The Unseen Lifeline Behind Every Disaster Mission
Posted by Olivia Everett 12th September 2025 News
Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins
How do our teams of volunteer Responders stay safe while responding to some of the toughest humanitarian crises on earth?
Earthquakes that flatten entire valleys. Floods that swallow whole towns. Conflict zones where the ground can shift from safe to deadly in the space of a heartbeat?
The answer:
What is a Watchkeeper?
Behind every deployment is a volunteer Responder awake at a screen, eyes fixed on the map, tracking every step our teams take. They are the constant connection, the steady voice in the dark, the one who knows exactly where our people are, and what to do if things go wrong.
This is a : whenever our people are out in the field, someone is awake, watching, protecting. Without Watchkeepers, our Responders would be out there alone. With them, no one ever is.
How it works
Watchkeepers stay linked to our teams through secure apps, tracking every step of the journey. They log where people are, how they’re moving, and when they’re due back. And if anything shifts - a delay, a sudden change of route, or a sign of risk - they raise with HQ immediately, keeping the chain of safety unbroken.
It’s not drama. It’s discipline. Every log, every check-in, part of a chain that protects our people where things can change in a heartbeat.
The strategic view
Watchkeeping is how we turn risk into managed risk. It gives a live, shared picture of where our people are and what they’re doing, so decisions happen at the right time and level. It underwrites duty of care, enables clear go/no-go calls, and gives teams freedom to move because the guardrails are firm.
In short:
Every mission begins with trust. Trust that our Responders can step into danger because someone is watching their back, and trust that when disaster strikes, we can move fast, safely, and with impact.
Why it matters
Our Responders operate in some of the hardest places on earth; earthquakes, floods, and regions cut off by disaster.
Watchkeepers are the that makes those missions possible.
Without our Watchkeepers, we can’t move. With them, we know exactly where our people are, and that if danger rises, someone is ready to act.