Tysons-based security firm helps people escape Ukrainian war zone

A Tysons-based security firm has spent the past two months working to help people escape from war-torn Ukraine.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Global Guardian has assisted in the evacuation of more than 7,500 people out of the country.

The firm began advising its clients to leave Ukraine as far back as December, according to Global Guardian Vice President of Marketing Shannon Scully.

“We’ve been supporting clients in preparing their emergency response plans as well as evacuating employees and their families from over 15 cities throughout Ukraine,” she said.

Scully attributes the company’s ability to evacuate people to its global presence, with teams of employees who are local and in Ukraine allowing for a faster response time.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in The Boro (8280 Greensboro Drive), Global Guardian provides cybersecurity, personnel tracking, emergency responses, and other services, with the capacity to respond to incidents in as many as 130 countries.

The firm’s CEO Dale Buckner recently told Forbes that Global Guardian has participated in evacuations in crises ranging from the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks and 2016 attempted coup in Turkey to recent hurricanes in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands.

Scully says those past crises have helped condition and give valuable experience to the firm’s teams.

“While different, all crises, natural disasters, bombings, war-zones, follow a very similar pattern,” Scully said. “Commercial airways are the first to shut down, then ground public transportation starts to diminish and/or becomes challenging — all while everyone is fighting over limited assets. Preparation is key.”

The Ukrainian refugees evacuated by Global Guardian have resettled in neighboring European countries or joined family in the U.S.

As the war between Russia and the Ukraine continues, millions of people have sought refuge in nearby countries like Poland and Romania. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over 4.6 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began.

Fairfax County and other Northern Virginia localities have been collecting coats and other winter clothes as donations for Ukrainian refugees. The drive will conclude on Friday (April 15).

Photo via Benjamin Marder/Unsplash