What to do if…
a crowd starts surging and you fear being crushed

What to do now

1. Bring your hands up in front of your chest like a boxer and concentrate on keeping your footing.
2. Move with the crowd’s force rather than resisting it. When the movement briefly eases, work diagonally toward the nearest edge or less crowded area.
3. If you fall, curl into a ball to protect yourself. Get back onto your feet as soon as the crowd’s movement safely allows.
4. Once you are clear enough to use your phone safely, alert event staff or security. Call 911 if the dangerous surge is continuing, people are being crushed, or anyone needs immediate police, fire, or ambulance assistance.
5. Tell the 911 call-taker your location, the nature of the emergency, and any injuries you can see. Answer their questions and follow their instructions.
6. Call 911 for difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, new confusion, unresponsiveness, or another life-threatening condition. Ask emergency medical personnel to assess possible crush injuries, including significant pain, bleeding, bruising, an open wound, a possible broken bone, or difficulty using an affected body part.
7. When the scene is safe enough to help, check anyone who has collapsed. If the person is unresponsive and is not breathing or is only gasping, call 911, start CPR, and use an AED if one is available, following the dispatcher’s or device’s instructions.