Life-Assist
Life-Assist is a wholesale distributor of emergency medical supplies and equipment serving fire, EMS, law enforcement, hospital, and government first responders across all 50 U.S. states, operating from Rancho Cordova, CA with a second facility planned in Charlotte, NC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersRancho Cordova, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Life-Assist does
Life-Assist is a wholesale distributor of emergency medical products and equipment serving First Responders across all 50 U.S. states. Founded in 1977 by Stan and Judy Davis and headquartered in Rancho Cordova, California, the company supplies fire/EMS, law enforcement, hospital, and government agencies with a broad catalog spanning diagnostics, trauma kits, airway management, IV therapy, wound care, immobilization, and personal protective equipment. A second distribution facility in Charlotte, North Carolina is planned for 2026 to extend East Coast and Southeast reach and support same-day shipping at national scale. The company positions itself as one of the nation's largest emergency medical distributors and holds NABP accreditation.
The business operates a standard B2B wholesale model: revenue is generated through catalog-driven transactional sales to agencies, supplemented by integrations with third-party inventory management platforms (PSTRAX, ESO, Operative IQ, among others) that embed Life-Assist ordering into agency workflows. A partnership with Lexipol extends a Grant Assistance Program that helps first responder agencies access public funding for purchases, lowering acquisition friction for budget-constrained buyers. Logistics is the core operational capability, anchored by dual-coast distribution and same-day fulfillment.
In July 2022 the company transitioned to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), shifting from founder/family ownership to broad employee ownership. The company was certified as a Great Place to Work in 2025, consistent with workforce-focused positioning relevant to an ESOP structure and warehouse labor retention in a logistics-intensive business.
Life-Assist firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Life-Assist
- Legal name
- Life-Assist, Inc.
- Website
- https://life-assist.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Life-Assist is a wholesale distributor of emergency medical supplies and equipment serving fire, EMS, law enforcement, hospital, and government first responders across all 50 U.S. states, operating from Rancho Cordova, CA with a second facility planned in Charlotte, NC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Life-Assist industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Emergency Medical Supplies Distribution
- SIC
- Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ambulance Fleet, Equipment & Logistics Services (HLAFANAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Medical Emergency Response & On-site First Aid/Paramedics (BPABANAG)
Keywords
Where Life-Assist is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rancho Cordova
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Life-Assist business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Emergency Medical Products Distribution: Life-Assist generates revenue through the distribution of emergency medical supplies and equipment to First Responders, including products such as trauma dressings, medical gloves, diagnostic equipment, airway and suction devices, IV therapy supplies, pharmaceuticals, and EMS equipment. Revenue is generated through product sales with pricing based on quotes and competitive terms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Order Pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Life-Assist product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Life-Assist distributes emergency medical products and equipment to First Responders, Paramedics, EMTs, and EMS providers across the United States. The company offers a comprehensive catalog spanning 15 product categories including trauma dressings, diagnostic equipment, airway management, oxygen resuscitation, IV therapy, EMS pharmaceuticals, immobilization devices, patient transport equipment, and infection control supplies. Orders ship same-day from California and North Carolina warehouses, with dedicated Account Managers serving enterprise and government customers.
Product overview
Life-Assist is a wholesale distributor of emergency medical products and equipment for first responders, paramedics, EMTs, and EMS providers. The company offers a single, unified distribution platform with an extensive catalog spanning 15 major product categories including First Aid and Trauma, Medical Gloves, Diagnostic equipment, Cases/Bags/Kits, Instruments/Personal, Airway and Suction, Oxygen Resuscitation, Immobilization, Patient Transport, IV Therapy, EMS Pharmaceuticals, Infection Control, Disaster/MCI/Rescue, and Training/Operations. Featured brands and products include Philips Lumify Portable Ultrasound, NARCAN Nasal Spray, Ferno Power X1/X2 Ambulance Cots, Laerdal SimMan ALS Manikin, STATPACKS packs, MERET PPE PROPack, DUKAL Emergency Pressure Dressing, WoundClot Hemostatic Gauze, Ambu SureSight Video Laryngoscope, and PAX Berlin Emergency Backpack. The company also offers inventory management solutions through partnerships with PSTrax, ESO, Operative IQ, Station Stok, VendNovation, Coupa, and NARC iD.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- First Aid and Trauma
Companies that use Life-Assist
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Life-Assist technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Life-Assist partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- PSTRAXcorePSTRAX is an inventory management solution partner that tracks vehicles, equipment, supplies, and stations in one place, helping First Responders manage their EMS inventory.
- ESO Logistics ManagementcoreESO Logistics Management is an inventory management solution partner helping First Responders spend less time preparing and more time being prepared with EMS inventory software.
