Civil Unrest & Security Emergencies

Core principles

Situational awareness

Situational awareness simply means noticing what's going on around you early enough to make good choices. It's not about fear. It's about giving yourself time.

• Heads up, earbuds out when you're in public during tense times.
• Know your exits wherever you are: stores, transit stations, parking garages, events.
• Notice the baseline. What's normal for this place and time? Sudden changes (people running, shops closing early, sirens converging, a crowd forming) are your cue to leave.
• Trust your gut. If something feels wrong, leave. You don't need to explain or prove it.
• Keep your phone charged, carry water, and have a plan for getting home that doesn't depend on one route.

Recognizing and avoiding hostile crowds

Avoiding flashpoints

During periods of unrest, some places are more likely to draw crowds or tension. Unless you have to be there, stay clear of:

• Government buildings: the State Capitol area, city halls, courthouses, federal buildings, and police headquarters.
• The downtown core and other dense centers where marches and gatherings tend to concentrate.
• Major intersections and freeway interchanges, which can be blocked or become congested quickly.
• Stadiums, arenas, and event districts, especially around game or event times, when large crowds are already present.
• Large retail centers or gas stations during shortages, where frustration can boil over.

Travel in groups when you must go out, keep trips short and daytime-only if conditions allow, and let someone know your route. If a situation turns tense, use the de-escalation basics and leave as soon as you can.

Get reliable information

• Rely on official sources: Maricopa County Emergency Management, AZ DEMA, your city, and local police and fire.
• Make sure Wireless Emergency Alerts are turned on in your phone settings.
• Keep a battery or hand-crank radio in case cell networks are overloaded.
• Be skeptical of viral posts. Rumors spread faster than facts. Verify before you share or act.

Shelter in place or leave?

If you leave, go early, tell someone your route, and take your go-bag. See Evacuation Routes.

If you're out when trouble starts

• Move away from the crowd, toward the edges and away from police lines or confrontations.
• Head indoors to a business or public building, or toward home by a route that avoids the area.
• If driving, don't try to push through a crowd or roadblock. Turn around when you safely can.
• Keep your phone charged, your hands visible around law enforcement, and stay calm.
• If you're separated from your group, go to your agreed meeting point.

Route planning: leaving the city during unrest

• Head away from the urban core first. Choose routes that move you outward rather than through downtown. See routes by area.
• Plan at least two or three alternates for your part of the Valley, including surface streets to reach a freeway entrance farther out.
• Avoid choke points when they're congested: major interchanges (such as the I-10/I-17 "Stack" and the I-10/SR-51/Loop 202 "Mini Stack"), river and canal crossings with few alternatives, and single-road mountain corridors.
• Day vs. night tradeoff: nighttime is much cooler, which is safer if your car breaks down or you have to walk, but visibility is lower and help is farther away. Daytime offers more visibility and open services, but extreme heat makes a breakdown dangerous. In summer, early morning is often the best compromise. Whatever you choose, carry plenty of water.
• Travel together. Convoy with a neighbor or family, and keep phones charged and a paper map.
• Don't drive into crowds or roadblocks. Turn around when it's safe and take an alternate.
• Fuel and water first: leave with at least a half-full tank and enough water for everyone, including pets.
• Know your destination and share your route and expected arrival time with someone outside the area.

Full route details: Evacuation Routes.

Securing your home

• Lock doors and windows, close blinds, and keep a low profile. Don't post your location or supplies publicly.
• Keep exterior lights on at night and know your exits.
• Keep a fire extinguisher accessible and know how to shut off utilities if instructed.
• Have a "safe room" in the interior of the house with water, a phone charger, and first aid.
• Get to know your neighbors now. Watching out for one another is one of the most effective protections there is.

Family communication plan

1. Pick an out-of-area contact everyone can text to check in.
2. Choose two meeting places: one in your neighborhood, one outside it.
3. Write key phone numbers on paper. Phones die.
4. Know the emergency plans at your kids' schools and at your workplace.
5. Practice the plan once a year. Ready.gov has a free plan template.