A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Founded 1995
Texas Is Fertile Ground.
And We Believe God Prepared It.
"Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
— Matthew 13:8
The Calling · A 30-Year Journey
From a Bible Study to 1,500 Agencies
In 1995, in the aftermath of the Polly Klaas tragedy, a small Bible study group felt a clear call: technology should be used to protect the least among us.
That call birthed Critical Reach. Three decades later, our APBnet™ platform is the daily standard for 1,500+ law enforcement agencies — enabling officers to share intelligence, coordinate responses, and protect communities in ways that weren't possible before.
We didn't build this for profit. We built it as a calling. And that calling has been pointing toward Texas for a long time.
Todd Bower
Co-Founder
25+ years leading the organization from its founding after the Polly Klaas tragedy to serving 1,500+ agencies nationwide.
Dr. Jennifer Dawson
Executive Director
Stanford doctorate with expertise in autonomous systems. Leading Critical Reach's technology strategy and the APBnet™ modernization.
Why Texas · Why Now
The Ground Was Already Prepared.
Texas doesn't wait to be told something is coming. It prepares. The leaders we meet here — sheriffs, mayors, school principals, church pastors — don't say "it won't happen here." They say "what can we do?" That posture is rare. It is exactly the soil in which this work takes root.
Critical Reach has been building relationships in Texas for years — working alongside law enforcement in Houston and San Antonio. We know this state's seriousness about safety.
But the door to Gillespie County opened differently — through a lifelong friendship, not a sales call. That's how God tends to work. He goes before, prepares the ground, and opens a door you didn't know was there.
In just the last few weeks, an unexpected opportunity emerged to work with multiple counties in the Coastal Bend — a door we didn't knock on. The Mayor of Fredericksburg is supportive. The Sheriff is ready. The infrastructure of committed leaders is already in place.
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you."
— Deuteronomy 31:8
We believe God can use Gillespie County to lead the state of Texas — not as a pilot that stays in Fredericksburg, but as the seed of a county-by-county strategy that reaches every community in the state.
The Problem · Lives Lost in the Gap
When the link is broken, the cost is lives.
When disaster strikes, we discover that the systems we rely on were built for a different world. Hover over each to see what was missing — and how it could have been different.
Guadalupe River · July 4, 2025
Flood
Guadalupe River · July 4, 2025
Flood
At Camp Mystic, someone was awake when the flash flood warning arrived at 1:14 AM. But without visibility into what was happening upstream — without knowing neighboring camps were evacuating — action was delayed more than an hour. The Guadalupe rose 26 feet in 45 minutes. Twenty-seven people died. Nearby Comfort had a local warning system. Zero casualties. The difference wasn't luck. It was connectivity. Our platform lets Emergency Management reach every camp director simultaneously the moment a threat develops — so the hour between warning and action becomes minutes.
Lahaina · Paradise, CA
Fire
Lahaina · Paradise, CA
Fire
In Paradise, California, 85 people died — many in their cars on gridlocked roads. A single staffer at the Butte County Sheriff's Office chose zone-by-zone alerts instead of a mass warning. Fewer than half of the town's 26,000 residents had registered for the opt-in system. An attempt to use the national IPAWS alert failed silently — no message ever went out. The staffer didn't know until the next day. 17 cell towers had burned. In Lahaina, 102 died and not one warning siren was activated. In both cases, people had no way to know which direction was safe. Our platform connects Emergency Management directly to every registered community site the moment a threat develops. No opt-in. No bottleneck.
Robb Elementary · Uvalde, TX
School Shooting
Robb Elementary · Uvalde, TX
School Shooting
At Robb Elementary, 19 children and 2 teachers were killed. Officers waited 77 minutes in the hallway. The incident commander had abandoned his radio. Children called 911 five times from inside the classroom — "Officer, we're in here" — but that information never reached the officers 30 feet away. Our platform gives any authorized staff member a one-button direct connection to law enforcement — room number, occupancy, live status — bypassing the 911 bottleneck entirely. Officers arrive knowing exactly where to go.
First Baptist · Sutherland Springs, TX
Church Shooting
First Baptist · Sutherland Springs, TX
Church Shooting
At First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, 26 people were killed in 11 minutes. There was no pre-established connection between the church and the Sheriff. No floor plan on file. No way to tell responding officers how many people were inside or where the shooter was. Our platform lets every church — regardless of size or budget — establish a direct, pre-authenticated link to local law enforcement before a crisis. One tap sends live intel to every patrol car screen before officers reach the door.
