TED Tech How we built Watch Duty, the lifesaving wildfire alert app | John Mills
Feb 20, 2026
John Mills, founder of Watch Duty and wildfire survivor who organized volunteers after his own near-miss. He tells how ham radio operators relayed frontline firefighter info, how an 80-day nonprofit sprint built a lifesaving alert app, and how the system beat official warnings and scaled across the West. He also discusses expanding beyond wildfires and the civic urgency to act quickly.
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Alone As A Wildfire Approached
- John Mills describes spotting a helicopter and an air tanker dropping retardant near his new off-grid home during a neighbor's wildfire.
- He realized there were no official alerts and prepared his house himself by hardening it and building sprinklers.
Finding Ham Radio Heroes
- After a later dry lightning storm forced evacuation, John found ham radio operators relaying first-responder radio on social media.
- He joined them, trained in wildland fire techniques, and went on ride-alongs to better understand real-time communications.
Build The System You Need
- Do not wait for government systems if real-time safety information is missing; band together with trained volunteers instead.
- John recruited radio operators and volunteer engineers and launched WatchDuty in an 80-day sprint.