Verify emergency information
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Check the source, time, exact location and evidence before acting on or sharing an emergency message. Compare independent sources when possible. A forwarded screenshot, logo or urgent voice note is not verification. Act on obvious immediate danger without waiting for a post to be confirmed.
Save the essentials.
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Act on immediate danger. Seek qualified help when reachable and safe, but do not make your first protective step depend on a response. This page is general guidance, not a live alert.
Do now.
- 01
Check the original
Find the actual organisation or person through an independently known channel. A familiar-looking account or copied badge can be fake.
- 02
Check place and time
Confirm the affected street, region and date. Old footage and information from another country can appear current when forwarded.
- 03
Compare independent information
Use radio, direct trusted observations and verified humanitarian or official sources as appropriate. Several reposts of the same claim are not independent confirmation.
- 04
Separate facts from guesses
Write what is confirmed and what remains uncertain. Do not treat a claimed ceasefire, route, water safety notice or aid offer as certain without recent verification.
- 05
Share carefully
Forward only necessary verified information with its time and source. Protect live locations and personal information. Correct earlier messages if they prove wrong.
PLAN AROUND WHAT YOU HAVE
If help is unavailable.
If connectivity fails, use the observations you can obtain safely and your written plans. Do not travel into danger to confirm a rumour or follow a single anonymous message.
People & practical needs.
Assign a trusted adult to each person who needs assistance. Keep medicines, essential contacts and a workable reunion plan with the group. Make decisions around the least mobile person, not the fastest; avoid splitting the family without a clear, safe way to reconnect.
Keep essentials within reach
Keep essential medicines, safe drinking water, a battery light, footwear, phone power and written contacts accessible. Carry only what you can manage; collecting supplies must not delay escape.
Next steps.
Keep a short list of known sources saved offline, including non-government humanitarian sources. Choose information based on reliability and relevance, not simply whether it is official or unofficial.
Watch for.
Verification should not delay escape from visible fire, rising water or another immediate hazard. No source can guarantee that conditions remain unchanged.
Sources & context.
Osprey Zero combines source-based protective guidance with practical household planning. References provide context, not a promise of assistance. Some standards are U.S.-based; local risks, laws and services differ.
Updated 2026-10-02. Editorially reviewed against linked references; not independently certified by a subject-matter expert. Verify changing conditions through sources safe for you to contact.