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Project Lifesaver is a cooperative program among several Copper Country county law enforcement departments that is designed to help find those with cognitive impairments quickly. Houghton County Sheriff Josh Saaranen says everyone in his agency has been trained on the technology.
Superior Search and Rescue is another organization that will be utilizing Project Lifesaver. They have training scheduled for Thursday night.
Project Lifesaver is based out of Chesapeake, Virginia, and used by police departments across the country. The first 50 families who enroll a loved one locally will have all costs paid for during the first year. E-mail either jsaaranen@houghtonsheriff.com, cklein@houghtonsheriff.com, or visit the Portage Health Foundation website at https://www.phfgive.org/projectlifesaver, or simply call the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office at (906) 482-0055 to sign someone up for the program. For residents of Keweenaw, Baraga, and Ontonagon Counties, Saaranen suggests going through the Portage Health Foundation.
Project Lifesaver utilizes radio frequency technology through a band that is applied to a person’s ankle or wrist. It is worn at all times, and sheriff’s deputies are responsible for changing out the batteries every couple months. If someone goes missing, they bring receivers out to the last known location and triangulate to discover their current whereabouts. The equipment is comparable in size to a grocery store scanner, not cumbersome for an outdoor search.
Enrollment is scheduled for the remainder of the month and the transmitter bands will be in by early December.
