When riots begin, law and order can disappear within a matter of minutes. While individuals may not go into a crowd intending to start a riot, group think and the frenzy of the moment bring out the worst of human nature. Violence will be the rule of the day in which you will either kill or be killed if you don’t know these 6 ways to stay safe during a riot.
1. Be Ready Beforehand
Even though riots are not organized at the start, you will need to be prepared well ahead of time in case one occurs.
Secure Your Surroundings and Valuables
- Always be careful who you let into your home, or any other area where wealth might be displayed.
- A home that has tall walls, bars on the windows, CCTV cameras and other surveillance equipment is advertising to the world that owners with fancy clothes or jewelry have money and other expensive personal belongings. The best way to not be noticed by potential rioters is to have a home, habits, and clothing that either blend in the neighborhood, or look poor enough to not be worth bothering with.
- Do not keep all of your food, water, and other emergency supplies in one central location. Build multiple hide-a-ways in the walls and in the floors to store valuables. Build bury containers to hide under the house, in sheds or other outside structures to prevent looting as much as possible.
Secure Entry Ways
- Doors and windows should be reinforced from the inside so they do not draw attention. Have multiple working deadbolts and jam bars on all outer doors even if you currently live in a “good neighborhood”.
- Use regular window locks with screw in bolt locks, and have swing down bars that can be shifted into place if needed.
- Try to create hallways or dead ends where you have a shooting advantage if one or more people enters your home.
- Know all ways and paths to get out of the house in secret; and arrange a meet-up point with other family members.
- Keep a chimney damper made from very heavy metal that can withstand at least 300 pounds standing on it without being forced open. You should also have a metal support rod to lock under the damper in case rioters try to get in through the chimney.
2. Crisis Training and Management
- Each person should know their position and the locations of all other family members in time of crisis. Practice these positions on a regular basis.
- Everyone, including those that cannot handle a gun, should be trained with a weapon can handle with confidence. For a low budget option, use a squirt gun filled with 75% ammonia and aim it at the face and eyes of the intruders.
- Know when to talk or make noise and when to be completely silent.
- Be prepared to use all necessary force, including lethal to defend yourself and your family.
- Keep your bug out bag ready and stocked at all times.
3. Preparing Your Evacuation
If you suspect a riot is in its infancy, do not wait around to see what happens. Implement your evacuation plans as soon as possible. Until then take these precautions:
- Keep family and pets in the house, make sure everyone that can handle a weapon is armed and ready.
- Lock, bolt, and barricade all windows and doors.
- Set up your defensive fields of fire, but do not engage until you know the intentions of the rioters. Some may simply break some windows, hurl rocks, or beat on your doors and then leave. This is not a good reason to panic, scream, or open fire and give yourself away.
- Rioters are extremely unpredictable. There is no way to tell if they are looking for material goods or for human plunder (example to rape, murder, or brutalize.) In order to reduce the risk of falling victim to the latter, everybody must stay away from the windows, turn off lights, and be as quite as possible.
- Make your property look and feel like there is nobody home. If the rioters are intent on stealing material items, at least you will have the advantage of surprise when they enter what seems like an empty house, and wind up with bullets flying in their direction.
- If someone knocks on the door do not answer. No matter who they claim to be, or who you think they are, that person could be a hostage or decoy being used to gain entrance to your home.
- Once rioters enter, and are neutralized, make quick repairs to the damaged doors and windows.
4. Protecting the Small and Weak When Chaos Breaks Out
Keep children, elderly, disabled, and others out of direct fighting and weapons fire. A well reinforce closet or pantry with a secret lockable hiding place will keep them safe.
If you have a baby or young child, try to make the safe room soundproof so that unintended sounds do not get heard elsewhere in the building.
5. Things to Avoid
Never join the riot, yell, scream, or incite rioters. In this case safety is not in numbers or solidarity with them. Panic will run rampant, and you can easily be stampeded, beaten, or killed. If you must go outdoors, stay in shadows, and out of sight.
Rioting masses draw the interest of police and other anti-riot troops. Their job is to stop the riot and reestablish the public safety and peace. If you are caught in the riot masses you can be arrested and charged for any crimes that were committed. You can be killed by security forces if the situation gets bad enough.
6. How to Escape a Riot Area Safely
Depending on how bad the riot is, escape may take a little longer than you first thought. If you choose to leave by car, be sure to carry enough firearms, ammo, your bug out kit, food, water, and other necessary supplies to last at least two weeks. Do not forget to lock all the doors and windows before leaving since rioters may look for easier pickings.
