By Doreen Hemlock
Whether hiking, biking or simply driving in remote areas, accidents can happen. Getting an ambulance or helicopter for an emergency rescue can be difficult and expensive. A South Florida tech company is launching a service that coordinates SOS rescues and covers their costs, mobilizing satellite messaging on varied devices that now include the latest iPhones. Subscription fees for the service: about $80 per year.
“You have AAA coverage for your car in case of emergencies, but what about you, when you’re in the Great Outdoors?,” says Greg Pearson [pictured above], founder and CEO of FocusPoint International, which offers the SOS subscriptions. “We take care of you, cover search-and-rescue costs, and stay in touch until you are safe.”
FocusPoint debuted its Overwatch x Rescue service directly to consumers in February. Like its other services to aid travelers, the program uses its proprietary software to speed response times.
Initial reviews are positive. Cris Hazzard, the author known as The Hiking Guy, calls OxR “revolutionary.” Until now, hikers off-grid typically had to rely for rescues on dedicated satellite devices linked only to that brand’s SOS center. They had to pay for ambulances and other services, without knowing costs upfront, he says. OxR covers all rescue costs, and the rescue specialists at its response centers stay in contact. “There’s nothing out there like this,” says Hazzard, recommending OxR to his followers.
The evolution of FocusPoint International
CEO Pearson founded FocusPoint in 2011, seeking to close a gap between traditional travel insurance products and the emergency-response needs of companies and consumers alike. A military veteran, he had worked 12 years with a global security firm serving multinationals in hotspots in the Middle East, Africa and beyond. He knew the complexities of transporting someone with a medical emergency out of a remote area to a well-equipped hospital – in an affordable way. At FocusPoint, he created a subscription service, CAP Tripside Assistance, to provide medical travel and other benefits, with costs covered and no claims needed, geared mainly for international travel.
When COVID-19 halted most overseas trips, he pivoted to also aid outdoor enthusiasts in the US and beyond. He figured US consumers would be willing to pay a small annual fee for the SOS service, “when the average cost of a ground ambulance is about $1,200 per trip, and health insurance doesn’t pay for it.” Most medical policies won’t cover out-of-network transport in remote areas, he says.
FocusPoint rolled out its OxR service in 2021, serving consumers indirectly through satellite brands. It first partnered with a brand that had some 200,000 device users, and then, teamed with others. Now, it works direct too, adding satellite text-messaging on the latest iPhones in the US and Canada. With an OxR subscription, iPhone users can reach FocusPoint’s crisis-response centers in two clicks. Those clicks then transmit location information and other critical details instantly, shortening response times, says Pearson.
Hiring in South Florida and beyond
The new service builds on already strong business at FocusPoint. The company provides coverage to some 15 million people worldwide, who may need help in case of an incident. It has hundreds of employees and contractors globally, and it partners with myriad affiliates, from private ambulance companies to charter plane operators and government entities engaged in search-and-rescue, such as coast guard units. The venture is “highly profitable,” with no long-term debt, says the CEO.
Pearson started FocusPoint in California near his home, but moved the headquarters to South Florida to be close to a funder and to tap into the area’s diverse talent that speaks many languages.
Today, the company operates two 24/7 emergency-response centers worldwide – in Sunrise, Florida and in Cape Town, South Africa. The Sunrise hub employs about 50 people, and “we are doubling that operation more than likely over the next 12 to18 months,” says Pearson. “The perfect fit for us is someone who speaks multiple languages fluently, and ideally, has a medical background: EMS, paramedic, first-responder, who has dealt with high-intensity situations where someone has an emergency.”
To grow, FocusPoint has raised more than $20 million so far, with investors featuring P3S Capital of Fort Lauderdale. It may seek additional funds within the next year, Pearson says, to scale up OxR.
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