policy in

place

Remember, burning is the only

way to ensure that the
information on paper is
destroyed

Communications

Communication is key to running a successful

mission, whether this is through email and the
internet, by telephone or by radio, we should be
sure that we understand and use them properly.
Most of us will be familiar with telephones and
computers but most people are not familiar with
radios.

On missions, we often use radio systems to

communicate with each other, in general we use 3
different types of radio:
 Personal.
 VHF.
 HF.
Do NOT rely on other people to
use the radio. In an emergency,
everybody needs to be able to
use the radio as it may save your
life.
VHF and HF Radios are discrete
and cannot communicate with
each other!
Personal Radios
Personal Radios are small handheld walkie-talkies,
they have a very limited range and this is
particularly bad in built-up areas. They use the
same frequency range as VHF radios but are
generally set to operate on specific channels
(designated wavelengths). Normal range is
generally no greater than 3km at best.
As a general rule VHF radios will
give a stronger signal if they
have a larger antenna and it
will stand a better chance if it
is higher up
If you are having trouble
transmitting or receiving try
these tips:
Question
VHF Radios have a stronger signal with...?
Q- A shorter antenna
c A larger antenna
L City/T own centres
An swe r

As a general rule VHF

radios will give a stronger
signal if they have a larger
antenna and it will stand a
better chance if it is
higher up.

VHF Radios

VHF Radios can be portable or fixed and are the

most common type of radio used in the field
unless we need to communicate across large
distances. They are used for voice
communications and are used for distances of no
more than 3okm. With the use of re-broadcasting
stations this can be extended to much greater
distances.
VHF radios work by “line of sight", this means that
the signal finds it difficult to go around objects
like hills, mountains or buildings. In towns and
cities this can reduce the range significantly.

HF Radios
HF (High Frequency) Radios are used for
communications over much greater distances and
require a much larger antenna and battery pack.
As a result they are only available when fitted to
vehicles or can be set up in a fixed location. They
are not available as handheld sets. HF radios are
used by many humanitarian agencies.

HF (High Frequency) signals are bounced off the

earth's ionosphere so they are capable of
communicating over or around obstructions. This
does have drawbacks though:

HF signals can be adversely affected by

weather, particularly electrical storms.
Reception is more difficult at sunrise and
sunset.
In general the frequency required will be
higher during the day and lower at night.
Your communications officer will be able to
help you if you have any problems.
Remember the radio may be your
only means of communication in
an emergency so never leave
your base without checking
what frequencies you should be
on and when they will change
HF radios can be used to
communicate over hundreds of
kilometres. In some countries
there are ‘base stations' which
will take your HF signal and
plug it into the telephone
network. They do charge for
this service however
Basic Radio Procedure
speak clearly and slowly. There are three simple
principles to remember:

Discipline Listen before transmitting and do

not interrupt someone else's communication
unless it is an emergency. Keep conversations
brief and to the point.

Preparation Ensure you know what you are

going to say before speaking, it will stop you
from clogging up the airwaves.

Clarity of communication Some people are

not easy to understand via a radio so be clear
about what you are saying. Use the following
tips to help:

Rhythm Speak in short, complete phrases

that make sense.
Speed Do not speak too fast.
Volume Speak clearly and loudly.
Pitch A mid-range voice is best, speak a
little higher if you have a deep voice and a
little lower if you have a high-pitched voice.
F-
f 53517.
Question
mgh‘ Frequency (HF) radios are goodfthz
C: mdmmm
lg ‘- snortraneehandheld commmwwj

An swe r
HF radios can be used to
communicate over
hundreds of kilometres. In
some countries there are
‘base stations’ which will
take your HF signal and
plug it into the telephone
network.
Radio Procedures - Prowords

There are a number of ‘pro-words' (words with

specific meaningS) that are used in radio
communications that you should know. You should
be confident in their use and practice whenever
you have a chance:

You should always begin a new radio

conversation with ‘hello'.

