Project Lifesaver

What Project Lifesaver does

Project Lifesaver Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by Chief Gene Saunders and headquartered in Port St. Lucie, Florida, with a second operations and training facility in Chesapeake, Virginia. The organization operates the Project Lifesaver Program, a special-needs search-and-rescue (SAR) service designed for individuals with cognitive conditions — including autism, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, brain injury, and Down syndrome — who are prone to wandering. Its core offering combines three components: (1) cutting-edge locating technology centered on radio-frequency (RF) transmitter bracelets (Longranger, CS Transmitter) and the Theora Care GPS tracking system, (2) proprietary SAR methods tailored to cognitively impaired individuals, and (3) Community Policing Courses that train first responders on cognitive conditions and elopement response. The program has reportedly facilitated 4,621 rescues (per the website) or over 5,000 rescues (per third-party coverage) since inception.

Project Lifesaver delivers its program through a decentralized network of more than 1,600 trained and certified member public safety agencies across 50 U.S. states, nine Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., with some presence in Australia. Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) recurring agency membership fees, (2) equipment sales via the PLI Portal online store to member and non-member agencies, (3) annual conference registration fees (member $700, non-member $850, national instructor $600), and (4) donations and grants from individuals, businesses, and partner organizations. The organization is privately held, operates with 1–10 employees, and has no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or external equity investors.

Product and ecosystem extensions include Electronic Search Specialist (ESS) certification, the Orlando Theme Park Sensory Protection Program, the Dementia Map resource, and a podcast (formerly "Deploying High") planned for relaunch in 2026. Marketing is conducted through the company website, annual conference, email newsletter, Chief's Blog, YouTube, and earned media; distribution is anchored by the member-agency network, direct consumer self-enrollment, and the e-commerce PLI Portal. The organization holds a registered trademark for "Project Lifesaver®" and has been termed the "Gold Standard in Excellence" in the special-needs SAR community.

Name

Project Lifesaver

Legal name

Project Lifesaver Inc.

Website

https://projectlifesaver.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Project Lifesaver is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips and trains a 1,600+ agency public safety network to locate individuals with cognitive disorders (autism, Alzheimer's, dementia) who wander, using RF transmitter bracelets and GPS tracking technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special-Needs Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wandering Prevention & Safety Monitoring (HSABAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA), Search & Rescue (SAR) & Technical Rescue Training (EDAOAMAI), Crisis Intervention & Emergency Planning/Response Coordination (HSABAIAN)

Keywords

• Special-needs search and rescue
• Wandering protection program
• RF transmitter tracking
• Public safety equipment
• Cognitive disorder alerting

Headquarters

HQ city

Port St. Lucie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Agency Membership Fees: Public safety agencies pay membership fees to become certified Project Lifesaver member agencies, receiving training, equipment access, and certification.
2. Equipment Sales: Sale of RF transmitters, receivers, and related equipment to member and non-member agencies through the PLI Portal online store.
3. Conference Registration: Annual conferences offering training, certification, and networking with pricing tiers for members ($700), non-members ($850), and national instructors ($600).
4. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Project Lifesaver receives donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Project Lifesaver provides a special-needs search-and-rescue program for individuals prone to wandering due to cognitive conditions such as autism, Alzheimer's, dementia, brain injury, and Down syndrome. The program equips and trains over 1,600 public safety agencies across North America with RF transmitter bracelets, GPS tracking (Theora Care GPS), specialized SAR methods, and community policing courses, and enrolls at-risk individuals whose caregivers rely on the network for rapid response and recovery. The organization also sells equipment, runs an annual conference, and operates the Electronic Search Specialist (ESS) certification program.

Product overview

Project Lifesaver is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive search-and-rescue program for individuals with cognitive disorders (autism, Alzheimer's, dementia, brain injury, Down syndrome) prone to wandering. The core offering consists of the Project Lifesaver Program, which combines cutting-edge locating technology (Theora Care GPS tracking system, Longranger Transmitter, CS Transmitter), innovative SAR methods, and community policing courses. The organization trains, certifies, and equips law enforcement and public-safety agencies across North America. Additional offerings include an Annual Conference (August in Orlando), the Project Lifesaver Podcast (relaunching in 2026), the Orlando Theme Park Sensory Protection Program, Dementia Map resource, and Electronic Search Specialist (ESS) certification training. The program has facilitated over 4,600 rescues and operates through more than 1,600 member agencies across 50 U.S. states, nine Canadian provinces, and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Theora Care GPS tracking system: GPS tracking technology offered by Project Lifesaver for locating individuals prone to wandering.

