Cumberland County to Launch Tracking Program for Dementia Patients

An electronic tracking system will be launched next week in Cumberland County to help locate victims of Alzheimer’s disease, autism, Down Syndrome and other disorders who have wandered away and are lost, authorities said.

Posted 5:43 p.m. Nov 19, 2007 — Updated 5:43 p.m. Nov 19, 2007

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — An electronic tracking system will be launched next week in Cumberland County to help locate victims of Alzheimer’s disease, autism, Down Syndrome and other disorders who have wandered away and are lost, authorities said.

Project Lifesaver is a joint program between the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Pilot Club of Fayetteville and the Mid-Carolina Area Agency on Aging.

An electronic bracelet is attached to the victim’s arm and consistently emits a tracking signal, alerting law enforcement when the person leaves his or her home or care facility. The signal can be tracked on the ground or in the air over several miles, and each bracelet uses a unique radio frequency to help search teams identify and locate the person who has become lost.

Search team members will begin training on Project Lifesaver on Nov. 27.

Members of the Pilot Club of Fayetteville will assist deputies by providing batteries for the bracelets and changing them out each month. The club has collected $10,000 in donations in recent months to bring the program to Cumberland County.

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