Project Lifesaver

A new program run by the Carbon County Sheriff’s Department will help residents quickly find loved ones that wander off.

The program, Project Lifesaver, provides tracking bracelets to people with Down’s Syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, brain injuries or other similar cognitive disorders who may wander off and become lost, according to a press release issued by the sheriff’s department.

The bracelet emits a signal every second, 24 hours per day according to the release by the sheriff’s department. Once the department is notified that a person has become lost, a team of trained deputies would use specialized equipment to locate the lost individual, the release said.

Project Lifesaver is a nonprofit organization based in Port St. Lucie, Fla., which advocates for the adoption of radio bracelet tracking programs across the country in order to ensure that those with cognitive disorders are returned quickly to caregivers if they wander off, according to a release by the organization. The organization works with police agencies and other first responders across the country to implement such systems, the release said.

The Carbon County Sheriff’s department received $17,098 in grants from the state to purchase the equipment, according to the release. The funding was made available by the Wyoming Department of Homeland Security (WDHS) which encouraged counties across the state to apply for the funds.

The funding came about as part of a 2015 bill passed by the Wyoming legislature. The bill, SF0081, was passed to enact and fund Project Lifesaver across the state. It directs the WDHS to setup an administer a grant program to encourage departments across the state to adopt the program, buy equipment and train first responders in its use.

The state earmarked $125,000 for the program.

The Sheriff’s office said in its release that anyone in Carbon County who would like to enroll someone in their care in the program should contact Carbon County Undersheriff Archie Roybal at 307-328-7714.