People in Marshall County have a new way to keep track of loved ones who are prone to wandering off.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office brought back Project Lifesaver to help any person who is at-risk of wandering off.
Once a person is enrolled in the program, deputies will give that person a battery operated band that can go on their wrist or ankle to help find them if they get lost. The bands have a radio transmitting device that emits an inaudible pulse once per second in frequency range, and it can be picked up by a receiver operated by deputies.
The Sheriff’s Office gives out the bands for free, and every few months, they deliver new bands and batteries for the sensors.
Marshall County Sheriff, Phil Sims, said, “We just feel it’s very important. There are a lot of people out here that have family members that have dementia or Alzheimer’s that wander off sometimes.”
Arab Police recently used Project Lifesaver to find a man with mild dementia who walked away from his home. They say they’re able to track people wearing the bands more quickly.
Arab Police Department Assistant Chief, Shane Washburn, said, “We have a receiver that can track where the band is, and we can usually find them within 15 to 20 minutes, especially if we have the state helicopter.”
Project Lifesaver can be a useful tool for anyone who is likely to wander.
“We have several individuals with autism or Down syndrome or any other thing that they may have where they may walk away from home and get lost inadvertently. We use that for many cases,” said Washburn.
If you want to sign someone up for a Project Lifesaver band, contact the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office at 256-582-2034.
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