SaferWatch, a security platform designed to enhance emergency response across public and private institutions, has seen a surge in inquiries from Fortune 500 companies looking to boost protection for their C-suite executives and families.
The heightened interest started almost immediately after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in New York City in December.
These companies are now looking to equip their executives and families with the SaferWatch LTE Panic Button, a mobile-enabled alert system that provides immediate access to emergency assistance.
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“All of these companies are waking up, saying, ‘How do we protect our executives? How do we protect their families? How do we protect our key people that really run this operation?’” Geno Roefaro, CEO of SaferWatch, told Fox Business.
There has also been an increase in requests from affluent customers looking to increase protection for their families. For example, they are looking to equip their children heading off to college, according to Roefaro.
Roefaro coined it the “Luigi effect.” He is referring to Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate accused of shooting Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024, outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Last month, Mangione pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to the killing of Thompson. The trial is expected to begin in 2026.
Executives can be well protected within their offices, so companies are increasingly focusing on protecting them when they travel around the globe, according to Roefaro.
“One of the biggest demands that we get is when, how do we protect our executives as they leave the office?” Roefaro said, noting that assigning physical security guards to every executive and their family members is impractical and often expensive.
For smaller businesses, it may not even be a feasible option, he added.
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Roefaro co-founded SaferWatch with the company’s current vice president of product, Shannon Donev, after the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. The incident sparked a mission to develop faster safety solutions for both the public and private sectors. To do that, they created a discrete device to help executives, other employees and their families get help without drawing any attention.
“I think we all have that innate feeling of someone following us, someone behind us, right?” Roefaro said, adding that if Thompson had that concern he could have used a panic alarm, which would have alerted the security team and allowed them to “potentially intervene.”
Pressing the button connects the user to either a 24/7 resource center or directly to 911, depending on the service that the company or school selects, for instance.
While direct 911 access is a premium option, costing at minimum $50,000 to $100,000 per year, about 70% of customers choose it, according to Roefaro.
This technology eliminates the need for basic questions when someone calls 911, such as the caller’s name, location or nature of the emergency, according to SaferWatch’s website. It also prevents delays that are caused by misrouting to the wrong 911 center. In school settings, for instance, once a 911 center is alerted, onsite personnel, including officers, security teams, principals and staff, are immediately notified.
While the service comes at a hefty price, Roefaro said the goal is to eventually get the product into the hands of everyday citizens, not just executives and wealthier individuals.
The company is partnering with more than 6,000 public and private organizations, from schools and major corporations to small businesses, across 31 states.
In New York City, for example, bodegas have even installed SaferWatch panic alarms beneath their registers, allowing staff to trigger silent alerts in an emergency without drawing any attention.
Aside from the panic buttons and 24/7 operations center, the company employs nearly 20 retired law enforcement executives to provide strategic support.
The platform also features an anonymous tip reporting system through its mobile app. When users report suspicious activity, the system automatically shares their location and profile with administrators and law enforcement to accelerate response, according to its website.
