Project Lifesaver

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Project Lifesaver is a new and EXCITING project that RTAAF supports.  We are excited to be spearheading this awesome project, along side the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office.  Applications for enrollment in Project Lifesaver can now be completed and submitted for approval by RTAAF and the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office.

To download an application (using Adobe Acrobat Reader) for completion, please click here

** Please note, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the application.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, please click here to be directed to Adobe's website where you can download Adobe Reader for your personal use at no cost. 

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How does Project Lifesaver work?

By forming a partnerships with the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, RTAAF and Project Lifesaver deploys specially trained teams with the most reliable technology available to quickly locate and return wandering adults and children to their families and caregivers.

Project Lifesaver relies on proven radio technology and a specially trained search and rescue team of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office. Applicants who are enrolled in the Project Lifesaver program wear a personalized wristband that emits a unique tracking signal. When caregivers call 911 and state that the applicant is a member of the Project Lifesaver program and that the applicant is missing, a search and rescue team responds to the wanderer's last known area and starts searching with the mobile locater tracking system. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes

In over 1000 searches, there have been no reported serious injuries or deaths. Recovery times average less than 30 minutes.

Project Lifesaver teams are specially trained, not only in search and rescue and the use of the electronic tracking equipment, but also in the methods necessary to communicate with a person who has Autism or a related disorder. Locating the individual is only part of the mission. The person who is located will be disoriented, anxious, and untrusting. The Project Lifesaver team knows how to approach the individual, gain their trust and put them at ease for the trip home.

For more information on Project Lifesaver of Olmsted County please send an email to rtautism@yahoo.com

Further information on Project Lifesaver International, including recent testimonials & rescues, can be found at www.projectlifesaver.org

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Local Testimonial on Project Lifesaver

Brad,

Now that life its a lot slower than it was a couple of months ago, I would like to take a moment to THANK YOU for your willingness to provide Chelly a scholarship for Project Lifesaver.

When we requested a scholarship, I was frankly a mess, the idea of Chelly getting out and being out there was very overwhelming. Before she got her bracelet, I was sleeping downstairs guarding both doors that she could use to get out. And I still did this for a while until I was able to get double sided locks in my town-home.

You have no idea how thankful I am for Chelly's bracelet, please know that you helped to bring more peace of mind to our family.

If there is anything I can do to help, please feel free to call on me. I feel like I owe your organization for your kindness, and help and would like to contribute in some sort to RTAAF.

Hope all is well, and you guys had a awesome holiday.

Michelle Diaz

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Good Morning Brad:  

I wanted to write and thank you so very much for making the Project Lifesaver bracelets available for our kids!  This is a wonderful program that I know you have spent countless hours coordinating, paying for and training on.   

Officer Bromberg came to our house last night and put a bracelet on Jonathan (3) and I think I was way more nervous than Jonathan was.  He did very well.  At first he yelled a little bit at us then he tried to get it off for about the first 5 hours he had it on and he did have trouble getting to sleep at first (just because he wasn't used to having it on I think).    We made a big deal about what a neat bracelet he had and a cool watch like mom & dad and then he seemed to be ok with it.  He is banging the bracelet  a little on his train table & things but I think he is much better with it than I initially thought he was going to be.

For my husband Dave and me, this is wonderful tool to help us know that if he did disappear, we could find him a little quicker with help of the tracking device and this gives us a little more assurance.  Thank you for this confidence in the puzzle of Autism!  I am including pictures of him after the bracelet was placed on him last night. Feel free to use them as you wish.   Officer Bromberg did a wonderful job and is very good with children.  We are grateful for his participation and I am sure he will and has spent many hours as you have on this project.

THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for all that you both do to help protect our kids!!   We are grateful!   

Lisa and Dave Sherrington

Rochester, MN

June 6, 2007

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Below is a letter from Brad and Joanie Trahan, co-founders of RTAAF, summarizing the project and encouraging participation. We invite you to read Brad and Joanie's passion for Project Lifesaver!

January 7th, 2006

Families and Friends of RTAAF,  

I'm writing on behalf of the RT Autism Awareness Foundation to share with you and your families what we of RTAAF consider to be one of our highest impact projects to date. Together, partnering with the Sheriff's Office of Olmsted County, RTAAF will be implementing Project Lifesaver here in SE Minnesota, specifically Olmsted County on or about April 1st, 2007.

