The Chilton County Sheriff’s Department recently received a $1,000 donation from the Chilton County Energizers to help implement Project Lifesaver.

Project Lifesaver provides a timely response to help save lives of individuals who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, and other related conditions or disorders.

Project Lifesaver provides first responders with technology and training to quickly locate and rescue those who wander away.

“A lot of times the average time for an individual who has wandered off is about nine hours to search for them,” Cpl. Kent Smith with the Department of Public Aviation Project Lifesaver said. “Usually if those individuals are found they have to be taken to a hospital to seek treatment whether it is for an injury or dehydration. With Project Lifesaver, someone wearing a tracking bracelet can usually be found within 15-30 minutes.”

Smith said there are currently 51 counties in Alabama participating in Project Lifesaver with each county’s sheriff’s department trained by Project Lifesaver to help with the program.

Individuals involved in Project Lifesaver wear a bracelet that transmits its own radio frequency.

The bracelets are waterproof and resemble a plastic wristwatch on a band similar to a hospital band.

The cost of the initial setup to get a county started for the program is $4,000, and Smith said the $1,000 donation from the Chilton County Energizers will purchase additional transmitters for the county.

“The next step for Chilton County is I will do the training for the sheriff and whoever needs to be trained for the program and we will get everything up and running,” Smith said.

Smith said other counties who have started Project Lifesaver have seen a benefit to the program.

“It has been a tremendous benefit to other counties,” Smith said. “When an individual wanders off and they are wearing the bracelet, you can find them much faster.”

Chilton County Sheriff Kevin Davis said the program will be a valuable tool for the county in trying to locate individuals who are missing.

“We have had several incidents where people have wandered off,” Davis said. “Due to the response time that a bracelet gives individuals it has proven to be a valuable resource and tool to both the patient and the family.”

Smith said the program should be implemented in Chilton County within the next six weeks.