Local police have announced a proactive program for people who wander and who may not be able to get themselves home.
Victim Services Bruce Grey Perth, the Alzheimer Society South Bruce OPP, Grey Bruce OPP, West Grey Police and Owen Sound Police are launching Project Lifesaver.
Program participants wear a one-ounce personalized wristband that emits a continuous radio frequency that can be tracked by a Project Lifesaver receiver.
Select police officers who have been qualified as Electronic Search Specialists operate the radio frequency based tracking system.
OPP say it allows first responders to quickly locate a wandering person and get them back to their families.
Police say time is of the essence in missing person investigations and the longer that someone is missing, the greater the concern for their well-being becomes.
They explain, if the missing person is someone living with a cognitive diagnosis, such as Dementia, this increases the search urgency. OPP say tracking their assigned radio frequency will not only help to locate them in a timely manner; their frequency will help responders to identify them.
Police note, in fall and winter, when there are less hours of daylight and lower temperatures, the search urgency increases, particularly when a winter storm is forecast.
They also point out Bruce and Grey Counties have large bush lots and large agricultural properties that take time to properly search. Having a radio frequency to track gives responding officers a proven technology to quickly locate a missing person and reunite them with their families.
Victim Services Bruce Grey Perth says they already have Project Lifesaver clients registered in Bruce and Grey Counties.
There is a cost to join and an annual maintenance cost.
To get a family member registered, or for more information on Project Lifesaver, please contact Victim Services Bruce Grey Perth at 1-866-376-9852 or visit them online at http://www.vsbgp.com/.
Victim Services BGP – Project Lifesaver from The Animation Studio on Vimeo.
