Project Lifesaver helps reunite family with missing man

http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/safety/LIFESAVER0717.html

Police this week were able to locate a missing man within minutes of a search thanks to a bracelet that transmitted a signal with his location.

When Barbara Kerrigan’s 22-year-old son, Andrew, disappeared Thursday afternoon, the River Vale resident searched the house while her husband headed to the car to look for him outdoors.

But when they both couldn’t find Andrew, who has Prader-Willi syndrome, a chromosome disorder, Kerrigan called the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the River Vale Police Department.

Andrew, whose parents said has wandered off before, is enrolled in the sheriff department’s Project Lifesaver program. Those in the program — which also includes people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, autism, dementia and bipolar disorder — wear a bracelet with a transmitter used to locate them.

Within fifteen minutes of being dispatched, officers found Andrew on Kociemba Drive, a few houses away, said Ben Feldman, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

“We were so relieved, tremendously relieved,” Kerrigan said today.

Sherriff Leo McGuire said that since the program was introduced in 2004, the number of people involved has steadily increased. It costs about $400 a year to enroll, but funds are available to assist families who can’t afford that, McGuire said.

“We are very pleased that we are able to provide this service to the folks who need it most, and to be able to allow loved ones or family members to be able to sleep well at night knowing that we’ll be able to bring their daughter or son home safely and securely,” McGuire said.

Andrew has been in the program for less than two years, Kerrigan said. Before he got the bracelet, Andrew was once found eight miles away from River Vale, she said.

I am a HUGE supporter of Project Lifesaver!! However, it should NOT cost $400.00 a person per year to join!!! I read the specifics on the costs to maintain and to set up the equipment in either the Sheriff's Office or the Fire Department. IIRC, it costs less than $2,000.00 for their equipment and the bracelets are of minimal expense. The people should only be paying for batteries for the bracelets and not hundreds of dollars! This makes me very angry. Most people caring for a disabled spouse or child cannot really afford $33 a month.

It saves both LE and the FD SAR Squads time and a great expense. The savings to them not to pay for large scale expensive searches is very clear with using Project Lifesaver. The program would pay for itself in ONE search!! GRRRRR! Someone is using it to make money and I am appalled!!

I am delighted they found Andrew so quickly tho! It does speak to what a wonderful program it is for the people who do need the monitoring for their own safety.