Project Lifesaver, Rocklin Police join forces for Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month, and the Rocklin Police Department would like to remind the community about a free program offered to those with special needs called Project Lifesaver. "Project Lifesaver is a small wearable device that uses radio frequency technology to help locate those who may be at risk or wander due to medical or neurodevelopmental conditions," police stated in a press release. "The device emits a unique signal and is designed to help first responders reduce search times when a loved one has eloped or is missing." Project Lifesaver is a community-based, public safety nonprofit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, search and rescue (SAR) teams, caregivers and others with a program designed to protect and when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering. The organization was founded in 1999 in Chesapeake, Virginia, growing from a localized program to one recognized internationally as a proven and effective method of "bringing loved ones home." "Project Lifesaver was the first to apply such locating techniques to aid in the search and rescue of individuals, and it is the most widely used and proven most-effective program in the nation that is specifically designed to protect 'at-risk' populations in the community," according to the Project Lifesaver website. "The program was structured to strategically combine state-of-the-art locating technologies, innovative search and rescue methods, and community policing courses that educated first responders and search teams about search and rescue everyday encounters." "My daughter is a participant in the Project Lifesaver program with a police department in another state and it brings me so much ease of mind knowing she has it, since she's an eloper and we live near several busy roads, wooded areas and bodies of water. It's such an invaluable program that brings so much comfort to many," Nicole Hogue commented. Project Lifesaver has rescued 4,586 missing or at-risk individuals. To sign up or for more information, email project.lifesaver@rocklin.ca.us.