Direct Relief today announced a new partnership with Watch Duty, a nonprofit emergency alerting platform delivering real-time, life-saving information during wildfires and other disasters. The collaboration will support expanded access to timely, reliable emergency and recovery information for communities across all 50 U.S. states, building on Direct Relief’s nationwide work in disaster preparedness, response, and resilience.
During disasters and public health emergencies, Direct Relief supports communities by delivering critical medical aid, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and helping maintain continuity of care when local systems are under strain. This partnership extends that work by improving how communities access information about available health services and relief resources in real time.
The partnership will support the build-out of an enhanced evacuation shelters and services feature within the Watch Duty mobile app. Through this feature, Direct Relief will be able to share real-time information on evacuation centers, health services, community aid distributions, and other critical resources directly with affected communities. Making this information easier to find will help people identify available assistance as conditions change during disasters and emergencies.
“At the heart of our work is the belief that people deserve both care and clear information during emergencies. Working with Watch Duty is deeply valuable to our response. It helps us better understand rapidly changing conditions and share timely, reliable information that connects communities to health services and support when it matters most.”
Amy Weaver, CEO of Direct Relief
Watch Duty recently expanded its coverage from 22 states to all 50 states, extending real-time emergency alerting to communities nationwide. That nationwide reach mirrors Direct Relief’s disaster response footprint, which spans every state and supports healthcare providers and communities before, during, and after emergencies
Watch Duty has also added nationwide power outage information to its platform, offering visibility into where outages are occurring and how long they are expected to last. With this capability, Direct Relief will be able to both inform its emergency response and use the platform to communicate directly with communities—highlighting healthcare facilities and community sites supported by Direct Relief’s resilient power work in areas affected by outages.
“Emergencies expose information gaps at the exact moment people can least afford them. Partnering with Direct Relief allows us to close those gaps by pairing real-time situational awareness with trusted health and relief resources. Direct Relief has been a leader in supporting communities during crises for decades, and we’re proud to work together to expand access, transparency, and care when it matters most.”
John Mills, Co-Founder and CEO of Watch Duty
Direct Relief will use the Watch Duty platform to share timely updates on community health resources, evacuation and relief services, and resilience programming. Integrating this information into a trusted, widely used alerting platform will help communities stay informed and better navigate rapidly changing conditions during emergencies.
Watch Duty’s real-time alerts are powered by a combination of experienced staff, a robust technical infrastructure, and strong partnerships, alongside a dedicated group of trained volunteers. Together, these forces work around the clock to monitor conditions, verify information, and ensure communities have continuous access to timely, reliable emergency information—24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Together, Direct Relief and Watch Duty are strengthening how communities access critical information during emergencies—connecting people to health services, relief resources, and support when it matters most. By pairing trusted emergency alerting with Direct Relief’s long-standing role in disaster response and health system support, the partnership helps ensure communities are better informed, better prepared, and better supported during moments of disruption.
