Project Lifesaver keeps track of most vulnerable

For the past two years, a group of volunteers in Lorain County have been making fundraising efforts to keep the Project Lifesaver Lorain County up and running for those needing an additional sense of security.

The program, part of Project Lifesaver International, provides tracking wristbands and anklets through local law enforcement agencies for those with dementia, Alzheimer’s or autism as a safety measure in case they wander or get lost.

Now, all Lorain County police departments and the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office provide the program to residents.

Currently, 21 people are banded in Lorain County, according to Amherst Lions Club secretary David Walzer.

“There’s definitely peace of mind, especially for the caregivers themselves,” said Amherst police Officer Jay Nahm, who is one of two officers trained in the program. “It gives them a sense of security.”

Many caregivers also will have door chimes so they can keep track of who leaves the house, Nahm said.

Walzer said the county Lions clubs initially worked with the Sheriff’s Office and raised $45,000 to get the program running in 2016.

The program charges patients $10 a month for maintenance of the wristband, which requires a new battery every 60 days.

Each transmitter wristband has a unique radio frequency that allows police to locate the missing patient once the caregiver has called the incident in.

The average rescue time is around 30 minutes, Walzer said.

When nearly half of missing patients die if not located within 24 hours, Nahm said the device and program are efficient in finding wandering residents.

“Without such a system, someone that wanders away, may be missing for hours, and even days,” Walzer said. “Going into especially the winter season, it could be particularly dangerous.”

Nahm said those with autism and prone to wandering are less likely to ask for help.

“They seem to kinda be separated socially, so they wouldn’t really go up and ask anybody for help or tell them their situation,” he said

Walzer said people with autism also are more likely to be drawn to water and drown when lost or wandering.

The idea of establishing the program solidified when a 4-year-old Sheffield Lake autistic boy, drowned in Lake Erie in 2015, Walzer said.

The program, part of Project Lifesaver International, provides tracking wristbands and anklets through local law enforcement agencies for those with dementia, Alzheimer’s or autism as a safety measure in case they wander or get lost.