New Bethel AME Church makes donation to Project Lifesaver

Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.

In January, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office received a donation of $325 from New Bethel AME Church in Monticello in honor of the late Sheriff Hobbs. This donation was directed toward Project Lifesaver, a premier search and rescue program designed for “at risk” individuals who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering. The donated money will allow the Sheriff's Office to provide transmitters and services associated with Project Lifesaver at a lower cost to the families of at risk persons. New Bethel AME Church challenges other local churches to consider donating as well to support this much-needed program.
Project Lifesaver strives to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children with the propensity to wander due to cognitive conditions and disorders. Some examples of cognitive conditions that may cause someone to wander are Alzheimer's, Down syndrome and autism. While wandering itself is not inherently dangerous if done under proper supervision, unsupervised wandering can result in a number of dangers for someone with a cognitive condition.
Although dementia-driven wanderers are usually found near their own homes, they may not think they are lost, or that they should ask someone for help. In some cases, cognitive behaviors like “sun-downers syndrome” may cause a cognitively impaired person to not recognize their current living arrangement as their own house, and may wander in an attempt to “go home.” This behavior is commonly triggered by the end of the day, as an individual may instinctually return to old routines from other times in their lives. Adults and children with severe autism often are drawn to water sources, which can pose risks of dangerous wildlife encounters, exposure to the elements and possible drowning. There are many ways a loved one can end up in a risky situation if left to wander on their own, which is why quick response time can be a key part in saving the lives of those who wander.
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Captain Don Barfield and Victim Advocate Marie Rigdon together manage Project Lifesaver cases in Jefferson County.
“We have a file for every family that enrolls in the project,” explained Capt. Barfield, “When an individual is enrolled, we create a file folder with background information that we can use if the individual ever wanders off or gets lost.” In addition to basic information about the client, such as name, sex, age, address and what mental health conditions they have, each file includes information that may aid in the recovery process if a client was to wander. “We look for details about where their favorite places to walk are, places that are familiar to them, like where they grew up, what sort of aversions they have, as well as their doctor or caregiver's information and a current photo.” stated Barfield.
Each client of the Project Lifesaver program is given a small transmitter, worn on the arm like a watch. This transmitter emits a radio signal that can be identified using special tracking receivers that will alert when it comes into a ¼ of a mile radius of the transmitter. As long as the Project Lifesaver client is wearing their transmitter, their chances of being safely found and returned home to their families is 90 percent higher than without it. “Since 2009, we have had three or four calls where a client has gone missing,” said Barfield. “We were able to recover all of them, usually within 30 minutes.”
To ensure that all transmitters are working at the peak of capacity, Marie Rigdon, Victim's Advocate with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office goes to each client's home and checks the batteries on all transmitters, changing the batteries within 60 days. Each battery has a life of over 2 months, and are each checked regularly by the clients caregiver. Regular checks are made by Rigdon or Barfeild via receivers and drive-by checks, and also via tester devices, which measure the battery life to ensure the transmitters are always working. The transmitter bands are always on the client, and must be cut off to be removed.
“When we get a call,” says Barfield, “It will come across 911, and be dispatched to us. We retrieve the file, get the equipment, and respond to the call. We search the home and the premise first. A lot of times, we will find them there. They might get an idea in their mind and set off in a direction. Usually they go somewhere that is familiar to them. Depending on what sort of condition they live with, they often go back to their childhood. They might try to go home.” Barfield explained that was where the importance of the client files comes in. “We have to try and predict where it is they might go, what places they might avoid, and what sort of state they might be in when we do locate them.”
The Sheriff's Office currently has two receivers, which can range anywhere from $1,000 to 1,200 each. When a call is dispatched, both receivers are put on the law enforcement vehicles, and are used to triangulate a signal from the client's transmitter. “The average person only walks an average of about four miles per hour.” Barfield estimated, “The first thing we do is determine as close as we can how long they have been missing, and then we set out in a wide radius, moving inward as we search.”
Transmitters and bands ordinarily cost $375 to 400, which is often more than families can afford. With donations like the one from New Bethel AME Church, the Sheriff's Office is able to provide families access to this program at a lower cost. Presently, Jefferson County has eight trackers total through Project Lifesaver, three of which are currently in use.
Jefferson County Sheriff Mac McNeill is very grateful for the donations made toward this lifesaving program. “I want to thank the New Bethel AME Church for their generous donation. Donations like this from the community will enable people to participate in this program that might not have been in a position previously to afford it. Having this program active for Jefferson County is very important and our local church communities have always been helpful in supporting their community as a whole. Our team is very dedicated and really goes the extra mile to ensure the program is working.”
For more information on Project Lifesaver, call 1(757) 546-5502. For questions about the local Jefferson County response team, call Capt. Don Barfield at (850) 997-1594 and for information on how you can donate, go in person to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office located at 171 Industrial Park in Monticello, or call (850) 997-2523.