Our Team

Cole Euken, a resident of Lake County, CA, began reporting on fires in 2015 shortly after the Valley Fire ravaged his hometown of Middletown. A founding member of the Watch Duty team, Cole now covers Watch Duty’s entire service area. Cole is also a freelance fire and emergency service photographer.

David Altamirano serves as Watch Duty’s Agency Representative, acting as the primary liaison to fire, law enforcement, and emergency management partners. With over four decades of fire service experience, including a distinguished career as a Fire Captain with the Orange County Fire Authority, David brings deep operational knowledge and a collaborative approach to building trusted relationships across the public safety community.

Jaimee is an Arizona native, and grew up in rural Pima County. After the back-to-back Sawmill and Mulberry Fires impacted her home in 2017, she was frustrated with the slow flow of information, particularly for residents in rural areas. She began seeking out resources to educate herself, and has been monitoring and reporting on wildfires for her friends and family ever since. In 2023, she wanted a more centralized way of sharing this information, and so she created a Facebook group dedicated to wildfire, weather, and emergency information for southeastern Arizona called SE Arizona Wildfire and Incidents (Pima, Cochise, & Santa Cruz Counties).

Jessi joined Watch Duty after years as an emergency dispatcher and training manager. She began as a volunteer contributor in 2023, later becoming a reporter, Oregon Regional Captain, and now serves as Training and Curriculum Coordinator.

Katlyn lives in the Pacific Northwest and has monitored fires across North America since 2020. She focuses on delivering accurate and reliable information to serve communities affected by wildfire.

Liam Winstead runs @SDCountyFires on X and Brush Fire Partyline on Facebook. He is a lifelong San Diegan and a graduate of UC San Diego with degrees in Real Estate & Development and Urban Studies & Planning.

Michael Silvester, also known as CA Fire Scanner, has been reporting on wildfires in California since 2017. Based in New Zealand, he covers night shifts due to the time difference.

Sara Paul has been reporting on fires since 2017 and is a founding member of Watch Duty. She leads Mentorship and Engagement and serves on multiple community wildfire mitigation boards.

Zakery Pressley is based in Flagstaff and launched Watch Duty’s coverage into Northern Arizona. He now reports on fires across the coverage area and leads the Echo Radio Project.

Adam is a Colorado native and graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Natural Resources. He has been reporting fires to the Colorado Wildfire Information Facebook page since the High Park Fire in 2012

Originating from Ventura County, Adam has been following wildfires for multiple years which brought him to the scenic Central Coast, where he pursues a degree in Forestry and Fire Science at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. During peak wildfire season, Adam works for the Forest Service as a wildland firefighter on the Los Padres National Forest.

Ben Ellerbrock is a first responder turned journalist, reporting out of Los Angeles. He studied playwriting and journalism at UCLA and regularly performs comedy around the city.

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Brendan is based in King County, Washington, monitoring all of Washington. You can also find him monitoring Central & Western Montana as he has family there. He is an Assistant Fire Marshal with Eastside Fire & Rescue with 25+ years in the Fire Service.

Brent currently resides in the Northern Sacramento Valley and is a former resident of the Paradise area. After having spent a number of years as a Red Cross Disaster Volunteer, notably during wildfires, Brent now assists with reporting on fires for Watch Duty across the Western States. He also enjoys beekeeping as a hobby.

Born and raised in Monterey, California, Dan has dedicated much of his life to public safety and emergency response. He spent two years with North Monterey County Fire before transitioning into EMS, where he’s served as an EMT, paramedic, and now Executive Director for AlphaOne Ambulance. Now near Placerville, Dan became a Watch Duty volunteer after relying heavily on the app during the Mosquito Fire. Experiencing firsthand how vital timely and accurate information is in a crisis, he felt compelled to give back and help others stay informed. With nearly 20 years in emergency services, he brings deep operational knowledge, EMS coordination experience, and a strong community-centered mindset. He’s passionate about helping people stay safe, stay calm, and stay connected when it matters most.

Don retired from the Fire Service in 2018 following a 36-year career with fire agencies in California and Oregon. He now resides in northern Nevada and helped form Eastern Sierra Fire & Ice, reporting on fires and weather-related events.

Evan Jacobs is a full time college student studying Aeronautical Science and Business Management at Rocky Mountain College in Montana. When not studying or flying, he is a volunteer firefighter/EMT. Evan is a multi-engine/instrument/commercial rated fixed wing and private rated rotary wing pilot who has volunteered his time at Watch Duty as a founding team member. He splits his time between California and Montana and enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking and skiing when he isn't building or fixing something in the garage. Evan is passionate about fire, aviation, and helping people and has aspirations to become an air tanker pilot.

