‘Watch Duty’ co-founder John Mills became an Unsung Hero Award recipient on Friday after his emergency alert app helped thousands of Southern California residents stay safe and navigate the recent devastating wildfires.
The free app is powered by active and retired firefighters, first responders and more in over 20 states.
Iconic actor, producer, and author Steve Guttenberg presented Mills with the prestigious award at the American Cinematheque’s 4th annual Tribute To The Crafts in Hollywood.
Guttenberg also received praise for heroic actions during the Palisades Fire after videos showing the actor helping firefighters move abandoned cars went viral online.
“Anyone can be a hero, that’s what’s important,” Mills told KTLA’s Gene Kang. “There are not enough first responders to help, so your neighbors become first responders like [Guttenberg] did, like I did. ‘First responder’ is easier to swallow than ‘hero.’”
After evacuating his own home during the destructive Sonoma County fires, Mills said he created ‘Watch Duty’ to help first responders protect communities when other alerting systems fail.
Sure enough, within the past month, the app became a tool that proved crucial to many users’ safety and awareness during Southern California’s fatal wildfires.
“Fire binds us together,” said Mills. “We can’t let it tear us apart.”