Send This means transmit your message.

Over This means you have finished what you

have to say and are waiting for a response
from the other person.

Out This means you have finished what you

have to say and the conversation has finished,

there is no response required.

Roger I have heard and understood what you
have said.

Wilco I have heard and will comply with what

you have said.

Emergency, emergency, emergency Cease all

radio communications, there is an emergency
and I need to transmit. This could also be
“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”.
Basic Radio Procedures - Structure
When initiating a new radio communication you
should begin with ‘Hello’ then state the name of
the person you are trying to call, say who you are
and wait for them to reply. Each subsequent
transmission should begin with your own callsign
(your designated name on the radio):
Hello..(other person’s callsign)..This is..(your
callsign). ., Over.
Remember, their reply will begin with their own
callsign:
(their callsign)..Send, Over.
Basic Radio Procedures – Radio Check
In order to make sure that our communications
are working we should conduct a ‘Radio check’
before leaving our base location. It goes like this:
Hello..(say their callsign)....this is...(say your
callsign), Radio Check, Over.
Next (he will say his callsign) OK, Over.
Then (you say your callsign) OK, Out.
When he or she replies “OK”, this signifies that he
or she can clearly hear your signal.
You in turn then reply to confirm that you can
hear them.
You should conduct a radio
check to test communications
before leaving any location,
when you have fitted a new
battery, every time you change
frequency or channel and every
time you move into a different
region's radio zones.
When travelling between
different headquarters
remember to establish
communications with the next
HQ before leaving the
communications area of your
own. There is nothing worse
than being out of contact with
everybody when something goes
wrong.
Question
Before you leave any safe location you should...?
k- Say goodbye to the Head of Mission or the office
manager
L Make sure you are clearly displaying your EU logo
«he Check that your communications systems are
working

Answer
You should conduct a
radio check to test
communications
Emergency Distress Signals
There are some internationally recognised
emergency distress signals and frequencies that
you should remember for signalling to aircraft, on
the radio or over long distances:

Three torches or fires forming a triangle (use

green leaves on the fire to make more smoke).

A large letter ‘I’ (ground to air signal).

Morse code ‘SOS’=

Using a hand mirror to reflect the sun towards

an object or person (use morse code ‘SOS’).

Red signal flares (sea/mountains).

Cloth signalling (exaggerated waving of bright

cloth or a large cloth square).
Chanel 16 on VHF radio (shipping emergency channel)
121.5/243/500 khz are the three emergency channel

Survival Tips
Survival in the wild is a skill that many people
spend a lifetime learning and practising, there are
however some basic things that you can learn that
will help if the situation arises.

Humans are robust naturally and we have basic

requirements in order to stay alive:

Food.
Water.
Warmth.
Shelter.
Here are some useful tips if you need to survive in
the wild.
Survival Tips - Food

You can survive in normal weather conditions

without food for several weeks, but you will
become progressively weaker. You should take
emergency food with you everywhere but if you
need to find food stick to these basic principles.
Contact your security officer for further
information about finding food in your host
nation.

There will always be small animals, insects or

fish that can be caught using your knife of by
setting traps.

If you do catch your own food, cook it

thoroughly before eating.

Avoid eating anything that is red in colour

(berries, small animals etc).

If you can find a village nearby then eat there

but make sure the food is cooked properly.
A burning oil barrel / lots of smoke.

Channel 16 on VHF radio (Shipping emergency

channel).

121.5 / 243 / 500 khz are the three emergency

VHF channels.

