Project Lifesaver celebrates 10 years in Wood County
For Hub City Times
WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Established in 2007, Project Lifesaver is a rescue program for children and adults with cognitive impairments or medical conditions that put them at risk to wander and become lost. Project Lifesaver has served more than 90 clients since its inception, and 33 are currently enrolled.
Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small personal radio frequency transmitter around their wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies his or her local law enforcement/rescue agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. Most who wonder are found within a few miles from home, and search times for participants have been reduced from hours and days to minutes from when the search team arrives.
Wood County’s Project Lifesaver program is a combined effort of the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Wood County Rescue, Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department, Aging and Disability Resource Center of Central Wisconsin, Stevens Point Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, Pittsville Fire Department, Nekoosa Fire Department, Wood County Human Services, and PIER-Parents Information Education Resources.
If you have a child or family member for whom Project Lifesaver may be beneficial:
—For individuals under 18, contact Wood County Human Services at 715-389-0241.
—For individuals over 18, contact the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Central Wisconsin at 715-421-0014.
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