SCCSSAR Project Lifesaver Team

The Project Lifesaver program was established in 1999 as an initiative of the 43rd Search and Rescue Company of the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office and places personalized radio transmitters on identified persons with Alzheimer's and related mental dysfunction disorders such as Down's syndrome and Autism, who tend to wander from their homes. These transmitters assist caregivers and local SAR personnel in locating those who cannot help themselves. In Santa Clara County, the program was initiated in early 2004. When caregivers notify the local law enforcement agency or county EMS system that the person is missing, the SCCSSAR Project Lifesaver specialty team members respond to the wanderer's area and start searching with the mobile radio locater system. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes.

Members of the Project Lifesaver Specialty team undergo a full 16-hour training course in how to use the mobile radio locator systems and regularly train and carry out exercises to become familiar with the performance of the transmitters under different conditions. Only fully certified operators may use the locator systems on an actual call-out. Team members may also be assigned to helicopter locator operation, if necessary, during an incident and so the specialty team will also conduct training exercises with the Sheriff's Office STAR-1 helicopter.

The Project Lifesaver program provides all the mobile radio locator equipment but team members will usually operate the equipment from within their personal vehicles in an initial response, before responding on foot once a signal has been detected.