Philips Search and Rescue Trust

What Philips Search and Rescue Trust does

Philips Search and Rescue Trust (PSRT) is a New Zealand registered charity (CC26698) founded in 1985 and headquartered in Hamilton that operates the North Island's largest pool of community rescue helicopters. The trust was established following a founding endowment by Philips New Zealand Ltd after two of its employees died in a light aircraft crash, and it transitioned to a dedicated full-time service in 1987. PSRT's core product is free, non-discriminatory 24/7 emergency rescue helicopter services, delivered through four regionally-branded sub-brands: the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter (Waikato, Coromandel, King Country), the Aerocool Rescue Helicopter (Coastal Bay of Plenty), the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter (Central Plateau and Lakes), and the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter (Manawatu and Whanganui). Each mission is dispatched through New Zealand's 111 emergency call system and is staffed by trauma-trained Critical Care Flight Paramedics and rescue personnel, equipped with night vision goggles, defibrillators, ventilators, automated CPR (Lucas) devices, and specialized stretcher systems.

The trust has no commercial revenue model. Instead, it is funded entirely through individual donations (100% tax-deductible), corporate sponsorships (Westpac is the longest-standing principal sponsor at nearly 40 years, alongside Grassroots Trust, Greenlea, and Aerocool Developments as base-level principal sponsors), community fundraising events, school fundraising competitions, bequests/legacy giving, and targeted equipment appeals (such as the Chopper Appeal 2026). Operational crew are employed through a separate legal entity, Search & Rescue Services Limited, while PSRT handles fundraising, promotion, and administration. The organization employs 11-50 staff within the trust itself and is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Stewart Davies, with David Wickham (CEO of the Philips Group), Peter Masters, Bruce Pepperell, and Hilary Morrish-Allen serving as trustees.

Operationally, the four helicopters collectively respond to roughly 190 missions per month (approximately 2,280 per year) - a step-change from the ~70 missions per year the trust completed in its earliest years. The trust's strategic focus is sustaining and refreshing this regional network through recurring fundraising, sponsor stewardship, and equipment renewal, with no recent M&A, funding rounds, or leadership changes documented. There is no software/AI product surface; the technology stack is conventional emergency-rescue hardware and standard public-safety dispatch.

Name

Philips Search and Rescue Trust

Legal name

Philips Search and Rescue Trust

Website

https://rescue.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Philips Search and Rescue Trust is a New Zealand registered charity operating four free, community-funded 24/7 emergency rescue helicopter bases across the North Island, dispatched via the 111 system and staffed by Critical Care Flight Paramedics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Air Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA)

Keywords

• Air rescue services
• Emergency helicopter
• Search and rescue
• Air ambulance
• Community rescue helicopters

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from the general public, community supporters, and beneficiaries. All donations are 100% tax-deductible.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Sponsorship from corporate partners including principal sponsors like Westpac and associate sponsors. Sponsorship tiers include Principal, Associate, Supporting, and Media Partners.
3. Fundraising Events: Community fundraising activities including bake sales, head shaves, personal fundraisers, school fundraising competitions, and corporate fundraising partnerships.
4. Bequests and Legacy Giving: Gifts in wills and bequest programs for legacy donors, with a dedicated team and legacy booklet available.
5. Chopper Appeals: Targeted equipment funding campaigns such as Chopper Appeal 2026 for specific gear needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Philips Search and Rescue Trust is a charitable trust that funds and promotes the North Island's largest pool of community rescue helicopters. It operates four free emergency air rescue helicopter services (Waikato Westpac, Aerocool, Greenlea, and Grassroots Trust) that deliver trauma-trained Critical Care Flight Paramedics and life-saving medical equipment directly to patients via the 111 emergency dispatch system across the central and lower North Island of New Zealand.

Product overview

Philips Search and Rescue Trust operates as a charity managing the North Island's largest pool of community rescue helicopters. The organization provides four regional emergency rescue helicopter services (Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Aerocool Rescue Helicopter, Greenlea Rescue Helicopter, and Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter), each serving different geographic regions of New Zealand's North Island. These services operate as free emergency rescue operations, dispatching via the 111 emergency call system and bringing Critical Care Flight Paramedics and life-saving equipment directly to patients. The four helicopter services function as a unified portfolio under the single trust structure, sharing operational standards and fundraising infrastructure while maintaining regional identities and sponsors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter: Emergency rescue helicopter service serving the Waikato, Coromandel and the King Country regions
• Aerocool Rescue Helicopter
• Greenlea Rescue Helicopter
• Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter

Products and services

• Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter
• Aerocool Rescue Helicopter
• Greenlea Rescue Helicopter
• Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter

Quantifiable outcome

• 190+ combined monthly rescue missions across all four helicopters
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WestpaccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal Sponsor for Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Supporting sponsor for Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter and Aerocool Rescue Helicopter. Westpac NZ has supported New Zealand's rescue helicopters for nearly 40 years through sponsorship and fundraising.
• Grassroots TrustcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal Sponsor for Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter. Named sponsor for the Manawatu and Whanganui rescue helicopter service.
• GreenleacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal Sponsor for Greenlea Rescue Helicopter serving Central Plateau and Lakes regions.
• Aerocool Developments LtdcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNamed sponsor for Aerocool Rescue Helicopter serving Coastal Bay of Plenty region.
• Woodville Lions ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociate sponsor for Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter.
• Taupo AirportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor for Greenlea Rescue Helicopter.
• GallagherminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
• NorwoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor for both Greenlea Rescue Helicopter and Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter.
• NZ Forest ManagersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor for Greenlea Rescue Helicopter.
• Ebbett ToyotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
• Pacific ToyotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Aerocool Rescue Helicopter.
• EvesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Aerocool Rescue Helicopter.
• Manawatu ToyotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor for Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter.
• AFC MotorcyclesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting sponsor for Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter.
• Philips New Zealand LtdcoreOthersPrivate company that endowed the trust in 1985 after two employees lost their lives in a light aircraft crash, marking the origin of Philips Search and Rescue Trust. The endowment was made after the company instigated one of the largest privately organised searches in New Zealand history.
• Search & Rescue Services LimitedcoreOthersEmploys operational crew (pilots, crewmen, and Critical Care Flight Paramedics) for the rescue helicopters. Separate entity from Philips Search & Rescue Trust which handles fundraising and administration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rescuehelicoptersnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philips-search-and-rescue-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Philips Search and Rescue Trust