- Operative IQcoreOperative IQ is a web-based operations management tool designed to streamline EMS processes and reduce costs for First Responders.
- Station StokcoreStation Stok offers best-in-class narcotic storage, inventory and asset management options with consolidated invoicing for First Responders.
- VendNovationcoreVendNovation provides cloud-based vending management software enabling real-time product dispensing from smart vending machines/lockers and kiosks.
- CoupacoreCoupa is a cloud-based spend management platform designed to help First Responders manage their EMS procurement.
- NARC iDcoreNARC iD Narcotics Box incorporates CompX eLock and is designed to simplify managing narcotics within an organization using RFID Tags to manage inventory, track distribution, and identify broken, lost or expired medication.
- LexipolcoreLexipol powers Life-Assist's Grant Assistance Program, providing access to a comprehensive grant database, personalized 1:1 grant consulting, and grant application help including narrative review and feedback for EMS equipment funding.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Life-Assist competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cardinal Health: Cardinal Health operates a large medical/surgical distribution business serving non-acute care providers, including EMS agencies — a broad incumbent competing with Life-Assist on scale, contracts, and supply chain reliability.
- McKesson Medical-Surgical: McKesson's Medical-Surgical division distributes medical supplies and equipment to non-acute providers including EMS and first responders at national scale, competing with Life-Assist on broad-line distribution and procurement contracts.
- Henry Schein Medical: Henry Schein is one of the largest U.S. medical/surgical distributors serving physician offices, dental, and EMS with a broad catalog and large procurement scale — a broad incumbent that overlaps with Life-Assist in medical supply distribution to first responders.
- Medline Industries: Medline is one of the largest private medical supply manufacturers and distributors in the U.S., with a broad EMS/first responder product line and national distribution that competes with Life-Assist on catalog breadth and pricing.
Direct peers
- Galls: Galls is a major distributor of public safety equipment and uniforms to law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies — directly overlapping with Life-Assist's first-responder customer base and procurement channels.
- Moore Medical (a Henry Schein company): Moore Medical, now part of Henry Schein, distributes emergency medical and first responder supplies with a catalog and customer base substantially overlapping Life-Assist's — a direct peer competing on breadth and pricing for fire/EMS agencies.
- Emergency Medical Products (EMP): EMP is a national distributor of emergency medical supplies and equipment to EMS, fire departments, and hospitals — a direct peer with similar catalog scope, quote-based pricing, and government purchasing programs.
- Bound Tree Medical (Sarnova): Bound Tree Medical is the closest direct competitor — a national distributor of emergency medical supplies and equipment to EMS, fire, and first responder agencies, with overlapping product catalog, customer base, and GTM motion (dedicated account managers + e-commerce).
- Rescue Essentials: Rescue Essentials is an emergency medical and tactical supplies distributor serving EMS, fire, and law enforcement — a direct peer competing for the same agency buyers with overlapping trauma, airway, and kit categories.
Others
- PSTrax: PSTrax is an EMS inventory and asset management software partner that Life-Assist resells/integrates with — an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but a leading indicator of where EMS procurement software is heading.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Life-Assist social profiles
Digital presenceLife-Assist financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Life-Assist leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Life-Assist funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Life-Assist M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Life-Assist
What does Life-Assist do?
Life-Assist distributes emergency medical products and equipment to First Responders, Paramedics, EMTs, and EMS providers across the United States. The company offers a comprehensive catalog spanning 15 product categories including trauma dressings, diagnostic equipment, airway management, oxygen resuscitation, IV therapy, EMS pharmaceuticals, immobilization devices, patient transport equipment, and infection control supplies. Orders ship same-day from California and North Carolina warehouses, with dedicated Account Managers serving enterprise and government customers.
Is Life-Assist a public or private company?
Life-Assist is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Life-Assist founded?
Life-Assist was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Life-Assist based?
Life-Assist is headquartered in Rancho Cordova, United States, in the North America region.
How does Life-Assist make money?
One revenue line is on record: emergency Medical Products Distribution.
Who are Life-Assist's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cardinal Health, McKesson Medical-Surgical, Henry Schein Medical and Medline Industries. Direct peers are Galls, Moore Medical (a Henry Schein company), Emergency Medical Products (EMP), Bound Tree Medical (Sarnova) and Rescue Essentials. PSTrax is listed as an others.
Does Life-Assist have an API?
No public API is recorded for Life-Assist.
What industry is Life-Assist in?
Life-Assist's product category is Emergency Medical Supplies Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFANAN, Ambulance Fleet, Equipment & Logistics Services, with a secondary code of BPABANAG, Medical Emergency Response & On-site First Aid/Paramedics. Its SIC code is 5047.