Geoff resides in Northern Colorado and spent the first decade of his career working in federal and state land agencies before transitioning to a municipal cultural heritage organization. A stint as a volunteer firefighter, along with witnessing the Marshall Fire in 2021, sparked his interest in public safety and led to his involvement with Watch Duty; first as a Contributor and now as a Reporter. When not volunteering, he can often be found spending time with his wife and daughter at local ice cream shops, natural areas, and museums.

Jennifer has been reporting on fires since 2014 after her family was impacted by the Carlton Complex Fire. She holds a HAM certification, is a SkyWarn storm spotter, and has completed a NASA ARSET course on satellite observations for fire risk.

Jess started reporting on fires after surviving the Almeda fire that devastated Jackson County, Oregon. She found the Jackson County Firewatch group on Facebook and started contributing to the reporting there. Soon after, Charlie Moon invited her to be a moderator for the group and they have been reporting together ever since. This will be her 3rd year reporting. She is our group's resident night owl, so you will most likely see her reports late at night.

Josh Leone is a third-generation resident of the Russian River and a founding member of the Watch Duty team. He is known for reporting on fires, floods, and extreme weather across Sonoma County.

Justin, based in Cathlamet, WA, grew up in California and was exposed to emergency services at an early age with several family members now retired from CalFire. Justin is a former 911 dispatcher and law enforcement officer and previously served on the board at Multnomah County Emergency Communications in Portland. He is currently an EMT/Firefighter and Lieutenant of EMS training with Cathlamet Fire Department.

Kevin resides in Shasta County and has been a Northern California resident for most of his life. He has served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician while attending the College of the Siskiyous Fire Academy. After moving to Humboldt County, he pursued a career in community corrections until his retirement. Kevin has been a lifelong radio enthusiast and has been listening to radio scanners since his teens. He also holds an Amateur Extra Radio License. Kevin volunteers his time as a leader for a local Cub Scout Pack.

Maureen Bonessa, aka MoBones, has been reporting on fires in Glenn and Tehama counties since 2015. She manages the NorCalFireWeather page on Facebook, covering fires, weather, news and other relevant information. In addition to top-notch fire reporting, she is an accomplished photographer and equestrian. Maureen lives in Red Bluff.

Michael Steinberg is a freelance videographer for Live Storms Media and a fire photographer. He started reporting on wildfires in 2021 after family was impacted by the Carr/Camp fires. Michael is based in Chico and graduated from CSU Chico, majoring in Physical Geography.

Miranda is a former USFS Wilderness Ranger and first became acquainted with wildfire during the King Fire in 2014 when she had to evacuate her ranger station. She is married to a CALFIRE Captain and is based in El Dorado County, California.

Raised in a fire service family with her father as Fire Chief and Board Chair, mother as Board Clerk and Ladies Auxiliary President, sister as volunteer firefighter and Board Director, and husband as current Fire Chief, all for the Sparks Volunteer Fire Department, Misty brings deep community commitment. With insurance industry experience and over five years as Clerk and Treasurer for the Sparks VFD, she manages accounting, HR, software, and supports the Fire Chief and Board of Directors. Since 2012, she has managed the Sparks VFD’s Facebook page, delivering reliable updates. She served as President of the Sparks Fire Ladies Auxiliary for over six years, driving fundraising and community support. As a certified Habilitation Training Specialist, Misty supports individuals with developmental disabilities, reinforcing her dedication to community safety and service.

Noah lives in the Spokane Area and volunteers with a local fire district. Noah began communicating fire info in 2011 under the moniker Spokane Fire News. Noah has served as a volunteer with Incident Management teams across the US covering fires such as Barry Point, Big Windy, Cougar Creek and others. He enjoys fire and weather photography, fishing, and working with computers.

Patricia Jacobs, also known as Trisha, has been reporting on wildfires and emergencies in California for over 30 years. She focuses on providing fast and accurate information from official sources.

Sekhar Padmanabhan, known as barkflight, began covering fires in the early 2000s as a newspaper reporter and continues to report on wildfires across California.

Shannon divides her time between San Jose, California, and Pioneer in Amador County. She holds a degree in journalism from California State University, Fullerton. After working as a reporter, she transitioned into teaching while staying actively engaged in community reporting. During times of heightened urgency, she diligently monitors radio scanner activity to help keep the community informed.

