Emergency Info:
Hotlines for expatriates
in Shanghai
What
you need to know
With its low crime
rate, level of violence and comfort,
Shanghai feels like a very secure
place for an expatriate. Every
so often, however, something – like
the SARS epidemic in spring 2003
-- happens to shake up that sense
of security and remind us of the
importance of having an emergency
plan in place.
Discuss
with your company their evacuation
policy, and make sure you have
a clear understanding of the circumstances
under which you will be evacuated,
and what costs will be covered. You
should also formulate your own
plan, in the event that you want
to leave the country before the
company’s evacuation policy goes
into effect. For further information
on Emergency plans in case you
have access to e-relocation
Shanghai go to Step 1 and visit
the section Risk
Investigation.
Questions you should address include:
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Where will I live? If your home country home is being rented out, or if you no longer own a home in your home country, you should discuss the possibility of living with relatives/friends in the event of an emergency evacuation, or explore the costs of hotels or long-stay apartments. Consider your home country, and also investigate possibilities in the region |
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Will the whole family come? If not, what is the comfort level of leaving the working spouse behind in a potentially dangerous environment? What safeguards can I put in place? |
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What will I do about schooling for the children? Will their Shanghai school provide them with lessons via email in the event of an interruption of education? Is there a school in the home country that will take them for a brief period? Or a boarding school? |
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In any sort of emergency situation, the most important tool in your decision-making process will be information. Unfortunately, information in China, whether received from local sources or from news agencies abroad, is not always accurate or timely. Expatriates in Shanghai are fortunate in that the local government is one of the best providers of good information nationwide, as they want to preserve Shanghai’s reputation as a good place to do business. |
Nevertheless,
there are several other good sources
of information during emergencies,
primarily consulates (the monthly
U.S. consulate briefing, open to
U.S. citizens, addresses questions
and topical issues), international
schools and chambers of commerce.
| Info: Sources of Information in an Emergency | ||||||||
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Foreign Missions
Register
at your embassy and get your
name on their mailing list
or subscribe to their e-mail
newsletter. Inform yourself
about their emergency and evacuation
procedures via their web site.
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Health Information
Information on the lung disease SARS and the Avian Flu (brid flu):
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See also Risk Investigation > Health Hazards
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