Photo by B. Shakyaver
Huron County Ontario Provincial Police have added more trained officers to support Project Lifesaver in the community.
This month, OPP held Project Lifesaver training, bringing the total number of trained officers in Huron County up by 12. The program has been in place locally since 2018 and is designed to help quickly find people who may wander or become lost.
Project Lifesaver is most often used to support people living with Alzheimer’s disease, autism, Down syndrome, brain injuries, or other cognitive challenges. Registered participants wear a small transmitter, similar to a wristwatch, that sends out a unique radio signal every second.
If a participant goes missing, a caregiver can call 9-1-1 and let dispatchers know the person is registered with Project Lifesaver Huron. Trained OPP officers then respond to the person’s last known location and use special equipment to track the signal and find them. The technology has been used around the world and has helped in thousands of successful rescues.
There is a one-time setup fee to join the program, along with a monthly maintenance cost of ten dollars.
Anyone who would like more information about Project Lifesaver Huron can contact the Huron County Community Paramedic Coordinators at 1-866-340-9357, extension 1.