Firewatch is a comprehensive civil rights protection application designed to help individuals document encounters, know their rights, and stay informed about local enforcement activities. Built with privacy-first principles, everything runs locally on your device.
🌐 Live App: https://firewatch-ice.vercel.app
- 📱 Emergency Response Tools: One-tap panic button with automated alerts
- 📚 Know Your Rights Education: Constitutional protections in multiple languages
- 🎥 Secure Evidence Recording: Document violations with legal-grade metadata
- 🗺️ Community Safety Map: Real-time community reports and safety information
- 🔍 Live Area Scanner: AI-powered local threat intelligence (optional)
- 📞 Legal Resources: Instant access to hotlines and legal contacts
- 🎯 Scenario Simulators: Practice responding to real-life encounters
- Traffic Stop Simulation: Learn proper procedures during police stops
- Workplace Raid Response: Know your rights during ICE enforcement
- Home Visit Encounters: Protect your Fourth Amendment rights
- Know Your Rights Quiz: Test your constitutional knowledge
- ✅ No backend servers - Everything runs locally in your browser
- ✅ No user accounts or registration required
- ✅ No tracking or analytics - Your usage is completely private
- ✅ API keys stored locally - Never transmitted to our servers
- ✅ Open source code - Fully auditable by security experts
- ✅ Works offline - Critical features available without internet
Your Gemini API key is stored exclusively in your browser's local storage and only transmitted directly to Google's API when you use AI features. We never see your API key, location data, or any personal information.
Being open source means you can verify these claims yourself - check our code or have a security expert audit it.
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Visit the App: Go to https://firewatch-ice.vercel.app
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Install as App (Recommended):
- Chrome/Edge: Look for "Install" button in address bar
- Safari: Share → "Add to Home Screen"
- Firefox: Menu → "Install"
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Basic Setup:
- Works immediately for rights education and emergency features
- For AI features (optional): Get free API key from Google AI Studio
- Add key in Settings → Save
- Your key stays on your device forever
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Core Features Work Offline: Rights guides, emergency contacts, and recording tools
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/severian42/Firewatch.git
cd Firewatch
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Start development server
npm run dev
# Build for production
npm run buildTech Stack: React, TypeScript, Vite, TailwindCSS, PWA
AI features (area scanning, legal jargon explanations) require a free Gemini API key. This is completely optional - all core, non-AI features work without it.
- Visit Google AI Studio
- Sign in with Google account
- Create new API key
- Copy key to Firewatch Settings
- Click "Save Settings"
- Local area threat scanning: Searches public information for enforcement activity
- Legal jargon explanations: Clarifies complex legal terms
- State law lookups: Checks recording consent laws by state
Important: The API never receives your personal data, or app usage patterns. It only gets the specific location and queries you choose to make.
- Panic Button: Activates emergency broadcast and recording
- Emergency Contacts: Pre-configured family/legal notifications
- Legal Hotlines: One-tap access to ACLU, bail funds, etc.
- Video/Audio/Photo Recording: With legal metadata
- Evidence Management: Organize and annotate recordings
- Chain of Custody: Timestamps and location data for legal use
- Constitutional Rights: 1st, 4th, 5th Amendment protections
- Traffic Stop Guide: Step-by-step procedures
- ICE Encounter Rights: Know your protections regardless of status
- Recording Laws: State-by-state recording consent requirements
- Frontend: React 18 + TypeScript + Vite
- UI: TailwindCSS with custom design system
- PWA: Service Worker + Web App Manifest
- Storage: Browser Local Storage (encrypted)
- AI: Google Gemini API (optional, user-provided key)
// Example: All data stays local
const saveEvidence = (evidence: Evidence) => {
// Stored only in browser local storage
localStorage.setItem('evidence', JSON.stringify(evidence));
// Never transmitted to external servers
};- ✅ Rights education content
- ✅ Emergency contact access
- ✅ Recording functionality
- ✅ Evidence storage and management
- ❌ Live area scanning (requires internet)
- ❌ AI-powered features (requires internet)
We welcome contributions! This project exists to help protect civil rights.
- Translation: Help translate content into more languages
- Legal Review: Verify rights information for accuracy
- Code Contributions: Bug fixes, features, security improvements
- Documentation: Improve guides and explanations
- Testing: Report bugs and usability issues
git clone https://github.com/severian42/Firewatch.git
cd Firewatch
npm install
npm run dev- Fork the repository
- Create feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature) - Commit changes (
git commit -m 'Add amazing feature') - Push to branch (
git push origin feature/amazing-feature) - Open Pull Request
- GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
- Security Issues: Email security concerns privately
Q: Is this app legal? A: Yes. Everything Firewatch does is protected under the First Amendment (education, documentation) and established constitutional rights.
Q: Do I need the API key? A: No. Core features (rights education, emergency tools, recording) work without any API key.
Q: Can this be traced back to me? A: No. The app has no servers, no accounts, and no tracking. Your usage is completely private.
Q: What data does Google see? A: Only the specific AI queries you choose to make (like "explain probable cause"). Never your location, identity, or app usage.
Q: Does this work offline? A: Most features work offline. Only AI-powered features require internet.
This app provides educational information about constitutional rights. It is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney for specific legal matters.
- 1st Amendment: Right to record police in public
- 4th Amendment: Protection from unreasonable searches
- 5th Amendment: Right to remain silent
- 14th Amendment: Equal protection regardless of status
Laws vary by state. Use the built-in State Law Scanner to check your local recording consent requirements.
Built in response to increasing civil rights violations across the United States. Named after fire lookout towers - early warning systems that protect communities from danger.
Mission: Ensure everyone has access to constitutional protections and the tools to document violations, regardless of documentation status, language, or technical knowledge.
Why Free: Civil rights protection shouldn't be a privilege. This app will always be free, open-source, and privacy-first.
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
What this means: You can use, modify, and distribute this software freely, even for commercial purposes, as long as you include the original license.
- ACLU: Legal guidance and rights information
- National Lawyers Guild: Know Your Rights materials
- EFF: Digital rights and privacy best practices
- Community Contributors: Translations, testing, and feedback
- Interwoven Arkitech: AI-powered development and architectural guidance
- Live App: https://firewatch-ice.vercel.app
- Source Code: https://github.com/severian42/Firewatch
- Google AI Studio: https://aistudio.google.com
- Progressive Web Apps Guide: https://web.dev/progressive-web-apps/
Remember: Knowledge of your rights is the first line of defense against their violation. Stay informed, stay safe, and help others do the same.
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."