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Project Lifesaver International
is a Charitable, Non-profit 501 (c)(3) Organization
Project
Lifesaver is an innovative rapid response program aiding
victims and families suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and
related disorders such as Down Syndrome and Autism.
By forming
partnerships with local law enforcement and public safety
organizations, Project Lifesaver deploys specially trained
teams with the most reliable technology available to quickly
locate and return wandering adults and children to their
families and caregivers.
Over
5,000,000 people in the USA have Alzheimer’s. That number will
triple by 2050. Well over 50% of these people wander and
become lost. A lost person with Alzheimer’s or other dementia
represents a critical emergency. They are unaware of
their situation, they do not call out for help and do not
respond to people calling out to them. Nearly half of them
will die and many can become injured or fall victim to
predators if they are not located within 24 hours. The number
of people, families and communities experiencing this risk
will grow dramatically in the next few years.
If you are
not yet touched in some way by Alzheimer’s or a related
disorder, chances are you will be within the next several
years. You will find it among neighbors, your friends,
co-workers and their families, and perhaps within your own
family.
Project
Lifesaver, a non-profit organization, has become
internationally recognized as an aggressive and proven program
that saves lives. By the end of 2003, Project Lifesaver will
be operating in over 33 States and at least three countries.
It is an active response to the problem of locating
wandering patients before they fall victim to the elements,
accidents, or predators.
How
Project Lifesaver Works
Project
Lifesaver relies on proven radio technology and a specially
trained search and rescue team. Clients that are
enrolled in
the Project Lifesaver program wear a personalized wristband
that emits a tracking signal. When caregivers notify the
local Project Lifesaver agency that the person is missing, a
search and rescue team responds to the wanderer's area and
starts searching with the mobile locater tracking system.
Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes.
In over 1000 searches, there have been no reported serious
injuries or deaths. Recovery times average less than 30
minutes.
Project Lifesaver is not a registry
program
The
Project Lifesaver bracelet is much more than a passive ID
bracelet.
It is
a one-ounce
battery-operated radio wrist transmitter emitting an automatic
tracking signal
every second, 24 hours a day. The signal is tracked on the
ground or in the air over several miles. As
each bracelet has a unique radio frequency, the Project
Lifesaver search team positively locates and identifies the
person who has wandered away from home or a care facility.
Leading the Way with Rapid Response and Reliable Equipment
Project
Lifesaver is an innovative solution to the wandering issues
surrounding Alzheimer's disease, Prior to the Project
Lifesaver program, there was not an effective search program
that helped to locate missing Alzheimer's patients The only
program that was available to deal with the problem was
simply a registry program, whereas the patient wore a
bracelet with a 1-800 number on it. The problem with that
program was the patient had to be found before it could
attempt to get them returned to their families. Many
searches across the country often ended sadly because the
person could not be located in time. The difference in a
registry program and Project Lifesaver is we are an active
search participant, we go out and search for the loved one
and bring them home. Project Lifesaver trains, equips and deploys
law enforcement and public safety agencies to rapidly locate
wandering people and bring them home. Project Lifesaver’s
radio frequency equipment is the most reliable and practical
technology available in locating the missing and wandering.
Our assessment of Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment is
that in an emergency search situation, it is less durable, the
battery has to be changed too frequently, it is bulky to be
worn, can fail in bad weather, and it’s
signal is often undetected indoors, under trees, and in any
area that blocks sunlight. Another major reliability factor is
the power source(s). GPS detection and notification systems
for the wandering individual rely on AC power while their
personal GPS equipment relies on batteries that last hours or
1-2 days. The Project Lifesaver battery provides a continuous
signal for 30-45 days.
Technology is Only Half the
Story
Project
Lifesaver is about people and partnerships. The focus is on
communities where law enforcement, civic groups, local
business and caregivers join in developing and strengthening
all aspects of the program including rescues, education and
especially fundraising so that families in financial need can
have the protection, and peace of mind.