Yusra is based out of Western Michigan and reports throughout our coverage area, with special attention to fires in Hawaii. Yusra comes to Watch Duty with a long history of monitoring and responding to disasters. When she isn’t reporting she can be found on her yoga mat or making jewelry.

Adam resides in Clackamas County, Oregon, and brings a unique background that includes experience in news photography and over 20 years as a Real Estate Broker. He has 20 years of experience monitoring fire scanners and he has refined his skills using scanners in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Wyoming. Adam is ‘the guy in the know’ when emergencies occur in Clackamas County.

Allan lives in Helena, Montana. He retired in 2015 as the director of the Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana’s source of information on Montana's native species and habitats, emphasizing those of conservation concern.

Since August 2005, he’s been a member of the Montana City Volunteer Fire Department where he served as a Captain and EMT.  He retired from responding to emergency calls in 2023, but remains on the Department’s Board of Directors serving as Treasurer and as a support member.

From 2000 to 2009 he worked with Fire Logistics, Inc. where he provided GIS services for Type 1 and 2 incident command teams on large wildland fires throughout the Northern Rockies.  As such, he worked on large incidents in Montana, Idaho, and Colorado.  In addition, he provided GIS analytical and mapping support to Fire Logistics for the creation of Community Wildfire Protection Plans and other projects.

Anthony is a resident of San Mateo County with a deep-rooted interest in public safety. For several years, he has closely followed local police and fire activity through scanners, developing a strong understanding of emergency response in the region. After learning about Watch Duty through a friend, he was inspired to put his knowledge and passion to meaningful use, contributing to a mission that helps keep communities informed and safe. Anthony has been a dedicated contributor with Watch Duty for some time and is now a reporter, where his experience and commitment will continue to make a meaningful impact.

Billy has been a ham radio operator for 30 years and listening to scanners since the age of 10. He is involved with his local emergency management teams in Northern California and is now reporting for Watch Duty.

Brendan MacGyver is a lifelong San Diegan who lives in North County and was previously in the Fire Service. He is now an airline pilot and enjoys spending his time with family, camping, skiing, and giving back to his community through Watch Duty.

Bruce Suenram has worked in the field of fire protection and prevention since 1969. He retired as Deputy Chief of the Fire & Aviation Bureau of Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in December of 2018. He administered the preparedness activities of the Bureau such as training, fire prevention, fire investigation, GIS, assessments, information technology, and equipment development. Bruce served as Montana’s State Fire Marshal (1992-1997), as chief of the Missoula Rural Fire District (1980-1992), and as the chief of the Kelseyville, CA, Fire Protection District (1974-1980). He is currently red carded as an Assistant Area Commander, Plans. He served as an Incident Commander for a Type II Incident Management Team for 8 years.

Bruce is also qualified as a Type 1 Planning Section Chief. Bruce holds IS-00042.a; IS-00100.c; IS-00200.c; ICS-300; ICS-400; IS-00700.b; and IS-00800.d certifications.

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After surviving the Tubbs Fire in CA and Almeda Fire in OR, Charlie knew she could use her five years of fire monitoring experience to fill the need for immediate and accurate fire reporting in Southern Oregon. Charlie started the Jackson County Fire Watch Facebook group to keep the community updated and informed with breaking fire details and to help alleviate some of the mutual stresses and uncertainties of fire season.

Chase Wink is an undergraduate student and wildfire professional dedicated to understanding and mitigating the impacts of disasters, especially wildfires. His commitment to fire science began in 2015 when the Valley Fire forced the evacuation of his family and community in Lake County, California. Repeated evacuations in the years that followed deepened his resolve to learn how wildfires spread and how communities can better prepare for them. In 2021, Chase began publicly reporting on wildfires and public safety incidents. Eventually, through his page Chasin Fire on Facebook. He has continued his reporting via Watch Duty since 2022. Professionally, Chase serves as a Wildfire Behavior Modeler with the WIFIRE Program at the Societal Computing and Innovation Lab at the University of California, where he produces wildfire behavior models that support agencies to make real-time decisions. He is also pursuing bachelor's degrees in Economics and Fire Science while already holding an Associate of Sciences degree in Natural Sciences.

Cole West is a Watch Duty Reporter.

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Corey Edwards, longtime resident of Napa Valley, has been reporting on fires since 2017. When not monitoring active fires, Corey runs Napa Valley Fire and Police page, manages a computer repair business, minds his garden and tends to Patches, the elder stateswoman of his cat posse. Corey is a founding member of the Watch Duty team.