Products and services

• Project Lifesaver Program (Special-Needs Search and Rescue Program) Premier search-and-rescue program operated internationally by public-safety agencies for at-risk individuals prone to wandering or eloping due to autism, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other cognitive conditions. Combines cutting-edge locating technology, innovative SAR methods, and community policing courses to equip first responders.
• Theora Care GPS Tracking System GPS-based locating technology system designed for tracking individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to wandering.
• Project Lifesaver Annual Conference Annual conference (typically late August in Orlando, FL) offering hot topics, training sessions, networking opportunities, and best practices in special-needs search and rescue. Open to member agencies, non-members, first responders, public-safety professionals, parents, caregivers, and educators.
• Orlando Theme Park Sensory Protection Program Specialized program providing sensory protection for individuals with cognitive conditions at Orlando theme parks, helping prevent wandering incidents in high-stimulation environments.
• Dementia Map Mapping resource tool designed to support individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
• Community Policing Courses Training courses provided to first responders that give them a basic understanding of cognitive conditions, providing necessary tools to respond to elopement situations and effectively manage the safe and comfortable return of eloped clients.
• Electronic Search Specialist (ESS) Certification Professional certification for first responders in electronic search techniques, offered through Project Lifesaver's training programs and at the annual conference.
• PLI Portal Equipment Shop Online storefront (pliportal.org) for the sale of RF transmitters, receivers, accessories, and merchandise to member and non-member agencies and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,621 individuals rescued through the Project Lifesaver program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Medical Guardian: Medical Guardian offers medical alert systems, GPS-enabled wearables, and fall detection for seniors aging in place, addressing overlapping caregiver pain points around wandering and emergency response for elderly users.
• Apple AirTag: Apple's AirTag uses crowd-sourced Find My network for item and person tracking; while not specialized for special-needs SAR, it represents a low-cost alternative that families may consider instead of dedicated Project Lifesaver equipment, especially for tech-savvy caregivers.
• Life Alert: Life Alert is a long-established medical alert and emergency response system for seniors, including wandering-prone elderly populations. It serves a similar end-user demographic (older adults and their families) but operates as a subscription monitoring service rather than an SAR-trained agency network.
• Tile: Tile produces Bluetooth-based item and person trackers with a broad consumer market presence; while less specialized than Project Lifesaver's RF/GPS stack, it represents a low-cost mass-market alternative for families evaluating wandering solutions.
• Garmin inReach: Garmin's inReach devices provide satellite-based SOS and two-way messaging for outdoor SAR scenarios; while geared toward wilderness use, they are increasingly used by families of at-risk individuals for off-grid tracking, partially overlapping with Project Lifesaver's mission.

Direct peers

• AngelSense: AngelSense provides GPS tracking devices and monitoring services specifically designed for individuals with autism, dementia, and special needs who wander — directly competing with Project Lifesaver's Theora Care GPS for the same end-user families and caregiver market.
• Jiobit: Jiobit produces small, cellular GPS location trackers marketed for kids, seniors, and pets — overlapping directly with Project Lifesaver's wandering-prevention use case for elderly and cognitively impaired individuals, though sold consumer-direct rather than through agency networks.

Others

• Alzheimer's Association: The Alzheimer's Association is the leading nonprofit advocacy and research organization for Alzheimer's disease, serving the same end-user population and frequently partnering with or referring to wandering-prevention programs like Project Lifesaver. It is an ecosystem ally rather than a direct competitor.
• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): IACP is the primary membership and policy organization for police executives globally. Project Lifesaver's member agencies are largely IACP-affiliated, making IACP a key ecosystem partner and channel for the organization's community policing training and certification programs.
• National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR): NASAR is a nonprofit membership organization that trains and certifies SAR responders across the U.S. It shares a similar member-agency and certification model with Project Lifesaver and operates in an adjacent segment of the broader SAR ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ProjectLifesaverInternational
• Xx.com/ProjectLifesavr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Project Lifesaver