Our Mission
Watch Duty is a national disaster intelligence platform that humanizes and accelerates emergency information to protect lives and strengthen communities. We deliver real-time, verified public safety updates during emergencies so people can understand what’s happening around them and make informed decisions when it matters most. Our service is human-powered and community-driven, led by trained active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders who monitor primary source data—including radio traffic and official systems—around the clock to provide timely, life-saving situational awareness.
Our approach is grounded in publishing only confirmed facts—never speculation, prediction, or sensationalism—while accelerating the flow of reliable information during moments of uncertainty. We prioritize accuracy, integrity, and trust over speed alone, recognizing that emergency information must be both fast and correct. All Watch Duty reporters complete rigorous training, background checks, and adhere to a strict code of conduct to ensure Watch Duty remains a trusted piece of public safety infrastructure for both the public and the professionals responding on the ground.
How Your Donations Help
- $0.34 to support 7 million active users in the United States
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Our Impact
about 1 month ago — Atlanta, GA
“When a wildfire breaks out, every second counts.” Watch our Cofounder & CEO John Clarke Mills’s powerful TED Talk on the life-or-death gaps in emergency alerts – and how Watch Duty is challenging the status quo. Full length TED Talk at: go.ted.com/johnmills
Causes We Support
Countries We Serve
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Watch Duty advances SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by strengthening community safety and disaster resilience through real-time, trusted emergency information. It supports SDG 13 (Climate Action) by helping communities adapt to the increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven disasters through faster awareness and informed decision-making. Watch Duty also aligns with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by modernizing fragmented emergency alerting systems and serving as human-powered digital public infrastructure that improves access to critical information when it matters most.
