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Project Lifesaver Available In Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro

Posted: 11:42 AM Jul 21, 2012
Reporter: Dave Byknish

Project Lifesaver Available In Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro

For parents, nothing causes more stress than not knowing where your child is. That stress can be even worse if they suffer from mental illnesses like autism.

Project Lifesaver is a unique service offered by The Augusta County Sheriff's Department, as well as Staunton and Waynesboro police.

It's all possible because a bracelet that the child is wearing sends off a tracking signal. That signal has been proven to quickly save lives said the project's supervisor Sgt. Michael Painter.

"The statistics say that a typical search for someone who's wandered off and gotten lost is about 10 to 11 hours of searching time. Project Lifesaver says that a person that is on their program, the average search time is about 30 minutes."

That's why Debbie Bryant wanted her son, Chaz to get the bracelet. Chaz has autism and ran away from school a couple times.

"It really scared me," said Bryant. "I didn't know where he was and he's not verbal as much as he should be at his age."

Project Lifesaver offers peace of mind for families with members who may wander away.

"It's going to help me feel more comfortable knowing that he has the bracelet on so whenever he does go missing he will be found," said Bryant.

Right now in Augusta County, less than 10 people have a Project Lifesaver bracelet.

Faith Shifflett's son is one of those. He used to wander out into Route 250. Shifflett says the $300 cost for the bracelet is nothing compared to the life of her child.

"It's better to be safe and know where your kid is than to ever have to experience the fact of not knowing where they are."

Police believe Project Lifesaver is the best way to make sure your loved ones stay safe.

"They wander off and within a couple hours, the heat can effect them, if it's in the winter time, same thing with the cold," said Painter.

"It can save a life because it gets us out there and to their location much quicker."

The $300 cost for the bracelet possibly could be offset by grants.