'Safe Return' aids people at risk of wandering away
A GPS-equipped device, about the size of a small egg, can be worn or carried in a concealed pouch.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. » Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has announced a program to protect at-risk individuals with GPS technolog y.
The Safe Return program will assist local families of individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities who present a significant risk of wandering.
The device, about the size of a small egg, can be worn in one of four ways: as a pendant, as a wristband, on a belt clip, or in a concealed pouch.
In the pilot phase of the program, up to 20 families will receive devices to use for the next four months. Based on the families’ feedback, the program likely will be expanded in 2018, potentially to include domestic violence survivors and seniors with Alzheimer’s disease.
The program is being funded for now by the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services. The county Legislature will be asked to provide funding for the program to expand.
County 911 Coordinator Dana Smith is thrilled the program is being instituted.
“Over the last 10 years, there have been almost 3,000 incidents of someone being lost coming through our 911 center, and if there is another tool available to our 911 center staff and our first responder community to help locate that person sooner before serious danger does occur, or injury or illness, we are just grateful that we have that tool available to us,” Smith said.
Once the family sets up the desired perimeter, essentially geo-fencing the area with an invisible barrier detectable to the device, the Life Button 24 device can be used in several ways:
If the person wearing the device leaves the determined geographic boundaries, a 24-hour monitoring service will send a text message to the person’s family. Within minutes, if that text message goes unanswered, the 24-hour monitoring service will let 911 dispatchers know a person has gone missing.
A person wearing the device who is in distress or feels lost can press a button on the device to connect to a live operator at a 24-hour monitoring service to be put in touch with a family member. If necessary, the operator will contact 911 or a family member on the person’s behalf.
Each device comes with a unique phone number, to which families can text the word “TEXT” and receive a text message back with a map and the location of the unit. If the device becomes lost, families can text the word “RING” to the same phone number, and the unit will ring 12 times, making it easier to find.
“The risk of wandering is a very real concern for the families of many individuals with special needs,” Molinaro said. “Through Dutchess County’s Safe Return program, these families will have peace of mind, aware their loved ones can quickly be located and safely returned home, should they leave their sight.”