The Essential Role of Watch Duty Fire-Tracking App during Wildfires
Watch Duty, a fire-tracking app, is providing pivotal real-time updates on blazing wildfires, becoming a lifeline for the endangered Los Angeles communities.
Real-time Updates Through an Active Network
As revealed by TechCrunch’s Maxwell Zeff, the app utilizes a robust network of active and ex-firefighters, first responders, official governmental sources, and volunteer reporters tracking radio scanners, to deliver precise wildfire updates.Watch Duty’s Rising Popularity & Data Privacy
With official alerts proving unreliable during this week’s fires, Watch Duty fast became a favorite on Apple’s App Store. In a New York Times interview, CEO John Mills highlighted the app’s 2 million downloads and 14 million unique visitors this week.Run by a nonprofit funded mostly by donations, the application maintains a minimalistic approach to data collection to prioritise user privacy. Mills emphasized his staunch stand against selling the users’ data, stating, “I owe it to my community to not be a disaster capitalist,” affirming Watch Duty’s commitment to serving its users in crises.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
