Reduce your travel risk with these steps

AS BUSHFIRES ravage NSW, we talk to experts about what you can do if you're caught in a natural disaster situation while travelling either in Australia or overseas.

Blue Mountains fires. RFS Crews on the Bells Line of road near Bell west of Bilpin. Picture: Supplied

AS BUSHFIRES bushfires ravage NSW, we talk to experts about what you can do if you're caught in a natural disaster situation while travelling either in Australia or overseas.

Step one: Tell others

If you're travelling in Australia, inform relatives about where you're going. If you're heading overseas, it's important to register your travel plans before leaving home on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) smartraveller.gov.au website, says Justin Brown, head of DFAT's Consular, Public Diplomacy and Parliamentary Affairs Division.

"That way, if you are caught in a natural disaster, the Australian government knows where you are, when you entered the country and what your passport details are," Brown said. It makes it easier for you to be located and helps DFAT to liaise with local officials.

Step two: Insurance:

"The most important thing we advise people to do is take out travel insurance before they leave the country," says Brown. The cost of medical evacuations and the like can be enormous. "If people are severely injured, for example, and they don't have insurance, then the government can't pay for their medical evacuation," Brown says.

"Usually they need to ask their families to help out and quite often families are then required to borrow money ... and it's a very large financial burden as a result of what is a pretty straight forward decision at the beginning of the trip."

Step three: Consider risks

"Understand the potential risks at the destination you're travelling to," says Simon Francis, the Australasia security director of International SOS, an organisation that helps travellers during critical illness, accident and civil unrest. You should also have an idea of the emergency services' capacity in that country, and it pays to have a back-up plan.

"Do your research, consider what could go wrong and what you might do in the event of an incident, (and) ensure family, friends and colleagues know where you're going and will miss you if you don't check in," Brown advises.

Even in well-travelled, touristy destinations, you need to be aware that there's still a risk, he adds. People need to be prepared and flexible with their travel plans.

Step four: Keep connected

Smartraveller.gov.au provides advice on what to do in emergencies.

Australian travellers can use technology, such as smartphones and tablets, to subscribe to DFAT's regular travel advisory updates.

"If there's a tropical storm or there's a major natural disaster that we can predict, people will get an update on their mobile device and they can then take appropriate steps," says Brown. DFAT also has an iPhone app and is working on an Android app to help people stay connected.

Francis advises travellers to have a range of communication methods, such as global roaming on their mobile phones, a local SIM if they can buy one, and phone cards.

Step five: Stay informed

If you're travelling into an area where you know there's a risk, talk to locals such as tour operators, hotel owners and airline officials to establish what areas are dangerous, says Brown. "Gather as much local knowledge as possible," he says.

If there is no language barrier, you should also follow local media for early advice on warnings issued by authorities.

Stay in touch with the relevant embassy or consulate as well, as a back up to DFAT's registration system, says Brown.

"If people are in a particular area, then our embassies and consulates are always happy to receive advice about them, so that if there is a need for us to take action, we can be aware of who's in the area."

Step six: be active

If you find yourself caught in a natural disaster, be active and follow the direction of authorities.

"In a country with robust emergency services, such as Australia, you need to report in early and obtain advice based on your specific situation," says Francis.

"The Rural Fire Service would be the key authority to refer to with respect to what to do if caught in a bushfire," he says. When there is flooding or flash flooding (which can happen without warning), people should be aware they should never try to cross flooded waters, says Francis, "particularly water that is moving, as often the current below the surface is moving much faster than can be seen on the top of the water".

Helplines

In Australia, if you're worried about a relative travelling overseas, you can call 1300 555 135, which will connect to a 24-hour consular emergency centre.

If you're involved in an emergency overseas and require consular assistance, the number is 612 6261 3305.

If you're in an emergency in Australia, International SOS recommends you dial triple-zero.

Francis says it's important to know the emergency services numbers of the countries you're travelling into.

"But more importantly, you need to understand the capacity of emergency services to respond to wide-area events," he said. "If, for any reason, you do not have confidence in the emergency services of the destination country, you need to make other arrangements, such as obtaining membership with an assistance provider such as International SOS."