A safety program that helps track individuals prone to wandering will continue operating in Port St. Lucie after receiving new funding.<\/p>\n
Project Lifesaver provides tracking devices to individuals who may be at risk of eloping, like those with autism, Alzheimer\u2019s disease or dementia. The devices allow law enforcement to quickly locate missing persons using specialized transmitters.<\/p>\n
WATCH WPTV\u2019S COVERAGE BELOW:<\/p>\n
Sarah Durgee enrolled her 17-year-old son Dylan, who has autism, in the program seven years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe requires a lot of assistance [and] constant supervision so there\u2019s always that concern that there could be elopement or that he could encounter people in public that he might not be safe with,\u201d Durgee said. <\/p>\n
Run by the Port St. Lucie Police Department, the program had been facing a funding gap. While the department had budgeted $15,000 for the program, an increase in equipment costs meant they could no longer cover the cost of new transmitters and batteries.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe provide transmitters [and] batteries for families who may have autistic family members or a family member with dementia and or Alzheimer\u2019s,\u201d said Master Sgt. Dominick Mesiti of the Port St. Lucie Police Department. <\/p>\n
Families were notified in September that while the program would continue, participants would need to cover the cost of new transmitters and batteries.<\/p>\n
Durgee said the device offers reassurance in emergencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never know what\u2019s going to happen so it just really gives us that peace of mind and that ease that he\u2019s going to be safe in our home and our environment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For Durgee, the value of Project Lifesaver goes beyond equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the biggest aspects of Project Lifesaver is that it brings the police officers into our home and they get to see what autism looks like,\u201d Durgee said. \u201cThey actually physically put the band, a lot of times, on our children.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says she reached out to members of the city council and the police chief to share how the program has helped her family. Her concern was not about the cost of the batteries, but rather about losing access to the at-home service.<\/p>\n
Since then, the department secured a $6,000 grant, allowing families to join and stay in the program without additional cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis technology just makes it quicker and easier for us to locate them on top of the other resources that we would utilize,\u201d said Mesiti.<\/p>\n
Durgee says she\u2019s relieved to see the program continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really excited to continue with the program and to just have that security that it\u2019s going to be helping out the autism community and continuing to bring awareness,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The small wearable device is helping deliver peace of mind and in some cases, life-saving support for families like the Durgees.<\/p>\n
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