John Mills, Co-founder and CEO of Watch Duty, a nonprofit that provides real-time wildfire alerts, shares his journey from Silicon Valley to building a vital public safety tool. He discusses the platform's success during the LA wildfires, highlighting how it enables first responders to communicate effectively. John emphasizes the importance of empathy in entrepreneurship and the challenges of scaling a nonprofit in disaster response. He also explores the necessity of innovative solutions outpacing government tech to enhance community safety during wildfire emergencies.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Personal Watch Duty Experience
Cody Simms became reliant on Watch Duty during the January LA fires.
He checked the app constantly for updates on evacuations and fire spread.
insights INSIGHT
Watch Duty's Core Function
Watch Duty provides real-time wildfire alerts from first responder radio traffic.
This offers crucial information during the critical first 24-72 hours of a fire.
insights INSIGHT
Overcoming Fire Department Resistance
Initially, fire departments resisted Watch Duty due to concerns about accuracy and public panic.
Trust was built over time by diligently reporting only verified fire activity.
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John Mills is the Co-Founder and CEO of Watch Duty, the leading app for real-time wildfire alerts in the U.S.
In this episode of Inevitable, John shares how Watch Duty became a vital public safety tool—rising to #1 in the App Store during the recent Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Watch Duty delivers live updates on fire spread, evacuations, and recovery efforts. While historically funded by donations and memberships, the platform now also offers a pro version for first responders, utilities, and emergency managers.
John discusses his vision for building a mission-driven tech company that serves the public while scaling to meet growing demand in an increasingly wildfire-prone world.
In this episode, we cover:
[4:00] Introduction to Watch Duty
[07:39] Gaining trust and overcoming initial resistance from fire departments
[09:06] How first responders are using Watch Duty
[09:57] Inside the “war room” during the Palisades Fire response
[13:24] How Watch Duty reporters gather and vet real-time radio traffic
[17:28] Nuance and restraint in sharing emergency information
[20:50] The origin story of Watch Duty
[21:11] John’s journey from Silicon Valley to off-grid life and nonprofit founder
[36:44] Operating as a nonprofit and scaling into new disaster zones
[52:58] Why private innovation is outpacing government tech
[57:22] Advice for founders building in disaster response and recovery
[01:00:12] Final thoughts on mission, trust, and what’s next for Watch Duty
Episode recorded on March 12, 2025 (Published on April 3, 2025)
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