Issue 3 2020

Issue 3 2020 11 Feb20355 Search and Rescue Success Project Lifesaver is a non-profit which works with First Responder agencies to provide training and equipment so these agencies can locate non cognitive persons, who may wander and become lost through electronic tracking. We speak to Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gene Saunders to find out more about one of the most influential leaders in public safety services in the USA. Project Lifesaver is a community based, public safety organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, and caregivers with a programme designed to protect, and when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life threatening behaviour of wandering. The organization was founded in 1999 in Chesapeake, Virginia. The necessity of this programme was determined through the correlation between cognitive conditions and the act of wandering. With the dramatic increase of cognitive conditions since the inception of the organization, the programme has grown from a localized programme to a programme recognised internationally as a proven and effective method of “bringing loved ones home.” Gene Saunders goes more in depth about the organization. “Project Lifesaver was the first to apply such locating techniques to aid in the search and rescue of individuals, and is the most widely used and proven most effective programme in the nation that is specifically designed to protect the ‘at risk’ populations in our communities. The programme was structured in a way that strategically combined state of the art locating technologies, innovative search and rescue methods, and community policing courses that educated first responders about cognitive conditions. The search times for certified Project Lifesaver agencies have been reduced from hours, potentially days, down to minutes. Recovery times for Project Lifesaver agencies average 30 minutes, which is 95% less time than standard operations without Project Lifesaver.” The Project Lifesaver Programme is run at a municipality level by public safety agencies. When an agency decides to implement the programme, Project Lifesaver International will equip them with the necessary technologies and provide training to those involved. Gene tells us more about this training. “The training includes the use of the equipment, the implementation of the strategic methods specifically designed for the programme, and also community policing courses that provide a basic understanding of cognitive conditions to better comprehend the behaviours of an individual with said condition. Also included during training is the use of the PLS Database, which is a useful resource provided to member agencies at no cost. Completion of training is required for certification. Once an agency has become certified, they may begin acquiring clients for their local programme. “The method relies on proven radio technology and specially trained search and rescue teams. Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small transmitter on the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized frequency signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. The first responders will then use the client’s individualized frequency to locate the position of the individual. The knowledge given from the community policing courses is best applied in this situation because the first responders will know how to best approach the client once found, and allow them to be brought back to safety.” To Project Lifesaver, the team is everything and plays a huge part in the overall success of the organisation, as Gene concludes. “Staff are a crucial part of the operation - we would not accomplish the mission without them. We are a small organisation as far as staff is concerned and very seldom have to recruit anyone. Lastly, we provide thorough training, the best equipment possible and support for our member agencies on a continuing basis.” Contact: Gene Saunders Web Address: www.projectlifesaver.org The first responders will then use the client’s individualized frequency to locate the position of the individual. The knowledge given from the community policing courses is best applied in this situation because the first responders will know how to best approach the client once found, and allow them to be brought back to safety.” Gene Saunders, Founder/CEO conducting a practice search aboard a cruise ship