Watch Duty Incorporates University of California's ALERTCalifornia Camera Network to Enhance Wildfire Awareness

UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia camera network's live feeds are the newest addition to Watch Duty's public situational awareness platform 

HEALDSBURG, Calif., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Watch Duty, the non-profit public safety information organization and app, recently announced the incorporation of the University of California San Diego's ALERTCalifornia camera network onto their platform. Integrating the camera feeds directly into the Watch Duty Map provides users with real-time visual updates on wildfire conditions to enhance situational awareness.

Users of the Watch Duty app will now have access to ALERTCalifornia's live camera views alongside continuous updates provided by Watch Duty's network of radio scanner volunteers. UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia is a state-focused program that manages more than 1,090 pan-tilt-zoom monitoring cameras and sensor arrays as part of a larger research program. The incorporation of ALERTCalifornia's extensive network into Watch Duty's platform increases the diversity of information available to the public during wildfires.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with ALERTCalifornia to bring their cutting-edge wildfire monitoring technology directly to our users," said John Mills, CEO of Watch Duty. "By integrating ALERTCalifornia's camera feeds into our app, we are providing an invaluable tool for those in wildfire-prone areas, enabling them to see real-time conditions to make informed decisions regarding wildfire threats."

This integration underscores both organizations' commitment to enhancing wildfire safety and communication for all communities. This collaboration highlights the importance of collaboration and leveraging technology to improve wildfire monitoring and public awareness.

"UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia platform provides state-of-the-art sensor technology to support data-driven decisions before, during, and after extreme wildfires," said Neal Driscoll, ALERTCalifornia director and geoscientist at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. .  "We are pleased to collaborate with Watch Duty to provide actionable real-time data to quickly scale fire resources, help evacuations through enhanced situational awareness, and monitor fire behavior."

The integration of ALERTCalifornia's cameras into the Watch Duty app is live and available to all users. For more information about Watch Duty and to download the app, visit watchduty.org.

For more information about ALERTCalifornia and to view all cameras, visit alertcalifornia.org.

About Watch Duty: Watch Duty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing real-time wildfire information and alerts to help communities make informed decisions during wildfire events. The Watch Duty app is powered by a network of volunteers, including firefighters and first responders, who monitor radio scanners and send up-to-the-minute information directly to users' phones.

About ALERTCalifornia
ALERTCalifornia is a University of California San Diego public safety program that provides critical infrastructure for mitigating wildfire and natural disaster risk to life, property and ecosystems. The advanced network of more than 1,090 cameras across California helps emergency managers monitor natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, and landslides. ALERTCalifornia is a vital resource that provides an array of technological tools, infrastructure and research that supports government agencies, utilities, and the public in their response to ever-increasing natural disasters. ALERTCalifornia is a multi-hazard platform that provides remote sensing data and AI to help California prepare for, respond to, and recover from events. Learn more and view the live cameras at ALERTCalifornia.org.

SOURCE Watch Duty