Survwal T1 ps
Question
The international emergency frequencies are...?
L 275, 550 and 1100 khz
L 135, 270 and 405 khz
(”3 121.5, 243 and 500 khz

Answer
Internationally recognised
emergency frequencies
that you should
remember are:
Channel 16 on VHF radio
(shipping)
121.5 / 243 / 500 khz are
the three emergency VHF
channels
Survival Tips - Water
You can only survive without water for a few days
so your priority must be to find this. Some good
tips to find water are:
Follow animal tracks.
Look in rock crevices.
At the bottom of valleys.
Dry river beds (dig in the outside bend of the
dry bed).
If you do find water make sure
it is purified before you drink
it. Either add purification
tablets, use a purification
pump or boil it for at least 10
minutes then filter it.
Survival Tips - Warmth
There are two aspects to consider here, first is
clothing and the second is fire.
Clothing: Make sure that in cold environments
you take adequate clothing with you. You
should use a layer system and include a
waterproof outer layer.

Fire: Even if you have enough clothing you

should try to make a fire if it is safe to do so. A
fire will provide warmth and light but it will
also raise your morale, allow you to cook and
heat water and might attract attention from
people who are searching for you. Fire will also
keep animals away particularly at night. You
will need five different ingredients and they
should be used in this order:

Tinder This is most important to start the

fire and is usually dry dead leaves or bark,
dry grass, moss or manure. It needs to be
very dry and in very small pieces.

Kindling Small sticks and leaves which

must be absolutely dry. Once the tinder has
caught, add dry kindling.

Logs Logs should only be added when the

fire has been going for some time. Thick

logs will keep a fire going all night and in

the morning you should stir up the ashes and

add more kindling to have the fire start

again quickly.
SurvivaL Tips – Shelter
Shelter is important to protect you from weather,
animals and temperature. Your body loses heat
while you sleep and shelter will prevent this to
some degree. Initially look for natural shelter such
as caves, hollow trees, crevices under rocks or
trees that are growing very close together. It is
possible to build a shelter but this takes time and
skill, so a natural shelter is better.

Ideally your shelter would be in a wooded area

near water but away from flood areas and animal
water holes. If you do have to build a shelter there
are several types you might try:

Lean-To You will need branches and leaves, a

plastic or tarpaulin sheet is helpful if available
for the roof and ferns or palm branches will

also help. Tie the branches into a frame, make

it as secure as you can. (if you have nothing to

tie them with then try to wedge them into

place). Place the palm branches or tarpaulin

across the top and weight them into place with

stones. If you have no tarpauli n or palm

fronds, you can use ferns and grass, if you use

mud to attach them all together this will help

waterproof the shelter. If it is raining, dig a

ditch around the outside to allow the water to

drain away.

Sand shelter - Dig a trench in the sand running

north to south to keep the bottom shaded, pile
the sides high and use sticks or foliage to cover
the top. If you are on the beach make sure that
it is well above the high water marks.

Tree shelter - You can use trees as the side

wall for any ‘lean-to’ if you have time to make
it, but you may also choose to shelter in the
tree to keep away from animals. If you do this,
tie yourself in so that you do not fall out
during your sleep.
Question
Which of the following should you choose first to use
as shelter?
fie Cave
k Lean-to
(1 Tree shelter

Answer
Initially look for natural
shelter such as caves,
hollow trees, crevices
under rocks or trees that
are growing very close
together. It is possible to
build a shelter but this
takes time and skill, so a
natural shelter is better.
Navigation Aids - GPS
Much like survival, navigation is a great skill. If
you cannot read a map yet, ask your security
officer or colleagues to teach you. It is a skill that
you will never regret learning and it might save
your life!
Learn as much as you can about
the country you are in,
especially prominent features
and landmarks as this will help
you navigate in an emergency.
Nav1gation Aids – GPS
A Global Positioning System (GPS) is a handheld
device that uses a series of satellites in the sky to
find its position on the ground. It also allows you
to save locations so that it can navigate for you
between them, telling you which direction to go
and how far away from your destination you are.

Most modern GPS systems can also have maps

loaded onto them to allow you to have an
accurate marker of where you are on the map and
to allow you to select your destination.

A GPS is a useful tool but requires a great deal of

practice. It is not a replacement for being able to
read a map, but it is a help.

