Watch Duty is expanding beyond wildfires as disasters grow more extreme
It’s mid-August, and Watch Duty’s CEO, John Mills, says fire season is only going to get worse. With British Columbia under a province-wide state of emergency and Spokane reeling from the most destructive wildfire in Washington state history, Mills takes us inside the most catastrophic fire season his team has ever faced. Since the L.A. wildfires made Watch Duty a household name, the Santa Rosa,…
August brings new challenges for Watch Duty, a nonprofit dedicated to disaster response. With British Columbia under a state of emergency and Spokane grappling with the most destructive wildfire in Washington state history, CEO John Mills reflects on the season so far. The organization, which grew in response to the LA wildfires, has doubled in size and revenue.
Mills discusses the decision to expand Watch Duty's services beyond fire monitoring to include flood monitoring in all 50 states. He explains the rapid alert system that springs their team into action, noting that every fire is initially treated as a life-and-death emergency. The interview, hosted by Bob Safian, explores how Watch Duty has adapted its operations since the LA fires and the considerations behind expanding their services to include flooding.
Despite the recent Texas flood tragedy claiming over 130 lives, Watch Duty's flood monitoring initiative took nearly a year to develop, highlighting the importance of thorough research and development before deploying new services.
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