By Tay Shi'an

ONE company evacuated two clients and whisked them to a safe hotel on the other side of Jakarta during the recent bombings.

Another triangulated the handphone signal of its clients on a Sri Lanka hilltop during the 2004 tsunami to locate them, before sending out transport to rescue them.

During the riots after the fall of former president Suharto in 1998, the same company chartered a Boeing 747 and transported more than 400 employees and family members of its client, an oil and gas company out of Jakarta to Singapore.

Welcome to the world of risk management companies, which help client companies and employees plan against, manage and respond to - among other things - any incidents that happen while travelling.

If the client is travelling and becomes a victim of a crime, gets in a car accident, has any health issues or runs into a natural disaster, these risk consultants are just a call away, with associates who speak the language and are on hand to help.

They can arrange safe transport to and from the airport, arrange itineraries, and vet hotels to make sure they are safe.

'Think of us like a security concierge,' said Mr Richard Hancock, executive vice-president of Hill & Associates Risk Consulting (Singapore).

Mr James Blakeney, regional manager of Southeast Asia for Control Risks, said: 'If companies are sending employees to high-risk areas, they have to make sure they have the right sort of programme and protective measures in place to make the trip a safe one.

'This is both from a liability perspective, and for the sake of their staff.'

International SOS and Control Risks, which have a joint venture to provide travel security services for international travellers and expats, provided advice and counsel to nearly 200 individuals from 40 multinational organisations during the Jakarta bombings.

About 20 cases were from Singapore.

These people were either in Indonesia at the time of the bombings or were about to travel to the country.

International SOS also evacuated eight clients who needed medical care to Singapore, and helped one with hospital admission here.

Depending on the company size and level of services, Hill & Associates said it charges from US$900 ($1,300) a month per company.

Most of the clients tend to be US or European MNCs from a variety of industries like banking, oil and gas, and retailing, said Hill & Associates.

In comparison, International SOS and Control Risks' annual fee starts from US$10,000 and can go up to six figures.

Their client list includes a large number of small and medium enterprise.

They have about 400 corporate clients in Singapore - a mix of local companies and branch offices of MNCs.

Mr Tony Ridley, regional security director for Asia Pacific of International SOS, said the role of the risk management consultant starts long before the client steps onto the plane.

Daily reports are sent to the client, highlighting potential threats and intelligence on a variety of subjects.

When an employee is about to travel, clients can also request briefings to be held for him before departure, to inform him of the dos and don'ts of the particular country, and teach him or her how to use the services of the risk management consultants, said MrHancock.

If a crisis strikes, the companies can track which clients are in the country, and send them real-time information and advice, for example via SMS or Blackberry.

Said Mr Hancock: 'This is immediate, life-saving information on a very micro level. For example, this road is opened or blocked, which areas are safe or unsafe, where movement is being restricted.'

They also respond to calls for help, to provide transport to a safe haven.

During the Jakarta blasts, for example, Control Risks managed to reach two individual clients within one hour of the blast, and move them to a new hotel on the other side of town within 2 1/2 hours, on the request of the client's management.

Said Mr Blakeney: 'If they don't have this sort of assistance and employees are left to their own devices, if they are not well-informed and not given the right briefing and information, it might be a potential problem as they might do something to put themselves in greater danger.'

Said Mr Ridley: 'Travel is like any business activity. It requires a degree of skill and training. You can't just take a plane ticket, conduct your business and go home...

'You need to take the time and initiative, make it a habit, to sit down and think of things you need to prepare for.'

Running might not be best option

ONE of the biggest mistakes travellers make in a crisis is to rush to leave the country or blindly flee the scene.

The right thing to do in a terrorist attack is to find a safe haven and stay there.

If possible, stay in your hotel room, barricade yourself in the bathroom, and call someone to let them know where you are.

Mr Richard Hancock of Hill & Associates said: 'People often panic, and try to travel to airport...to get out.

'Often, this is the most dangerous thing to do, as they expose themselves to more danger. They could be robbed along the way, or have an accident...

'Expats carrying a lot of cash and jewellery make prime targets.

'What we want to avoid is a knee-jerk reaction where everybody flees, when the event has taken its course.'

This article was first published in The New Paper.