GPS receivers can drain

batteries very quickly so always
ensure you have some spares.
They can also be affected by
the weather which can prevent
them from ‘linking' to the
satellites. In this instance it
will not be accurate and is
unlikely to even give you a
position.
Unless you have a building
conversion kit, it is not possible
to use your GPS indoors.
Navigation Aids – Maps
A map is an aerial picture of what the ground
looks like using symbols to represent features on
the ground. There will be a ‘key’ at the bottom to
explain what all the symbols are and to tell you
which direction on the map is north. We can tell if
land is high or low by looking at the ‘Contour
lines’ (a contour line is a line drawn on the map
which connects points of equal height. If contour
lines are close together it means there is a steep
slope). You should try to make sure that you have
a map of the area you are in with you at all times.
If you are not used to using maps they can appear
difficult, here are some tips for using maps:

Put the map out in front of you so that the

objects and direction on the map are the same
as what you can see in front of you.

Look around you to see prominent features

like hills, rivers or roads and find them on the
map. This will give you a place to start from.

If you have a compass, make sure you keep the

north pointer on the map pointing to the same
direction as your compass is pointing north.

Look in front of you and try to estimate how

far you can see. Remember the scale of your
map and try to imagine the distance on the
map.

Question

A GPS system...?
Whineabletoreadam ul

{cf Wawtdealofpracm

L. mmlvheuseddunngfireday
Answer

A GPS is a useful tool but

requires a great deal of
practice. It is not a
replacement for being
able to read a map, but it
is a help.

Finding Your Direction

We can use several methods to find North and

South, but remember, once you have found your
general direction try to align two points on the
ground in that direction as far away from you as
possible so that you keep going in the same
direction. We will cover three methods:
The Sun.
The Stars.
Compass.

Finding Your Direction - TheSun

We can use the sun to establish where North and
South are by using the “hour hand” on your watch
during daytime. The method differs if you are in
the northern or southern hemisphere.

Northern hemisphere:
Point the hour hand of the watch at the Sun.
South will be halfway between the hour
hand and the 12 o’clock mark.
Southern hemisphere:
Point the 12 o’clock mark of your watch at
the sun. North will be halfway between the
12 o’clock and the hour hand.
Finding Your Direction – The Stars
At night you can use the stars to find the North
Star (in the northern hemispherei and the
direction of South in the southern hemisphere.

In the Northern hemisphere find “Ursa Major".

within it find the constellation known as “The Big
Dipper" or ‘The ‘Plough'. If you follow the line
from the ‘tail' of this constellation it will point
directly to the North Star. The North Star is not
very bright but is easily identifiable on this line.

In the Southern hemisphere make sure the sun has

set on your right and this will be approximately
south. Now look at the sky and it should be fairly
easy to find the Southern Cross and the Pointers.
r"ou need to draw an imaginary line between the

two Pointers and then another line bisecting this

at right angles. Now draw another imaginary line
through the main axis of the Southern Cross and
extend it. Where these two imaginary lines meet
is the Celestial South Pole. "r’ou will now need to
imagine a line straight down to the horizon and
this is south.
Question
a“;
When using the stars to find North in the northern
hemisphere, we could use a constellation knownlasm?
c Ursa Major
L The Southern Cross
L The Pointers

Answer
In the Northern
hemisphere find ‘Ursa
Major’, also known as
‘The Big Dipper'. If you
follow the line from the
‘tail’ of this constellation
it will point directly to the
North Star.
Finding Your Direction – Compass
Compasses come in different types, and there are
many uses you can find for them once you have
some experience. However all compasses, even
home-made ones will orientate themselves in the
direction north/south.

You can make your own compass by using a

magnet floating on a leaf in a bowl of still water.
It will orientate itself North/South. If you do not
have a magnet you could use a needle; rub the
needle 100 times in one-direction only with
polyester, silk or nylon. This will turn it into a
weak magnet which you can then float on the leaf.

If your compass has a coloured

pointer it will be the red pointer

that points to the north.