NY sheriff's office receives Project Lifesaver grant

Observer-Dispatch

The Madison County Sheriff's Office received a grant to help update supplies and equipment for their Project Lifesaver program, which helps track those who might wander due to a disability, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

The department received $2,500 from the Spring 2019 Project Lifesaver Grant, funded by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. The sheriff's officer has received $5,000 in total from the foundation, according to the statement.

Project Lifesaver has been offered since 2009 by the sheriff's office, in which battery-operated transmitter bracelets are used to track someone who might wander in order to reunite them with loved ones, according to the statement. Clients include the elderly as well as children with autism and down syndrome; and people with traumatic brain injuries and developmental delays.

"People who wander are usually found within a mile of their home," Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood said in the statement. "Project Lifesaver allows our team an extra boost to help find someone who may wander off. It gives a family a newly found peace of mind and an extra layer of protection for their loved one."