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Sarasota Police Department
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Project Lifesaver |
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WHAT IS PROJECT LIFESAVER?
Project Lifesaver has been implemented by
the Sarasota Police Department to provide enhanced support
and assistance
to the families of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s
disease or related dementia disorders as well as families
with children afflicted with Down's syndrome, autism, traumatic
brain injuries or cognitive impairments. These individuals
might be prone to wander away from home and become confused
or lost.
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Participants
in Project Lifesaver wear a special wrist bracelet equipped
with a small transmitter which emits a signal that Law Enforcement
officers can track when someone is reported missing. Search
and recovery times have been reduced from days and hours,
to minutes. This not only saves time and manpower but also
gives caregivers and families peace of mind and reassurance
that all possible resources will be utilized in an effort
to locate and return their loved ones home safely. The average
recovery times have been 30-minutes or less and tracking
can be done from vehicles, vessels, on foot and by aircraft. |
| WHAT
IS THE MISSION?
Project Lifesaver’s mission is to use state-of-the-art
technology in searching for and rescuing persons with Alzheimer’s
disease and other related disorders who become lost.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are
more than 5 million people in the U.S. with Alzheimer’s.
About 50% of them are prone to wander. According to public
safety experts, a person with Alzheimer’s or other
dementia represents a critical emergency, since more than
half of them will become injured, fall victim to predators,
the elements, or die if not found within 24-hours.
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| HOW DOES IT WORK?
People enrolled in the program wear a personalized bracelet
that emits a tracking signal. When a care giver notifies
911 or the SPD that a person is missing, our search team
responds to the wanderer’s area and starts searching
with the mobile locator tracking system. This means tracking
times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. The
bracelet is a one ounce battery operated radio transmitter
emitting a tracking signal every second, 24 hours a day.
The signal is tracked on the ground or in the air over several
miles. Each bracelet has a unique radio frequency.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
Patients and/or caregivers pay an initial $275.00 for
the use of the bracelet and $7.00 a month for maintenance
and battery changing. Police Department, Private and Corporate
sponsorships are available to help reduce the cost to patients
that are not able to afford to participate in the program.
The sponsorships will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
HOW DO I SIGN UP?
The primary legal family member/caregiver completes an
Enrollment Application. Once the application has been submitted
and approved an SPD representative contacts the family/caregiver
to schedule a face to face interview and installation of
the bracelet. A Project Lifesaver representative installs
the bracelet and trains the family/caregiver on how the bracelet
and the program works. The Project Lifesaver representative
will then develop a schedule and trains the family/caregiver
on doing routine maintenance.
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Please Contact:
Sarasota Police Officer Ford Snodgrass
Project Lifesaver Coordinator
941-954-7056 |
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