Lewis’ Project Lifesaver to Begin by End of June
By JOHN WICKLINE, Staff Writer
POSTED: June 5, 2008
Project LifeSaver, a program aimed at reducing search time for those with mental illnesses who may become separated from their families, should be up and running in Lewis County by the end of June.
Sgt. Dave Parks of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department again thanked county commissioners for the $2,500 contribution that kickstarted the program a few weeks ago. That money, along with other donations, will be used to purchase the monitoring bracelets.
“We’re establishing our accounts now,” Parks said. “We have several people on a list interested in putting (the tracking bracelets) on their children with autism.”
The program will be administered through the local Senior Center. People with the bracelets would be asked to report to the center every 30 days to replace the battery. There is a $10 fee to replace that battery. Parks said the fee would only be charged to those families who can afford the cost.
“We don’t want anybody to be burdened by this,” he said. “I want this to be a positive thing all the way around.”
Financial support for the program has enabled the purchase of 15 bracelets and the necessary tracking equipment. Tests have indicated that the search time for a person wearing one of these items is around 45 minutes, which could not only save a life but also money in these times of budgetary crunches.
The program was initiated shortly after the rescue of an autistic man who became lost in the woods while hiking in the Dolly Sods Wilderness area. Searchers spents days combing the area for him, eventually finding him not far from where he had last been reported seen by family.
“My question to the families is, ‘If your child would walk outside of Wal-Mart, would he know what to do? Would he know how to get home? If the answer is no, then they are a prime candidate for Project LifeSaver.”
Parks also informed the commissioners that the county had received a Court Security grant that will provide for the installation of a video surveillance system in and around the Circuit Court area of the courthouse. The county received $18,927 that will easily cover the cost of the purchase of the equipment and its installation.
