TED Talks Daily How we built Watch Duty, the lifesaving wildfire alert app | John Mills
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Dec 3, 2025 
John Mills, a civic tech pioneer and founder of the wildfire alert app Watch Duty, shares his inspiring journey after witnessing a wildfire without any official alerts. He details how he rallied retired first responders and radio operators to create a system that delivers critical alerts faster than government warnings. The conversation dives into the app's incredible early success, the challenges of gaining official adoption, and plans to expand beyond wildfires to other natural disasters. John's passion for community-driven solutions shines as he highlights the importance of speed and trust during emergencies.
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Close Call Sparked The Mission
- John Mills found a wildfire near his home after hearing circling helicopters and an air tanker pass overhead.
- He prepared his property and later joined radio operators after experiencing evacuations with little official information.
From Radio Operators To App Builders
- John discovered ham radio operators were broadcasting first-responder radio to social media during fires.
- He recruited those operators and volunteers to build Watch Duty in an 80-day sprint with donated resources.
Citizens Can Outpace Official Alerts
- Watch Duty's alerts sometimes reached residents far earlier than government warnings, giving vital evacuation time.
- Rapid citizen-led systems can outperform official channels during fast-moving disasters.