Personal Emergency Planning

If possible, pass along 1-2 emergency contacts to your comrades and/or workplace. We recommend these include your primary safe person, if possible (explained in Section 2). Your workplace and/or organizing group would contact these people in case they were to witness you being detained and needed to contact your support system.

This poster helps remind you and your housemates what to do in an emergency, and it also helps inform people who visit your house about their rights.

The Center for Constitutional Rights has a thorough booklet on best practices for responding to state repression. It includes an explanation of tools that the state may use and tactics and rights for individuals to be aware of.

Create household protocols for handling unexpected visitors to prevent intrusion and keep everyone safer.

Proposed basic door-answering practices

1. You don't have to open the door: You can talk through the door or not answer at all

2. If it's law enforcement or government agents: Do not open the door unless they have a warrant. Ask to see the warrant through a window or have them slide it under the door

3. If they claim to have a warrant: Ask them to clearly state their name, agency, and the purpose of their visit before opening

4. Never invite agents inside: Even if you open the door, you can step outside and close the door behind you

5. Always check who's at the door before opening: Use a peephole, window, or doorbell camera if available

Script for talking to household members unfamiliar with this context:

"I want to talk with you about how we handle unexpected visitors at our door, especially if they're law enforcement or government agents. The work I do sometimes involves challenging powerful systems, and there's a possibility that could lead to unwanted attention from authorities.

This doesn't mean anything bad is going to happen, but I want us to be prepared just in case. Think of it like having a fire escape plan - we hope we never need it, but it's smart to know what to do ahead of time.

The most important things to remember are:

• We don't have to open the door for anyone unless they have a warrant

• We don't have to answer questions from police or other agents

• We can always say 'I don't want to talk without a lawyer present'

• If someone claims to be from a company or service we didn't call, we should ask for documentation

I'm not asking you to become an activist or get involved in my work - I just want to make sure we're all safe and know our rights. Does this make sense? Do you have any questions about why this might be important?"

Whereas the CCR guide is largely directed at individuals, the Catalyst Project Troublemaker's Guide provides an organizational understanding of state repression.

Notably, the Catalyst Project is an anti-racist organization. They explicitly make a case for how historically, predominantly white and white-led organizations and groups have been the weakest link when it comes to state repression. If this applies to your context, take what is helpful and leave what may not apply.

Having all these contacts in one organized place saves precious time during an emergency. Below, you will be prompted to share these contacts with your “primary safe person” and other key comrades. 

Who will use this list:

• You: If you’re able to make calls and just need to activate support during a crisis

• Your “primary safe person” (described more in the next item): This person will activate support if you're incapacitated

• Your housemates: Some of these numbers should be on the “Police at the Door” know your rights poster.

A “primary safe person” will hold emergency information for you and be your main contact if you're detained, threatened, or need help thinking through a crisis situation. Choose one person you trust most to help you during a crisis.

Sample Script:

I want to talk to you about something important. (As you know,) the political work I do challenges systems of oppression, and because of this, our people sometimes face targeting from government agencies or other hostile groups. This isn't something that happens often, but we want to be prepared and keep everyone safe.

I'm asking if you'd be willing to be my primary emergency contact - someone I could reach out to if I ever find myself in a crisis situation. This might mean I’m being approached by government agents, or that I need to leave my home quickly due to threats.

If you're willing to do this, I'd need you to:

• Keep this conversation and any information I share with you completely private

• Never talk to any government agents or police about me or my work without talking to me first

• Download an app called Signal so we can communicate securely about sensitive topics - and we should only discuss these matters on Signal or in person, never over regular text or email

• Hold onto some emergency contact information for me

• I’d also ask you to let me know if you're going to be out of town so I can think about having a back-up person available

I hope I never need to use this support, but having someone I trust who's prepared would give me a lot of peace of mind. Do you feel comfortable taking this on? Do you have any questions about what I'm asking?

A note on communicating via Signal: We recommend you and your primary safe person communicate over Signal when possible. In the event of arrest, you will of course contact them via a phone call. However, if a change needs to be made to your safety plan, you are visited by state agents, or you are under threat by members of the opposition, you should immediately alert your primary safe person, ideally over Signal. Make sure to turn on disappearing messages for your conversations (1 week recommended) and ask that they have notifications enabled so they'll see your messages immediately. Follow our Signal Security Checklist to use it securely.

Follow the steps below to create a comprehensive reference document that serves as your "emergency handbook" — everything your primary safe person would need to help you if you're detained, threatened, or in crisis. 

Ensure at least one trusted person has access to your residence and knows where to find essential items in case you cannot access them yourself during an emergency. This may or may not be your primary safe person, depending on if they live near you or not.

Walk through your home and surrounding area to identify security strengths and vulnerabilities. Take notes on what you observe - you'll use these notes to prioritize improvements in the next section. Consider doing this with a trusted household member or friend for a second perspective. If you're a renter, focus on changes you can make without landlord approval and note any building-level security issues you might want to discuss with your landlord or advocate for with other tenants.

Review your notes from the home assessment and choose the most important and doable improvements for your situation. Focus on changes that feel like the best use of your resources.

It may take a while to complete all these items, so we separated it from the item above.

Personal safety items like this can be stored at your home, or kept on your keychain if you'd like them with you wherever you go.

Build habits that help you notice unusual activity, unfamiliar people, or potential threats around your home. Trust your instincts if something feels off.

Honestly evaluate the people in your immediate environment to identify who might provide mutual support versus who might pose potential risks to your security.

