Project Lifesaver

Mission

The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, and other related conditions or disorders.

Background / Notable Statistics

  • 10% of the population over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s Disease.  Approximately 50% of the population of those 85 and over have the disease.
  • Someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s Disease approximately every 69 seconds.  This will increase to every 33 seconds by the middle of the century.
  • 59% of the Alzheimer’s population actually develop the wandering tendency.
  • The survival rate of a person with Alzheimer’s Disease that has been missing 24 hours is 50%.

How Project Lifesaver Works

The task of searching for wandering or lost individuals with Alzheimer’s, autism, Down syndrome, dementia or other cognitive conditions is a growing and serious responsibility. Without effective procedures and equipment, searches can involve multiple agencies, hundreds of officers, countless man-hours, and thousands of dollars. More importantly, because time is of the essence, every minute lost increases the risk of a tragic outcome.

Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small personal transmitter around the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. Recovery times for PLI clients average 30 minutes - 95% less time than standard operations.

It shall be the mission of the Emmaus Police Department to utilize Project Lifesaver’s technology in locating these individuals and returning them to their place of residence in a quick and safe manner.

Contact Us

For more information about Project Lifesaver of the Lehigh Valley, email the Emmaus Police Department or call 610-967-3113.