Danilla Sands lives in Mendocino County and has been working in disaster related services since 2015. She started to relay fire information in 2015, but more specifically since 2017. She helps manage a community emergency information Facebook group and serves as reporter and photographer for Mendocino Action News and other news outlets as needed.

David Billstrom lives in Western North Carolina, at the epicenter of Helene’s devastation, where he hopes Watch Duty can support his community in the future. Alongside a technology career that began in Oregon and Silicon Valley, David first worked in EMS in Oregon in 1981, later joining volunteer search and rescue on Mt. Hood, and adding firefighting in 2004 in the San Juan Islands, Washington. After 15 years as a firefighter, engineer, and EMT in North Carolina, he now volunteers as a firefighter once again. A lifelong ham radio operator and 911 radio system designer, he recognized early on that Watch Duty was making a meaningful impact.

Fran Shields has been sharing emergency information with her community in southern Oregon for many years. She joined Watch Duty in 2023.

Grant has been living and reporting on the weather and nearby disasters in Ventura County, California since 2014. While the main focus of his website and social media page is weather information, it also carries updates on local emergencies that impact the residents of Ventura County.  Grant is also a ham radio operator and works as a broadcast engineer for a well-known national television network.

Jac is no stranger to reporting and documenting fires, having monitored scanner traffic and covered emergency scenes since 2019. He shares his work on Instagram at @1st_Response_Media and co-founded Critical News with his brother and friends to focus on incidents in the Las Vegas Valley. Now based along the Wasatch Front in Davis County, Utah, Jac joined Watch Duty to strengthen coverage in the region. He aspires to a career in law enforcement, motivated by a commitment to serving his community and helping those in need.

Jeff is a Sonoma County native and an information technology professional with over 20 years of experience in local government and higher education technology. He has also worked as an air ambulance and 911 dispatcher and currently manages the Information Technology Division of Sonoma Public Infrastructure at the County of Sonoma. During the Sonoma County fires in 2017, Jeff recognized his unique position to quickly understand and share factual, accurate information with friends and family on Facebook. He now brings that skill set to Watch Duty as a Reporter. He is committed to helping communities stay informed and safe during times of crisis.

Jon lives in the Pacific Northwest but originally grew up in Michigan in a firefighting family. After moving to Washington and experiencing the 2017 wildfire outbreak across the region, he knew he wanted to contribute in some way. He discovered Watch Duty in 2022 and immediately recognized it as the perfect way to give back and help protect the area he loves.

Joseph Ziegler, a proud native of Oregon living in Roseburg. He is the owner of The Roseburg Receiver group on Facebook and serves as a vital asset for the Douglas County community, offering invaluable radio feeds and timely incident updates. Joseph is a senior applications developer in the tech industry and leverages his technical expertise by providing incident automation to inform the community quickly and accurately.

Based in Kern County, CA, Julie Romanowski is a Certified EMT. She previously spent 7 years in that field but currently is focusing on homeschooling two boys. She enjoys fishing with family, diamond painting and holds a season pass for Disneyland.

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Juli is a ham radio operator, scanner listener and animal rescue volunteer, and long-time horse owner who became actively involved in her local CERT and large animal evacuation teams after volunteering to care for displaced animals during the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa. In 2020, Juli’s town of Boulder Creek was impacted by the CZU Lightning Complex fire, which strengthened her resolve to be part of the solution during wildfire events. She now lives in Carmel, California and reports on CalFire BEU/CZU events for Watch Duty.

Also known as Bigsurkate, she lives in a remote area of Big Sur on the South Coast. She has been covering fires, floods, road closures, and local events since 2008 on her blog. She is passionate about Big Sur and protecting it and is or has been involved in many community organizations that share that goal.

Mary Clark is a retired dispatcher who has long been providing emergency information to her community of Mount Shasta, and beyond. She worked as a telephone operator for General Telephone Co (later Verizon) and in Emergency Admitting at a hospital in Ventura County. That experience sparked her interest in becoming a Public Safety Dispatcher for the California Highway Patrol, working first in Los Angeles and then in Ventura County. During her time with CHP, she was a Dispatcher Trainer and also became a Peer Support Counselor, participating in Critical Incident Debriefings for Dispatchers and Officers after traumatic incidents. She runs local Facebook groups focused on emergency information and fosters kittens for the local Humane Society.  She enjoys singing, kayaking with her husband, son, and dog, and doting on their three cats.

