"It was important that it was public, for the public, by the public." John Mills on the birth of Watch Duty. Full interview with the How to Disaster Podcast: watch-duty.visitlink.me/8rk5Ap

Your regular reminder to ensure you have the latest version of the Watch Duty app ( @watchduty.org ), with all applicable notifications turned on. It is free, and you can also pay for the elevated membership as well, which I find worth every penny (and then some). Fire Season is Every Season.

➡️ A fast-moving brush fire, the Sandy Fire, is burning in Ventura County, CA. The wind direction has reversed and additional evacuations have been issued for areas to the east of the fire, with new Evacuation Warnings also in Los Angeles County. ➡️ Crews are scaling up fast, working on... 🧵

Dave is a Fire Chief from Texas, and one of our Watch Duty contributors working as a team to have your back when disaster strikes.

How has Watch Duty changed the flow of information during wildfires? Pete - our Staff Meteorologist here at Watch Duty - sat down with The Chuck Toddcast to explain the signs that point towards an intense wildfire season this year.

The temps are rising in California, and we’re heading into peak fire season. Watch Duty is a nonprofit with an app that alerts you to fires, and relays evacuation info and the locations of shelters for you and your pets. Their app is a literal lifesaver. Everyone in CA should have it on their phone.

Miami Dade friends! WATCH DUTY APP is best for up to the minute notifications on wildfires if you are anyone you care about is in the area- they post evacuations; wind direction, engine and air updates. #wildfires

What happens behind the scenes when you get a wildfire alert? Hear from Miranda ⬇️

Wired asked disaster preparedness experts about their emergency kit essentials (& Watch Duty made the list 🙌) Check out the full guide: watch-duty.visitlink.me/VnhOz7

How do experts like Watch Duty Staff Meteorologist Pete Curran know what to anticipate for 2026's wildfires? He sat down with The Chuck Toddcast to explain the signs that point towards an intense wildfire season this year.

What if your phone was on silent during an urgent fire evacuation notice? We're introducing Critical Alerts on iOS. For select rare and urgent situations, these alerts can bypass Do Not Disturb mode with an emergency sound, ensuring you receive life saving notifications when they matter most.

For our 100,000 new Watch Duty users in Georgia and Florida who might need help navigating the app — we've got you covered. Watch Yusra's how-to guide, share with family and friends, & make sure to download Watch Duty at watchduty.org

➡️ Two major wildfires are tearing through south Georgia & have burned 50,000+ acres as of Monday morning. ➡️ Leftover debris from Hurricane Helene are combining with dry conditions for fast fire growth. ➡️ County officials are doing a great job getting information out. We're tracking every update.

During a major wildfire, Watch Duty reporters monitor 20+ radio frequencies at once. Today we announced that Google.org will embed engineers with us to build AI for radio transcription and signal intelligence, helping reporters move faster when seconds count. More: watch-duty.visitlink.me/pbOqOO

When a wildfire is getting close, you need to know what's happening, fast. Watch Duty is driven by real people - active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, first responders and reporters. Watch John's TED Talk on the experiences that led to Watch Duty: watch-duty.visitlink.me/PkDkJt

Wendy is an Asheville, North Carolina local & a retired doctor who has fly fished since third grade. As someone who's spent decades outdoors, here's how Watch Duty gives her the peace of mind while spending time on the trail👇

Ever wondered how Watch Duty alerts get to your phone so fast…& why they're so accurate? Real humans—many retired firefighters & dispatchers—work to support our users 24/7. They monitor radio traffic & verify sources during wildfires, translating chaos into clarity.

We build Watch Duty for you — that means we need to hear from you to make it the best it can be. Take 5 minutes to tell us what's working & what you need from us next. Every answer helps shape our work for you. https://watchduty.fillout.com/t/uFrE6oHqEfus?utm_source=blsk&utm_medium=social

David Billstrom is a Watch Duty reporter in Western North Carolina, where Watch Duty started reporting on wildfires last year. He's also a firefighter, EMT, ham radio operator, and 911 radio system designer with 40+ years in emergency services.

"I don't WANT my name to be on your phone. Preferably, you would never see my name and you'd never have to make these types of [evacuation] decisions, but if you do have to make these decisions I hope that you know you're being looked after. We've got your back."

Our WD staff meteorologist Pete recently talked to @washingtonpost.com about the early signals for fire disasters this year. Here's what to know: ➡️ What’s happening: Fire season is starting earlier. Many parts of the west had a lack of winter rain and snow, meaning dry conditions, combining...

➡️ Major fires are impacting communities in #Nebraska. The Morrill Fire traveled 65+ miles in roughly 6 hours and continues to grow, and additional fires have triggered evacuation orders.
 ➡️ Impacts are being called the worst in state history. ➡️ Watch Duty has ramped up our existing 24/7 coverage...

