Members
The Colonial Heights Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, and Fire / EMS have joined forces to bring the citizens of Colonial Heights Project Lifesaver. This was accomplished through the appropriation of city funds and a grant from the Cameron Foundation. If you would like to join Project Lifesaver please fill out a application.
About the Program
You may ask yourself “What is Project Lifesaver?” Project Lifesaver was established in April 1999, by the 43rd Search and Rescue Company in the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office. Project Lifesaver’s mission is to use state of the art technology in assisting those who care for victims of Alzheimer’s and other Related Mental Dysfunction Disorders and victims who become lost. Project Lifesaver is an active system that relies on electronic technology and a specially trained search and rescue team. The Project Lifesaver wristband is a one-ounce battery operated radio wrist / ankle transmitter with a 30 plus day battery life that emits an automatic tracking signal every second, 24 hours a day. The signal can be tracked from the ground or in the air over several miles. People who are enrolled in the Project Lifesaver Program wear a personalized wrist / ankle band that emits a tracking signal on an individually assigned frequency. When a caregiver notifies the Colonial Heights Emergency Communication Center that the person is missing, a search and rescue team responds to the client’s area and starts searching with the mobile locator tracking system.
Goals for Project Lifesaver
The goals of the Colonial Heights Project Lifesaver Program are:
- Provide a proactive response to locating wandering individuals before they fall victim to the weather conditions or accidents.
- Promote peace of mind and assurance to the families caring for Alzheimer’s disease and Related Mental Dysfunction Disorders.
- Save resources and money that are required to conduct searches.
Participants
The Colonial Heights Project Lifesaver Program is geared toward families who are currently providing home healthcare to their loved ones. To participate; the client must live in the City of Colonial Heights; be diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s disease, other dementia disorders, autism, Down’s syndrome or similar disorder; and be known to wander away from caregivers.
For additional information concerning the Colonial Heights Project Lifesaver Program, contact the coordinator Career Officer Andy Barnhouse at 804-520-9318 or barnhousea@colonialheightsva.gov
