Project Lifesaver Touches Communities Nationwide

This week marks the 1,666th find nationally for the search and rescue of a Project
Lifesaver client.


You may ask why this is important; the answer in itself is simple. One life saved, is one less tragedy a family must endure and one less sad story featured on the news leaving citizens wondering what could be done to help prevent such events.


Gene Saunders, Chief Executive Officer of Project Lifesaver International stated, "Without the Project Lifesaver Program, so many searches could have resulted with tragic endings. The amount of money, resources, and time spent searching for clients on this program are drastically reduced and most importantly lives are saved."


One of the many goals of Project Lifesaver is to provide awareness that this program exist and works. As awareness increases regarding Alzheimer's, Autism and other related medical conditions that cause people to wander away from the safety of their homes, more citizens search for programs like Project Lifesaver that would assist them in safeguarding their loved ones.


Project Lifesaver International was founded in Chesapeake, Virginia in April of 1999, as an initiative of the 43rd Search and Rescue Company of the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office.


People who are enrolled in the Project Lifesaver Program wear a personalized wristband that emits a tracking signal. When caregivers notify the local Project Lifesaver agency that the person is missing, a search and rescue team responds to the wanderer's area and starts searching with a mobile locater tracking system. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to just minutes, the average rescue time if notified is less than 30-minutes.


Currently, there are over 653 agencies in 42 states and Canada participating in the Project Lifesaver® program Bringing Loved Ones Home®. Since Project Lifesaver International is a non-profit (501 (c) (3)) organization, funding is a result of private and corporate donations and grants. Donations are used directly for programs, rescues and educational expenses.


Before Project Lifesaver, searches across the country were averaging 9 hours
and costing taxpayers approximately $1,500 per hour. Many searches actually
took days, with hundreds of responders, resulting in much higher costs and many
with tragic endings. One search in Chesapeake in 1979 cost the city $342,000
and was unsuccessful. The basic cost to start this program in an agency is less
than $8,000, finding someone alive is priceless.


The bottom line is that this program works in saving lives, providing training to
interested agencies and saving the taxpayers money. Project Lifesaver International has received no Federal Government Funding!


In the meantime, go to the following link and you will be able to view our
most recent video about Project Lifesaver. Our web site also has more information on the cost and benefits projectlifesaver.

Project Lifesaver