"Whether you are in command or supporting your elderly neighbor, having access to information empowers you to make better decisions." Kevin Fetterman, our Senior VP of Public Safety Strategy, on why Watch Duty serves everyone: from Duty Chiefs to families preparing to evacuate.

How do you build technology for a service like Watch Duty, when it absolutely can't go down, no matter how many people need it at once?

"Every retired firefighter will tell you—it's not just something you walk away from and leave behind." Don spent a career protecting communities - it's still what he does every day, in a new way as a Watch Duty reporter.

“In times of emergency, we don’t always have access to everyone we need.” First responders need to put all their focus on the emergency at hand. That’s one reason local leaders rely on Watch Duty for verified updates to support residents. Information saves time. Information saves lives.

Most people don’t realize firefighters coordinate emergencies using specialized technology behind the scenes. Tablet Command is the premiere tool for firefighters to manage and respond to incidents in real time. Now, we're working together. Here's why that matters for you:

2025 was a big year. 2026 is going to be even bigger. We’re about to double our impact, but only if we build the systems to sustain it. In 2025, we maintained 100% uptime & served 16.8 million people directly with 1.1 billion+ page views. In 2026, here's what we're prioritizing for our community: 🧵

➡️ Many people in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, & Colorado are impacted by fast-growing vegetation fires ➡️ The NWS has issued a PDS warning: an extreme, life-threatening event ➡️ We've ramped up 24/7 coverage w/ all hands on deck to give you updates on developments. Follow app.watchduty.org or download

Ever wonder what happens before a Watch Duty alert reaches you? From the first dispatch signal, to critical tracking sources like 'Fire Notification' radio feeds and wildfire cameras, to the ping on your phone, it’s a human-powered process designed to deliver clear, reliable safety information.

When Keegan cofounded the LA County Fire Department's Community Brigade, he knew that catastrophic wildfires would need all hands on deck. What he didn't know was that training volunteers to bridge the gap during wildfires would become a way to heal.

"We lost our property in the 2019 Kincaid Fire. It had been a family home for 40 years at that point - it was our anchor. I was working to defend another property and the Chief gave us the order to get to my place. It was too late by the time we got there. (1/2)

When Sean was covering the Palisades fire as a photojournalist, he heard something he couldn't believe. Both pet owners and animal rescue organizations were barred from entering, and pets were stranded across the fire zone. (1/3)

"Try to explain to your 83-year old mother that she's got to start over with everything now." Firefighters don't just face fire professionally- they live it in their families and neighborhoods.

Cameras, radio traffic, social media, evacuation information - reporters like Miranda are translators to make information understandable to everyone. Looking to make a difference for communities? Consider volunteering to translate key safety info: https://ow.ly/3MTo50Y0o6K

"They want to be helpers too" 💛

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and John Mills, co-founder and CEO of Watch Duty, spent time in local Santa Barbara fire stations seeing the realities that go into emergency response: checking out brush trucks and rescue ATVs, as well as thermal search-and-rescue drones.

“Information gets cut off so quickly in a disaster… someone shared with us this app, Watch Duty, and we were all glued to it, because it had the most up-to-date info.” Hear more on Mike's experience & lessons learned: NYT Wirecutter Show Podcast 'The True Cost of Recovering From the LA Wildfires'

Knowing your family has critical safety information changes everything. Stephan shares his experience as a firefighter and how Watch Duty helps protect his family—and every family—when it matters most.

Today marks one year since the LA wildfires, a moment that resonated far beyond California. From the first alert to the long journey to rebuild, we'll be there to continue to support our neighbors. #LAStrong 💛

Here's what the latest collaboration from Ring & Watch Duty will include:

At all hours of the day and night, our team is showing up for their neighbors- whether that means next door or thousands of miles away. 💛

In disaster and emergency response work, the pressure doesn’t stop when the flames go out or the alerts end. Watch Duty has partnered with BetterHelp to provide free, unlimited mental health services for every employee AND volunteer on our team.

Every time a Watch Duty alert goes out, there are real people on the other side: "It empowers people to make decisions" "It's not a tech platform, it's a people platform" "This is accessible to EVERYBODY" Thank you, Watch Duty community. Your support allow us to be a lifeline for millions of people.

A huge year by any measure: ➡️ 16 million+ people reached with Watch Duty alerts

Direct Relief and @watchduty.org partner to expand access to real-time emergency information, helping communities find care and critical resources during disasters. bit.ly/3MS7uX1

When you take a filming break from interviewing fire survivors to give a Watch Duty tutorial…

Annie knows first-hand that you can be looking at an apocalyptic scene, right in your neighbor's yard, and still not be able to process that your home is at risk. Nobody should have to rely on looking and guessing - you deserve clear, tangible information to make the right safety decisions.

You said it better than we can - Watch Duty is now in all 50 states, here's what our users have to say:

Dealing with the 'noise' of social media and messages is making emergencies harder for everyone - even firefighters. We're taking the guesswork out and digesting information for you.