"Project Lifesaver," a nationwide program to help those with special needs or dementia, comes to Washington County
WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) - People with special needs or dementia are at a greater risk of wandering away, but with the help of a special tool, law enforcement in Washington County can find them in just minutes.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi of Troop B set the scene, holding a receiver.
"We got the call, someone's missing in our area," Gagliardi said. "All we're going to do is turn this on and we know we're close because we can hear the chirp dedicated."
He demonstrated the technology law enforcement in Washington County can now use to locate people with cognitive disorders like autism, PTSD, or dementia, who can have a tendency to wander, run, and get lost.
They just need to be wearing a small transmitter with its own radio frequency that emits a signal, so if they were to take off, search teams can track them down, whether it be on a large or small scale.
"We can stop a day or week-long search into about 30 minutes," Gagliardi said.
It's all a part of the national program called Project Lifesaver.
Law enforcement members in Allegheny County are already certified, and now the Washington County Sheriff's Office, with state police in the region, are as well, something needed in a place with more rural terrain and possibly no cell phone service.
"Having a dedicated resource where we do not have to rely on where that person goes missing and having its own dedicated radio frequency is huge for us," Gagliardi said.
Sheriff Tony Andronas said they'll be handling registrations, and for those qualified, it's free to sign up.
"We couldn't do this without a lot of generous donations from our community," Andronas said.
If eligible, caregivers can contact the Washington County Sheriff's Office at 724-228-6840.