Before leaving, make sure you know your escape route and alternatives without GPS or other assistance devices. Turn off GPS, cell phones, and any other device that may electronically report your position. If you have a newer car, find out how to turn off On-Star and similar devices. Most of the time, civil unrest slows down just before dawn due to fatigue and hunger. Leave at that time, and travel by secondary roads until you reach your destination. Stay there until it is safe to return home.
Knowing the 6 ways to protect you and your family in a time of civil unrest could be the difference between life and death. Planning and testing each part of the emergency escape plan will give you practice and a chance to change things that do not work. The more you practice the better the plan will work when you need it.
grintch | April 10, 2014
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The idea of a squirt gun filled with ammonia is interesting. Ammonia 28%, in gallon bottles can be obtained at engineering supply places for use in older blue printing machines. One source is http://www.gsdirect.net/michlin-ammonia.html.
I save expired tear gas spray cylinders and put that liquid in water pistols.
Pingback:Surviving Riots: 6 Crucial Steps for Your Safety | TheSurvivalPlaceBlog | April 11, 2014
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Chris | April 11, 2014
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In reference to securing one’s home, how would one go about doing that if living in a travel trailer? Most travel trailers are not built strong or secure.
don | April 12, 2014
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If you own it, consider building concrete form planters in areas in front of the trailer. They will offer cover and bullet proof. You can make a storm type cellar to double as a bunker. You can improvise upgrades to your trailer with plywood over windows or scrap steel or sand bags to offer a fighting position or these in combination.
Greg | April 12, 2014
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Don’t think a few inches of concrete will stop a round.
I have seen a 22 go through a plaster wall, insulation and brick.
unless those planters are at least 6″ thick of 6000 lb concrete you are in trouble.
Filling them with sand will help some.
David | May 27, 2015
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You’re in a travel trailer. Leave…
Linda | April 13, 2014
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I don’t believe there is anyplace in this country to get away from people unless you
hide in a hole under a pile of leaves. How long is wild game or even pets going to
last with all the crazies running around? I, unfortunately, see a scenario like Mad
Max Road Warrior in the future if radiation and other stuff doesn’t get us first.
Heshy | June 30, 2020
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Using dogs can keep looters away. In this crazy liberal democRATic society pointing guns will get you arrested.
D, Geiger | April 13, 2014
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Raid Wasp & Hornet Spray is a good weapon for those who can’t handle a firearm. It can send a stream up to 22-feet away, and sprayed in the face and eyes of intruders, it will incapacitate them for some time. Unlike pepper sprays it is usually considered non-threatening so it can be kept in classrooms, RVs, homes, and vehicles without special permits.
grintch | April 14, 2014
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In New Jersey the law limits pepper spray-carried in public or in a vehicle- to 3/4 ounce.
So I carry STARTING FLUID (ether with oil, in a spray can) in my vehicles. Since they’re all older-1990 and 1987, Its reasonable that I might need to carry it in them.( It wouldn’t be the same if I had a 2014 BMW though.) But the insect spray throws a more powerful jet. I have “spectracide” hornet spray, which is a very strong spray, available at Home Depot.
Blacksmythe | May 28, 2015
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You can carry multiples of pepper spray. the amount of individual devices is unlimited.
nope | August 16, 2017
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I AND many other would be wearing gas masks, and if someone hit me with wasp spray I would start sending rounds to that area, lots of them.
Brian post | August 9, 2015
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Tabasco sauce or any hot sauce is very affective. The small hot sauce packets you get from fast food restaurants work well. You can hide them in you pocket or purse, you can tear the corner and squirt them or in close combat situation you can pop them in your hands and rub the sauce in someone’s face, eyes and mouth. As a bonus, you can put it on your food and eat it. Dehydrated chili powder is also effective when blown though a straw or something similar, when breathed in is very uncomfortable and will stop anyone. Pepper spray is illegal in some states but food seasoning isn’t illegal to carry.
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Lisa Bell | November 10, 2016
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That article was very comprehensive and well written. It is a shame that we have come to this but recent events certainly prove that people can really go nuts over nothing.
Heshy | July 1, 2020
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We must remember the world has a Landlord. We see as population increases there are new ways to store foods for long periods of time. Not so long ago there were no refrigerators or cars or planes. Today foods are transported across the world and the problem is not the lack of food but the population being overweight. The world will survive and soon the lunatic protesters and looters will go back to their caves and President Trump will be elected. No worry