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By Lois Thomson 

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is working to implement a program called ‘Project Lifesaver’ that is intended to do just that. 

Washington Health System presents a check to the Washington County Sheriff's Department toward its Project Lifesaver program.

"It is designed for at‑risk people who wander off or elope," said Sheriff Elizabeth Davidson.  She said it covers folks with a variety of disorders, including those with Alzheimer's, Down Syndrome, autism, and dementia.  "These people are issued a bracelet or wrist watch.  Inside is a tracking device, and officers are trained with transmitters so that if that person would elope or wander, they notify 911 and 911 notifies us.  We're able to use tracking devices to locate that individual in a small window of time."

This is important for a number of reasons.  The longer the person is out there, the greater chance they are in danger of exposure to inclement weather.  Additionally, Sheriff Davidson said that, "For whatever reason, those with autism go toward a body of water, and the statistics of drowning are pretty high.  So the sooner we find them, the greater chance of survival they have."

Along with saving lives, she said that the bands will cut down on the amount of effort that goes into finding somebody who is lost – the number of first responders and all the equipment that is deployed.  "It would cut down on the resources used and save the taxpayers' money.

"Our goal is to raise $10,000,” said Davidson.  “The start-up fee is $4,500, and each band costs $300; for individuals who can't afford those bands, we're hoping to be able to offer them at no cost."   She said they have been working on the project, trying to raise funds.  Thanks to three major donors – Range Resources, Washington Financial, and Washington Health System – the total right now stands at $7,600.

The Canton Carnival and Sheriff's Night Out was held August 20, with proceeds going to Project Lifesaver.  The sheriff's department also partnered with the Autism Open golf outing in July, and the proceeds went to the project.

Sheriff Davidson is hoping to have everything in place by the end of the year.  She said the registry will be at the sheriff's department, where people can get a band that will be registered specifically to that individual or caretaker.  "And if they would happen to go missing, 911 would notify us; we're the ones who get called out if somebody is missing.  The band emits a unique signal and the officers are trained and able to track.   It's a great program the whole way around, but most important is saving lives."

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