Watch Duty

Meet Trisha - a Watch Duty Staff Reporter based in California. When did you start reporting for Watch Duty? 2022. Why do you report for Watch Duty? After reporting on wildfires and emergencies for 15 years on social media, Watch Duty fulfilled a dream - letting me send notifications directly to users phones without worrying about an algorithm. Plus, the core value of "doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do" is how I've lived my life! How do you relax in your spare time? I head to the beach! I'm a water baby...it always makes me feel better! Most used emoji? 💜 What qualities make a great Watch Duty reporter? A heart to serve others, attention to detail, patience, the ability to multitask, and being able to collaborate with a team. What should people know about Watch Duty behind-the-scenes? It is the most collaborative experience, and everything gets evaluated by incredible humans before being shared to the public.

Wildfires come and go, but people who lived through them still carry those experiences. Supporting the people who live these stories is one of the most humbling parts of what we do - and we're grateful to be here for you. John Clarke Mills' full interview with How to Disaster Podcast: lnkd.in/eJhKQuik

"It was important that it was public, for the public, by the public." John Clarke Mills on the birth of Watch Duty. Full interview with Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA on the How to Disaster Podcast: lnkd.in/exw9Dr8Q

➡️ 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 more engine strike teams and air tankers. ➡️ Watch Duty has all hands on deck on this incident, tracking national and local notices, first responder radio traffic, school district updates, and county resources. Always follow the latest at https://lnkd.in/eCwhnjSz & download the app for notifications

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 on The Chuck ToddCast to explain how we made the move to real-time information. Watch the full interview here [or listen on your favorite podcast app!]: https://lnkd.in/e59kyWd7

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: lnkd.in/e7jb7NaT

How do experts like Watch Duty Staff Meteorologist Pete Curran know what to anticipate for 2026's wildfires? He sat down on 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. The next time you open Watch Duty on an iOS device, you'll get the option to enable critical alerts. It's a great time to make sure: 1️⃣ You have the latest version of the Watch Duty app 2️⃣ You've selected the counties that are important to you under ‘notifications’  3️⃣ You've enabled notifications and critical alerts  Stay safe!