Pictured from left to right are: Deputy Korinne Best, Sheriff Joseph Gerace and Deputy Michael Ross along with Project Lifesaver equipment.
MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office has initiated a new program that will help provide timely response to help locate missing adults and children who wander due to Autism, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injuries or other related cognitive conditions.
The new program is called Project Lifesaver (PLS) and clients who participate are fitted with a bracelet which emits a specific frequency that deputy sheriffs are able to locate by a special tracking antenna.
The Sheriff’s Office currently has two certified deputy sheriffs who are trained in locating and equipping clients with these special bracelets. The client and family will be interviewed by the program deputy and the deputy will be permanently assigned to the client and will be responsible for battery installation and technical issues.
Currently over 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s (which is the fast growing developmental disability) and Autism. According to the sheriff’s office, PLS can be an important component to the safety of these vulnerable citizens. The task of searching for wandering or lost individuals can be enormous. Without effective procedures and equipment, searches can involve multiple agencies, hundreds of officers, countless man hours and thousands of dollars. More importantly, because time is of the essence, every minute lost increases the risk of a tragic outcome.
The sheriff’s office is urging any County citizen who has a loved one who may benefit from this type of technology to register online at the CCSO website: www.sheriff.us.
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