Project Lifesaver teams are specially trained, not only in search and
rescue and the use of the electronic tracking equipment, but
also in the methods necessary to communicate with a person who
has Alzheimer’s disease or related disorder. Locating the
individual is only part of the mission. The person who is
located will be disoriented, anxious, and untrusting. The
Project Lifesaver team knows how to approach the person, gain
their trust and put them at ease for the trip home.
How
Project Lifesaver Saves Lives and Community Resources
In
Pittsylvania
County, Virginia, a 45 year-old man suffering from a traumatic
brain injury became lost and disoriented. A deputy sheriff
specially trained and equipped by Project Lifesaver was able
to locate the man 1.5 miles from his home
within 20 minutes. A traditional search
without Project Lifesaver would have normally involved the
time (and expense to the taxpayers) of up to 264 searchers and
924 man-hours.
 In
Chatham,
Virginia an 80 year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease
wandered from her home at night. The family contacted Project
Lifesaver upon learning she was missing. Two Sheriff’s
vehicles equipped with Project Lifesaver equipment arrived on
the scene and located the woman laying in a tobacco field.
She had wandered into the field, fell, and could not get up.
She was found covered with mud. Rescuers reported that a
person standing up to 10 ft away would not have noticed that a
person was laying there. The helpless woman could have died if
not located by Project Lifesaver.
 A 79 year-old man with Alzheimer’s left his house in
Chesapeake,
Virginia driving his truck and could not find his way back
home. After searching the neighborhood, a police helicopter
was called in with a Project Lifesaver team and equipment. In
just 35 minutes, the helicopter located the man using the
signal transmitted from his bracelet. He was found 14
miles from his home. Before joining Project Lifesaver, he
wandered off and was missing 2½ days.
Project Lifesaver is operating in the following states and more.
Virginia
Wisconsin Illinois
Michigan Texas
Arkansas
North
Carolina Ohio
Alabama Arizona
Georgia New Jersey
New Mexico
Vermont Washington
Maryland Missouri
Nevada
South
Dakota Massachusetts
California Louisiana
Iowa Kansas
Utah
Pennsylvania Florida
Tennessee New Hampshire
Minnesota
Indiana
Colorado Kentucky
Alaska Oklahoma
Wyoming
New York West
Virginia
Project
Lifesaver is now operating in the following areas in Canada
Essex, Ontario
Statistics
1,193 Rescues
across the Nation
100% Success Rate
Average time of rescue: less than 30 minutes !
History
Established
in April 1999 as an initiative of the 43rd Virginia
Search and Rescue Company of the
Chesapeake,
Virginia
Sheriff’s Office, Project Lifesaver is built on the work of
the Stokes County (NC) Mountain Rescue program which pioneered
the use of special equipment and procedures to locate lost and
wandering patients with mental disorders. Amid the dramatic
increase of people with Alzheimer’s, Down Syndrome, and
Autism, Project Lifesaver has become one of the leading
organizations addressing the need to protect these patients
and bring comfort to their families and caregivers.
Funding
Project
Lifesaver, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization,
depends upon the support of the community. Project Lifesaver’s
goal is to provide the benefits of the program to all in need
regardless of their ability to pay. Funding for the
organization comes from private donations and grants from
government, corporations and charitable foundations. All
contributions made to Project Lifesaver are tax deductible and
are used directly for program operations including rescues,
equipment and education.
The Partnership with Law Enforcement
Project
Lifesaver saves lives and further serves the community by
significantly reducing the need for extensive search and
rescue operations that are extremely costly in terms of human
and financial resources. Searches for wandering individuals
that have taken days and scores of searchers can be
successfully concluded in less than an hour if Project
Lifesaver is available in the community. This
partnership and the program’s effectiveness and reliability
has earned Project Lifesaver the endorsement of the National
Sheriff’s Association
Key Personnel
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