Hover or tap each card to learn more.
The Solution · Community-Wide Crisis Readiness
Built, tested, deployed.
Not a concept.
We have spent three decades solving hard adoption problems. The technology is ready.
01
APB Direct Connect™
Direct to every patrol car
A pre-authenticated button on any device — phone, tablet, laptop — puts live intel directly onto the screens of every nearby officer. Room numbers. Floor plans. Site status. The 911 voice bottleneck, bypassed.
02
Learn Secure™
For schools, at no cost
A crisis coordination platform that lets schools communicate internally and with local police — building the muscle memory of safety before a crisis hits. No cost to schools. Ever.
03
Community Secure™
For every gathering place
The same life-saving capability extended to churches, camps, hospitals, event venues, outdoor festivals — anywhere people gather. Every site can receive, and send, the information that matters.
Already Working
Proven across law enforcement and community.
Play As One · Encinitas, CA
A youth soccer program currently piloting the platform to coordinate leadership and safety across multiple fields and sites simultaneously. When your participants are spread across a complex, one click reaches everyone.
Houston · San Antonio · The Coastal Bend
Critical Reach has been working alongside law enforcement in Houston and San Antonio for years. Just in recent weeks, an unplanned opportunity opened with multiple counties across the Coastal Bend. Doors we didn't knock on. Ground already prepared.
"The ability to communicate directly across multiple jurisdictions is a game changer. We have solved crimes, located missing persons, and connected criminal behavior. Without APBnet™ many crimes would go unsolved."
— Tracy Avelar, Chief of Police, Pleasanton, CA
The Texas Strategy
Fredericksburg first. Then Texas.
The plan is grounded, relational, and already in motion.
Gillespie County
Work alongside local law enforcement, schools, churches, and camps to stand up the full model. Mayor and Sheriff already committed.
Surrounding Sheriffs
Build outward through existing relationships in the Hill Country, carried by the proof Fredericksburg provides.
Amarillo & the Coastal Bend
Strong existing relationships in major hubs — and an unexpected opportunity already opening across multiple Coastal Bend counties.
Then Texas — County by County
Every community that commits becomes proof for the next. God can use Gillespie County to lead the state.
[MAP PLACEHOLDER — Texas county-by-county deployment projection]
The Ask · A Self-Sustaining Legacy
Growth capital. Not a permanent subsidy.
Our financial model has sustained this mission for over 20 years. We will replicate it for Texas.
2026
10
Communities
Fredericksburg pilot. First Texas Director.
2027
70
Communities
Hill Country expansion. ~50% self-funded.
2028
700
Communities
Proof of concept. National partners engaged.
2029
2,000
Communities
Self-funded. Community fees sustain mission.
2030
5,000+
Communities
National deployment.
The Seed
$250,000
Unlocks the Fredericksburg launch and prepares the organization for full Texas deployment.
10 communities · 1 Texas Director · prepared for full Texas launch
2026 Milestone
$750,000
Completes the Texas pilot and establishes proof of concept for national partners.
Texas pilot complete · KPIs validated · proof point for national partners
National Scale
$10M over 3 yrs
Accelerates to self-sufficiency by 2029, when community fees sustain the mission.
A one-time investment in a permanent system — not a recurring subsidy
Why Critical Reach
A modern fulfillment of an old calling.
Built, tested, deployed
Not a concept — this infrastructure has run 24/7 for three decades.
Nonprofit, not a startup
No exit pressure. No investors demanding margin. No excessively expensive solutions.
No cost to schools
Modest fees from private-sector sites subsidize free access for every school, rich or poor.
Permanent by 2029
Texas sustains itself through community fees. A one-time investment, not a recurring subsidy.
30+ years serving LE
1,500+ agencies. 10,000+ officers. 1M+ bulletins. The track record is real.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."
— Matthew 5:9
In the modern world, peace requires the infrastructure to protect the innocent. In Texas, the ground is ready. The leaders are willing. The need is clear.
We are simply asking you to plant the seed.
Get in Touch
Dr. Jennifer Dawson, Executive Director
jdawson@criticalreach.org · 650.922.5963 · criticalreach.org
Stock gifts and multi-year pledges welcome.