Want to be seated for the start of Georgia-Alabama title game? Here are some tips

With local, state and national public safety partnerships, Atlanta officials say they're ready for more than 100,000 visitors, including President Donald Trump, expected to converge on the city this weekend for the college football championship game.

But they need help from the public.

At a news conference streamed live on Twitter on Thursday, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields asked the public to do these key things for the showdown between Georgia and Alabama:

Call 911 immediately if you see anything.

"Don't worry about it being trivial," Shields said. "Or maybe, 'Well, I don't want to bother the 911 system.' Call. Call 911 and let us check it out."

For those attending the event, have a clear backpack or a small purse. Don't bring a cooler. Clear plastic bags that can be taken into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium have been distributed to area hotels that fans can take in.

If you're driving to the city, do not leave valuables in your vehicle and do not bring a gun.

Arrive by 4 p.m. and enjoy other Atlanta attractions and restaurants if you want to get inside the stadium before the game starts.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Bill Hancock, the College Football Playoff executive director, warned against buying bogus paper tickets to the game on the street. He said only mobile tickets are accepted at the stadium.

Explore using MARTA, Shields said. The public transportation system will remain open until the last person is gone, a MARTA official said.

"If you are going to drive, you need to be mindful of the stadium at capacity — and you have thousands of people coming," Shields said. "You have a presidential motorcade. ... It's going to take time."

For security, the motorcade's route and required street closings won't be announced ahead of time.

Atlanta, which has a long history of handling large sporting events, including the 1996 Olympics, is coordinating public safety preparedness with a host of agencies.

"Although there aren't any specific threats against this event, we are actively assessing intelligence as it comes in and working closely with our partners to augment their investigative and emergency response capabilities," said David LeValley, special agent in charge of the FBI's Atlanta Division.

At the request of the FBI and Atlanta police, the FFA has issued modified, temporary flight restrictions that prohibit flying aircraft — including drones — over any college football playoff venue from Saturday morning until Sunday evening, LeValley said.

"Enjoy the game. Enjoy the city, and let us handle the details," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms said.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. or soon thereafter.

This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Want to be seated for the start of Georgia-Alabama title game? Here are some tips."