How Watch Duty Became an Essential Resource for Angelenos During Wildfires: “We Get Love Letters”

by

The CEO and co-founder of Watch Duty, John Clarke Mills, shares with The Hollywood Reporter the various reactions they receive for their nonprofit wildfire alert app. These responses include receiving love letters, messages, and people even crying in his arms when he encounters them at the grocery store.

On the day of the Palisades fire’s outbreak, social media was filled with recommendations for people in Los Angeles to install Watch Duty to keep track of the fire’s progress and receive evacuation notices. Over the course of four days, from Tuesday to Friday, the app saw a doubling of its user count compared to any previous period, as stated by Mills.

As a gamer immersed in the digital world, I found myself inspired to create an app after personally witnessing the destructive power of wildfires – events like the Walbridge Fire and another one that left its name untold, both occurring near the wooded landscapes of Sonoma County. Living off the grid, I understand the importance of being prepared and connected in such situations, which led me to develop this app for everyone’s benefit.

As someone who’s been through this more than once, I’ve found myself overwhelmed with irrelevant alerts – alerts that either don’t provide any useful information or, ironically, none at all. To put it frankly, it can be quite frustrating. Residents of Los Angeles will undoubtedly understand, as a recent incident on Thursday night saw an evacuation warning intended for a specific area being accidentally broadcast citywide.

Mills goes on saying that he’s observing tankers discharging a reddish substance onto something else, but there’s no information available about it. Frankly, he’s puzzled and unsure of the situation.

As a gamer, I found myself diving deep into my online gaming community, hopping onto fire trucks for training exercises in wildland fires, and even attempting to collaborate with politicians who seemed uninterested in working with me. The more I delved into this, the more I realized that no one was stepping up to tackle the issues at hand, and there were plenty of gamers like myself trying to make sense of it all.

Mills explains that the motivation behind their work is similar to the experiences people are currently facing. Although Watch Duty is available now and useful, it’s not enough, he notes. They wanted to alleviate the stress and hardship by saying, “We didn’t anticipate the scale of the situation – we weren’t aware that we were providing assistance to entire towns, schools, and more.

I’m deeply involved with Watch Duty, a dynamic organization that blends the efforts of paid team members and dedicated volunteers. As of now, we have approximately 200 volunteers, 15 of whom are on our payroll. Among these, we have seven full-time reporters and around 35 more volunteer reporters. Our reporters hail from diverse walks of life – from courageous wildland firefighters and dispatch operators to the children of fire service workers, and many others too.

Mills remarks that they’re gathering data from the radio and relaying it verbally,” he explains. The CEO highlights that a significant number of their in-house journalists were actively disseminating information to the public online, boasting a substantial social media presence.

He notes that these journalists possess a profound, emotional comprehension of the situation at hand. They take turns sleeping because, for many of them, everything they had is gone. Yet, they persist in their work not only due to altruism but also from within their hearts.

I admire how Watch Duty makes it easy to understand their information-sharing process on their site. Yet, as a dedicated fan, I can’t help but agree with Mills when he highlights that every incident is truly a collaborative effort. He really drives home the point that there are real people tuned in, listening to first responders’ communications live and working tirelessly behind the scenes.

Three individuals will learn about [details of the incident]. As we communicate primarily through Slack, it prevents any one person from acting independently and spreading unverified information like on Twitter or Next Door. Instead, we collaborate, ensuring everyone shares, confirms, and verifies the details.” Furthermore, a reporter will spearhead coverage on a particular fire until they require a rest. When this happens, everyone starts listening, sharing what they’ve heard, and continuing to provide information.

Mills points out an intriguing aspect: information left unsaid. There have been instances of firefighter fatalities, engine rollovers, and similar events. However, they choose not to disclose such details. This sets them apart from other sites that openly discuss everything, as Mills terms it, “open-door nonsense.” He clarifies that they don’t want to be the ones to inform a spouse that engine 345 has overturned. They are aware of these incidents simultaneously with the fire service. What they do not disclose is equally crucial, and this is what has earned the trust of the fire service.

With growing recognition for Watch Duty, there has been discussion over whether the organization will continue operating as a nonprofit. However, Mills has made it abundantly clear about Watch Duty’s future. In his words, “There’s no need to alter things.” He emphasizes that so long as he can ensure fair compensation for his journalists and engineers, the rest of the details are inconsequential.

Mills expresses gratitude for the financial success he’s achieved throughout his career, stating, “I currently don’t require money, as I will be compensated later.” He clarifies by mentioning that his most recent venture was a retail food service software company, which he successfully sold to both Chipotle and Sweet Greens.

Mills expresses his strong disapproval about selling this item, stating that he doesn’t know who would buy it, let alone own it. He finds it unacceptable that he and his team are being asked to do this. He admits there is an element of resentment involved. He’s frustrated about having to perform this task, as he believes the government should have taken care of it themselves. In simpler terms, Mills makes it clear that the item is not for sale, he’s not open to sudden changes, and he simply doesn’t care.

Read More

2025-01-14 00:55