The primary responsibility of wardens is to assist the U.S. Embassy in communication with the American community in the event of an emergency. We are always looking for volunteers to serve as wardens.
If you are interested in serving as warden, please emailacssanjose@state.gov
What is a warden?
- A private American citizen resident in a foreign country who volunteers to assist consular sections in disaster preparedness, welfare & whereabouts, and alerting fellow Americans to emergency situations.
- Wardens often have close ties to the U.S. expat community; therefore they are often the fastest and most effective route to distributing information to Americans and are essential when normal communication channels fail.
- They facilitate distribution of routine administrative information (changes in section work hours, procedures, embassy closures, voting information) of interest to the U.S. private community
- Wardens provide important, timely safety and security information, which might include the times and locations of upcoming local demonstrations, areas of potential unrest due to local celebrations or elections, or information about a specific medical issue.
Warden Communication Methods
The U.S. State Department is constantly looking for new ways to distribute information to the public, so we are open to suggestions. U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide rely on different communication methods to disseminate information to wardens and stay in touch with them:
- Email/ text messages (SMS): most commonly used
- Telephone, radios and faxes: in distant locations that lack the infrastructure and communication technology
- Community online blogs and social networks (Twitter, Facebook)
Beyond the call of duty
- Providing updates about situations in their district
- Assisting/encouraging the registration of newcomers
- Assisting in crisis: natural disasters, civil unrest, etc.
- Alerting American citizens without immediate e-mail or internet access to emergency situations
- Disseminating information about routine topics such as voter registration, income taxes, etc.
If you are interested in serving as warden, please email acssanjose@state.gov.
