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Continued growth key for local Project Lifesaver program
In May of last year, first responders were dispatched for a missing person with Alzheimer’s disease in Washington Township. With several teams involved, the individual was located a half-mile from his home.
The search was difficult initially, as it was in a wooded area and at night. The individual was safely found 12 minutes after the Putnam County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) arrived. The mission’s success was greatly owed to Project Lifesaver.
For Chris Schafer, CERT’s Project Lifesaver program coordinator, it was a mission that was personal and fulfilling. It underscored, though, a need the team wants to build on moving forward.
Project Lifesaver is an international organization committed to search and rescue of persons with cognitive conditions, including dementia and autism. A key requirement is that clients will have a propensity to wander.
There are 1,550 connected agencies across the United States, Canada and Australia, with 70 of them working in Indiana. Only four of those, including CERT, are made up exclusively of volunteers.
On encouragement from 911 Director Dave Costin, CERT committed to the organization in April 2021 with seven members. From then, the team drilled on training with the equipment, as well as established how the program would work in Putnam County.
Multi-faceted training is centered on the equipment, which for one client consists of a transmitter attached by a band. In a search effort, a signal from the transmitter is picked up by a receiver with the same programmed frequency.
The equipment and the processes are dependent on connecting with clients and their families. What differentiates Project Lifesaver from standard search and rescue operations is that the team members know who it is they are searching for.
“We know where they live, we know where they’ve gone missing before, we know what kind of medical conditions they have,” Schafer said. “But even more importantly, people with cognitive conditions need to be communicated to differently.”
Clients are guaranteed to be found with the equipment. When they are found, for Schafer, the challenge then is how to approach them. This can be mitigated as CERT members are not only familiar faces, but are also trained in different emergency disciplines.
Along with having a propensity to wander, clients must also have a 24-hour caregiver. The transmitters’ batteries must be changed every 60 days, and so CERT members make regular visits to their homes.
The connections made as such matter, as the caregiver interacts with CERT on behalf of the client. They are the ones who will call if the band comes off or the battery goes bad. Staying in contact is essential.
“You’re enrolling your family into an exclusive search team that is dedicated to finding your loved one,” Schafer said to that, along with enrollment being completely free to clients.
Project Lifesaver certifications are good for two years. Schafer has ensured the team keeping on top of this by holding full search drills last year and in 2022, in which three transmitters had to be found within 15 minutes.
These drills have assured the efficacy of the equipment, with a receiver being able to detect a transmitter through the county’s emergency operations center. The mantra is to trust the chirp.
“You’re not using your eyes to find anybody, you’re using your ears,” Schafer said, referencing the rescue in Washington Township. “You’re using this dial, and you can see that it pulses, and it gets stronger and it gets weaker.”
While local fire departments have their own equipment, CERT is automatically deployed when the 911 call comes in. This accounts for personnel not being available, as well as needing two or more receivers for a wide search.
With 14 clients actively enrolled in the program, the number of certified personnel has grown to nearly 30. This includes CERT and the Bainbridge, Clinton Township and Floyd Township volunteer fire departments, as well as Reserve Deputy Ken Rozelle.
In addition to the training and certifications, Schafer has also been diligent with keeping up records with the organization. With the team’s outreach efforts in the way of enrolling families and recruiting members, she believes more can be done.
“I’m excited at where we’re going, but I know there’s a lot more people in this county that need this program,” Schafer said.
Out of the program’s 14 active clients, all but three are children with autism. The team wants to look more to the elderly population and find those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, especially in the rural areas.
As for the team being made up of volunteers, the work of Project Lifesaver becomes and remains a passion. The training tackles the what-ifs, but the relationships become the binding between families and team members.
“It’s not just we’re waiting to get deployed to find somebody,” Schafer said about changing batteries. “I go out all the time, and I’m doing something to help this family. That’s really infectious. Once you do it a couple times, it’s something you really feel good about.”
That passion was honored as CERT received a certificate of appreciation from Project Lifesaver International last November. For Schafer, the extra effort is what sets the team apart.
“I think that’s where the recognition primarily comes from, is recognizing that we’re going above and beyond what a lot of the agencies do,” Schafer said. “It just lends more to the confidence that we’re getting.”
Those with familiy members, friends or neighbors who would benefit from the program are encouraged to contact Schafer at 317-341-5630 or chris.schafer@pccert.org. More on Project Lifesaver International can be found at projectlifesaver.org.