Think through specific approaches for safely navigating relationships with people you've identified as potentially hostile or risky. The goal is to minimize conflict and exposure while not letting fear completely dictate your choices. Different situations call for different strategies — some people need firm boundaries, others need careful avoidance, and some might actually be manageable through strategic engagement.

Strategies for different types of difficult relationships

For hostile neighbors or community members:

• Maintain polite but minimal contact - don't engage in political discussions or respond to baiting comments

• Avoid sharing details about your work, travel plans, or personal life

• Consider having witnesses present for necessary interactions

For housemates who won't follow security protocols:

• Have clear, direct conversations about specific safety needs and consequences

• Focus on behaviors that directly impact your security rather than trying to change their overall attitudes

• Develop backup plans that don't rely on their cooperation

• Consider whether the living situation is sustainable long-term

General safety strategies:

• Never confront someone directly about their problematic views unless you're in a safe, supported environment

• “Gray rock method” - be polite but boring, give minimal responses that don't invite further engagement

• Trust your instincts - if someone makes you uncomfortable, limit contact even if you can't explain why

• Build relationships with allies in shared spaces who can provide support or intervention if needed. We keep us safe.

Remember: You don't owe anyone your time, energy, or personal information, even if they live near you or share community spaces. Your safety comes first, and it's okay to be strategic about how you navigate difficult relationships.

This is about creating the kind of community power that keeps everyone safer, when and where it's possible to do so. Strong neighbor relationships are a form of collective security that benefits everyone and helps create the world we're working toward. Not everyone will have immediate neighbors who are open to this kind of relationship, and that's completely normal. Focus on what's possible in your specific situation, even if it's just one connection or takes time to develop.

If a threatening person shows up at your house with no notice, it is good to have considered how you would exit. Some questions you can ask yourself:

If you would not be able to bring dependents with you, or if your assessment is that it would be safer to separate from them in the case of an evacuation:

If you need to evacuate your residence, plan who will help care for:

• Children

• Elderly family members

• Pets

• Other dependents

Pack and maintain a "go bag" with essential items for an overnight stay away from home.

There's a lot that goes into creating a go-bag and refreshing its contents, but we encourage you to take a small first step and build from there.

Learn more about go-bags:

• Go-bag article from Margaret Killjoy

• Go-bag podcast from adrienne maree brown

• Politics of a go-bag from adrienne maree brown

Setting expectations about where you'll communicate and how often you'll communicate can help everyone in your emergency contact network feel reassured amidst the stress of a crisis. It can also help them know when to be concerned if they haven't heard from you for a certain period of time.

The Purpose: During a crisis, people often experience cognitive changes - your brain might go into fight/flight mode, you might feel overwhelmed, or have trouble making decisions. By knowing ahead of time what helps you specifically think more clearly under pressure, you can build those supports into your crisis plan.

What This Looks Like in Practice: People have very different responses to stress and different things that help them function better. For example:

Some people think more clearly when they:

• Take a few deep breaths or do a quick breathing exercise

• Write things down or make lists to organize their thoughts

• Talk through the situation out loud with someone they trust

• Have a quiet moment alone to process before taking action

• Do a quick physical movement (walk around the block, stretch)

• Remind themselves of a specific phrase or mantra that grounds them

Some people need:

• Someone else to help them break down big problems into smaller steps

• To avoid making major decisions when they're in peak stress

• A trusted person to double-check their thinking

• Extra time to process information before responding

• Background music or silence

Common things people forget during stress:

1. Eating

2. Drinking water

3. Taking medications

4. Sleeping

5. Showering/basic hygiene

6. Checking blood sugar, taking rescue inhalers, etc.

Example: "I know that when I'm really stressed, I forget to eat and then get shaky and can't think straight. So I'm going to ask my safe person to remind me to eat something every few hours if we're dealing with a crisis, and I'll keep protein bars in my go-bag."

During emergencies, you might need to make important decisions quickly - like whether to evacuate, who to call, how to respond to authorities, or where to go for safety. But stress can impair judgment, make you second-guess yourself, or cause you to freeze up. Knowing what kind of decision-making support helps you can be planned for ahead of time.

Different Decision-Making Styles Under Stress + Matching Requests:

• Impulsive reactors: Make quick decisions they later regret and need someone to slow them down

  "I tend to panic and want to run immediately - I need someone to help me slow down and think through if that's actually the safest choice"

• Catastrophizers: Assume the worst-case scenario and need help seeing other possibilities

  "I need someone to help me think through whether this threat is serious enough to leave my house"

• People-pleasers: Make decisions based on what others want rather than their safety

  "I need someone to remind me that I don't have to be polite to law enforcement if they're at my door"

• Overthinkers and/or Freezers: Get stuck by too many options and need help narrowing choices and/or can't make any decisions and need gentle guidance through each step

  "I get overwhelmed by choices - I need someone to give me 2-3 clear options instead of endless possibilities"

Learn about pod mapping - a framework for building intentional support networks created by disability justice organizer Mia Mingus. This approach helps you think strategically about the people in your life and how they can support you during crisis situations. Understanding these concepts will help you build a stronger, more intentional support network beyond just one safe person.

→ Read an in-depth introduction to pods (from SOIL)

→ Download the original pod mapping worksheet (Mia Mingus)

Identify 3-5 people who can provide different types of support during a crisis. These don't need to be your closest friends, but should be people you trust who have agreed to help.

You could print the pod mapping worksheet and fill it in, if that’s helpful for you.

Meet with your support pod members to discuss roles, expectations, and how you'll communicate during a crisis. Ensure everyone understands and consents to their role.