Matthew has been reporting fires in Riverside County since 2017, and ran @RVCFires on Twitter. He works in the aviation industry.

Michelle has been reporting fires in Oregon and Northern California since 2015 although she has been an avid radio scanner her whole life. Her father spent his career at CALFIRE which led to her interest and hyper awareness of fire season.

Ryan is based in Bexar County, Texas and serves as a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic with over 10 years of experience across a variety of roles within the fire service. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to helping those in need and extending his impact beyond his immediate community. He began contributing as a volunteer with Watch Duty and has since progressed into a reporter role, continuing to support broader public awareness efforts. Ryan is dedicated to providing timely, accurate information that enhances situational awareness and helps communities stay informed during critical incidents.

Scott is a former volunteer Firefighter/EMT with 18 years of experience as an ISO Public Protection & Natural Hazards (CRS) field rep across the Mountain West and Plains. He is a trained storm spotter based in SE Wyoming. Scott balances semi-retirement with deep dives into cybersecurity, digital forensics, and developing a smart homestead near Cheyenne.

Shannon Mahorney lives at the base of the Marble Mountains in Siskiyou County and established Siskiyou Alerts to fill the void in local news regarding emergencies. Siskiyou Alerts is known as a great source of up-to-the-minute fire info.

Stephen resides in Central Virginia and brings a comprehensive emergency response background to the team, having served as a U.S. Army Combat Medic, civilian EMT, and local 911 Emergency Communications Officer and Fire Dispatch leader. Professionally, he works as an IT specialist managing critical public safety technology and emergency communications infrastructure. Blending his hands-on field medicine experience, dispatch floor logic, and public safety operational and technological knowledge, Stephen focuses on delivering rapid, highly accurate situational awareness to communities. Stephen is a certified Emergency Number Professional (ENP).

Steven Effisimo was born and raised in the Bay Area. In 2017 he moved to the Sierra Foothills of beautiful Tuolumne County, where he began documenting first responders in 2021. He has also become a local freelance photojournalist and runs the @Tuolumnecountycode3 page on Instagram. Once he discovered Watch Duty he knew he had to become a part of the team. He is an avid Bay Area sports fan.

Steve has 32+ years in the fire service, starting at 16 as a volunteer fireman with the Washington Fire Department in Broderick, CA. After military service and a summer as a seasonal firefighter with the California Division of Forestry (CalFIre), Steve joined the City of Lodi Fire Department, where he rose through the ranks and served in all divisions before retiring as a Division Chief in 2002. After retirement, Steve has continued to support Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service on wildland fires as a private contractor. Steve joins the Watch Duty team and is committed to bringing accurate information to the users.

Sue retired in 2021 after a 15-year career as a 911 Dispatcher and Dispatch Center Manager. Living and dispatching near Estes Park, Colorado, she worked through the High Park, Cameron Peak, and East Troublesome fires, as well as the catastrophic floods of 2013. She discovered Watch Duty during a fire in New Mexico in 2024 and joined as a volunteer immediately. Sue holds FEMA IS-100.c, IS-200.c, and IS-700.b certifications. She is also a ham radio operator and a Skywarn spotter. She currently splits her time between northern Colorado and central New Mexico.

Tamanee lived in the Madera County (Central Sierra) foothills for over 20 years and experienced multiple wildland fires. During the Creek Fire in 2020, she quickly learned about different resources to monitor fires, beyond just scanner traffic, but was frustrated with effectively sharing the fire information out to her immediate community. When she found out about Watch Duty, it became the perfect platform for her to assist her community in a meaningful, fast, and accurate direct way. Tamanee has relocated to Colorado and continues to report for Watch Duty.

Todd Phillips began his public safety career in 1986.  He’s retired now after serving as a 911 Dispatcher, volunteer firefighter, search & rescue team member, deputy sheriff, Parent Project® Instructor & Facilitator, and DA’s office criminal investigator.  Todd is part of the team who has ears on Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Benito, and Monterey Counties.

Traci Clark served for 22 years as a wildland firefighter and paramedic in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Arizona. After retiring from fire service, she picked up her other passions: off-roading and photography. She worked for Jp Magazine/MotorTrend for a few years and was awarded 14 cover shots during that time. Traci is a weather geek and NWS certified storm spotter, who spends her spare time hanging with her dogs, reading, photography, fly-fishing, and Jeeping around the mountains of Colorado in her 1948 Willys CJ-2A.