Project Lifesaver will help find the missing

Howard County (Map, News) - Efforts to find missing people in Howard County is going hi-tech.

Howard County police and the Howard County Autism Society this week launched “Project Lifesaver” to help find people who have wandered away.

Residents, especially those prone to wandering, will be chosen by the Austim Society for enrollment in the pilot phase of the program. They will wear a personalized wristband that emits a tracking signal. When the person is reported missing, the sytem will activate and specially trained members of Project Lifesave will begin the search using the mobile locator tracking system.

“This will be an invaluable tool for the police department in locating special-needs children,” Howard County Police Chief William McMahon said in a statement. “Eventually, we hope to expand the program to include patients with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other disorders that cause people to wander.”

The program will begin with 20 transmitters that have been purchased by the police department, which also bought the locator equipment and is funding training. Twelve police officers and two members of the fire department have been trained to use the equipment.

“The Howard County Autism Society is thrilled to collaborate with the Howard County Police Department in bringing this nationally acclaimed program to our community,” Kim Manning, executive director of the Howard County Autism Society, said in a statement. “For families with an autistic child who wanders, this is a vital part of ensuring the safety of that child.”

Project Lifesaver currently is operating in more than 550 jurisdictions across the country.

kcarson@examiner.com