GLENWOOD, Iowa (KMTV) — There's a growing list of agencies in Southwest Iowa implementing Project Lifesaver — a program that helps first responders locate vulnerable neighbors. Glenwood was the first, though, after an older adult with dementia died after wandering away from her home.
- Glenwood Police Officer Dan Kammerer manages the project for Mills County: "It's really hard on a small town when we have somebody go missing."
- Neighbors with disabilities who tend to wander or elope can wear a bracelet the size of a watch. It gives off a unique radio signal and does not rely on GPS.
- "God forbid that something were to happen — somebody accidentally has their eye off of him and he wanders," said Lizzy, a Glenwood mom whose five-year-old son has autism.
- The Glenwood Police Department still has bracelets available for Mills County residents.
- The program was originally funded by the Jullia Rose Foundation and continues to be funded by grants and donations.
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY HERE
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I'm Katrina Markel in Glenwood and I'm here because a couple of people in the community reached out to me about a program called Project Lifesaver. It's a program that can keep kids and adults with certain disabilities safer.
Glenwood Police Officer Dan Kammerer manages the project for Mills County. It was the first in Southwest Iowa. He started the program after a Glenwood woman with dementia went missing and died before she was found.
Kammerer: "It's really hard on a small town when we have somebody go missing."
Neighbors with disabilities who tend to wander or elope can wear a bracelet the size of a watch. It gives off a unique radio signal.
First responders can home in on it if the person goes missing.
"God forbid that something were to happen — somebody accidentally has their eye off of him and he wanders," said Lizzy, a Glenwood mom whose five-year-old son has autism.
The bracelet gives her peace of mind, knowing that her child can be found. And because it's a radio signal, it can't be tracked online.
Lizzy: "I was a little hesitant at first, to be honest. I didn't fully understand how the program worked."
Kammerer: "...You connect this and you turn it on and it's almost like hot potato."
Katrina Markel: "I've got the bracelet here. I'm going to go to the other side of the park and then Officer Kammerer is going to come find me with his equipment."
A caregiver can give the frequency number to police, who follow a beeping noise to find the person. The radio receiver has a range of roughly a mile and a half.
Katrina: "Well, you found me."
Kammerer: "I think a lot more agencies around should implement it, especially considering what happens if somebody goes missing and you don't have the program in place."
The Mills County program is funded by a Lincoln charity and offered for free. Neighbors can find a participating agency at projectlifesaver.org.
