Watching the stunning Japanese earthquake/tsunami coverage has reminded me of something very important that I think many Canadians aren't aware of.
When the coverage started, I read on the CBC Newsworld crawl that there are just over a thousand Canadians who registered that they are in Japan. Now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that there are over 11,000 Canadians in Japan. Estimating in a time of crisis is not what I think we should be doing.
So, since I know many of my friends like to travel, I wanted to post the link to the online Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA). What is it? Well, simply put, "ROCA is a free service that enables you to sign up and be contacted and assisted by government officials in case of an emergency abroad, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or informed about an emergency at home."
It's that simple. They'll come get you if something bad happens. I've signed up for three different vacations, and thankfully, I haven't had to use it, but I think these days, this kind of precaution is invaluable.
Thanks for sharing this Andrea - I had no idea that ROCA even existed but what an easy/excellent precaution to take before you travel. Hope I get to register (i.e. travel) soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this Andrea. Really good to know.
ReplyDeleteI was actually thinking about this the other day. I never register when I go places and this incident (and your blog post) has reinforced its importance!
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