LA Residents Use Wildfire App To Track Danger
Los Angeles has tens of thousands of people distraught and confused about evacuation, and in a smaller number of cases, loss of their homes. A new app has come to their rescue and it is being downloaded at a feverish pace.
“Watch Duty”, the name of the app, shows active fires, evacuation roads, wind speeds and directions, and air quality. It contains a number of complex maps that can be accessed in real time. David Merritt commented, “Some of the delivery systems for push notifications and text messages that government agencies use had a 15-minute delay, which is not good for fire. We shoot to have push notifications out in under a minute.”
Most information about the fire comes from local authorities, the media, and several weather services. The information is reviewed by staff before it goes onto the app. Management said the app has never crashed.
Weakness Of Public Agencies
Another reason the founders have created the service is due to the fact that public agencies could be politicized or underfunded soon.
In all likelihood, Watch Duty will have a long shelf life. It works with wildfires but can probably be adapted to handle hurricanes, hail storms, and tornadoes.
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