If you are faced with an emergency situation, there are many resources available to support you. It is important to familiarize yourself with these resources prior to your arrival in the host country, so that you can quickly respond if needed in an emergency situation.
In case of an emergency abroad, you should follow these steps:
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Get immediate help. Know the local equivalent of 911 so that you can get immediate emergency assistance. Find the equivalent of 911 in your host country.
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Notify your on-site contact. Know how to reach your Program or Faculty Director, host institution or program provider emergency contact. Someone is available to you 24/7 on-site and you should contact this person as soon as is prudent so that s/he may assist you.
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Contact your insurance provider, if the emergency is medical in nature. Students enrolled in PSU’s Gallagher Koster Worldwide Insurance policy should contact the Axis Accident & Health collect at 1-609-375-9190. Students covered by other policies should be familiar with their 24/7 emergency contact protocol – PSU may not be able to communicate directly with your insurer (if you are not covered by Gallagher Koster), so it is important that you know how to reach them if/when needed.
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Contact the Education Abroad Office. During regular business hours, you can reach us at + (503) 725-5077. You can call the PSU Campus Public Safety Emergency line at +1- 503-725-4407 at any hour of the day, to report an emergency and/or request assistance from the Education Abroad Office. The dispatcher who takes your call will collect information from you and immediately notify an Education Abroad Office staff member who can assist.
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Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy. Consular personnel at U.S. Embassies abroad are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens. Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates appears on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website at http://travel.state.gov. Also note that the Office of Overseas Citizen Services in the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs may be reached for assistance with emergencies at +1 (202) 501-4444.
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Contact your family. If you are involved in any emergency, it is important for you to remain in contact with your family. They will be concerned about your well-being and will be anxious for regular updates from you. There is a limit to the nature and amount of information the Education Abroad Office may disclose to your parents (and/or designated emergency contacts), so it is best for those interested parties to communicate with you directly. Please note: PSU staff are limited in our ability to share any information about students without prior written permission, as outlined by FERPA. Please make sure that the Emergency Contact information is completed in the VikingsAbroad portal.