Project Lifesaver is just that . . . a lifesaver for our children with autism. Here's how the project works:  

Beginning in March, the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, along with two select members of RTAAF, will participate in 30-hours of training for the Lifesavers Program. The training will include information onutilizing the transmitters that will track a child throughout Olmsted County at the time of an emergency call. A child with autism wearing the Project Lifesavers bracelet can then be located from the transmitter signals and therefore found through the Sheriff's Office at an expedited rate. By forming partnerships with local law enforcement and public safety organizations, Project Lifesaver deploys specially trained teams with the most reliable technology available to quickly locate and return wandering adults and children to their families and caregivers.

Project Lifesaver relies on proven radio technology and a specially trained search and rescue team. Children who are enrolled in the Project Lifesaver program wear a personalized wristband that emits a tracking signal. When caregivers notify the local Project Lifesaver agency that the person is missing, a search and rescue team responds to the wandering child's area and starts searching with the mobile locater tracking system that covers a 1-mile radius on land and a 10-mile radius in the air. Transmitters can also penetrate water, skyways, and subways.  Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. In over1000 searches, there have been no reported serious injuries or deaths. Recovery times average less than 30 minutes.  

Why is Project Lifesaver so important to myself and my wife as well as the RTAAF Board?  Because approximately 2-years ago, a boy with autism in Pennsylvania wandered from his home in the winter only to be found dead 2-days later due to the elements of the cold.  That bothered me immensely and I felt that this should never happen and that RTAAF needed to make sure it does not happen to our children in SE Minnesota.  It was at this time that I presented this to the RTAAF Board and they unanimously agreed that we must pursue and fund this project with the Sheriff's Office.   As a board, RTAAF will be footing the start-up costs for the program (transmitters, test bracelets, training/food/flights/vehicles for trainers) which are estimated to be approximately $13,000.

As suggested by Sheriff Borchardt, we hope to be presenting a major marketing campaign regarding Project Lifesaver in the months .  We have consulted with Mark It! advertising of Rochester to continually market and advertise this program.  We are also contacting local businesses and organizations that may be interested in sponsoring the Project Lifesaver Program of Olmsted County. 

We encourage you to consider the endless advantages of participating in the Project Lifesaver Program. RTAAF is currently researching the option the possibility that the $300 cost of a child's bracelet  be covered by a Consumer Support Grant.  The additional monthly costs of $8.75 per child cover the cost of replacing the battery and band. Each battery and/or band will be replaced by a member of the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office each month either through a home visit or at the Government Center.  It should be noted that the Sheriff has committed, at least through it's first year, that if a child in a neighboring county had this bracelet and is lost, the Sheriff will send his Project Lifesaver team to that respective county with the transmitter's to help find the missing child with autism.  Although Olmsted County will be our start up county, a child from another county may participate.  It should be further noted that RTAAF would like to expand Project Lifesaver to other counties once we have it up and running in Olmsted County!  We hope to partner up with Sheriff's Office's in a 13-county area to implement Project Lifesaver all across our region!   Through Project Lifesaver, the RT Autism Awareness Foundation wants to protect children with autism and be proactive in preventing harm or danger to these children.

In anticipation of the program, Sheriff Borchardt asked that we contact families within the RTAAF circle to determine the interest in Lifesaver Program. Because this is a new program in our county and we would like to ensure that each family that is interested has a bracelet reserved for purchase.

 If you are interested in receiving a bracelet, or would like more information on the Project Lifesaver Program of Olmsted County, please send an email to:rtautism@yahoo.com.

Further information on Project Lifesaver as a whole can be found on the following website: www.projectlifesaver.org

The following is a testimonial from Sergeant Tim Sutton of the Hanover County Sheriff's Office. It's quite moving and speaks first hand at what RTAAF is hoping to bring to you and your family through Project Lifesaver.

Dear Chief Saunders,  

In March of 2003, the Hanover County Sheriff's Office became a member of Project Lifesaver. Embarking on this new endeavor, no one knew what to expect. Our first Client was a 6-year old boy with Autism named Mathew Frank.

In meeting Mathew and his parents, Joanna and Keith, I quickly realized that Project Lifesaver was about to become a large part of their lives, not to mention mine. Mathew was immediately drawn to the deputy uniform. He may not have understood the exact purpose of the band he wore, but whenever he was asked why we were there, he would say, "...to Keep Me Safe". Deputy Nick Pugh and I handled the monthly maintenance of the transmitter. Every 10 minute battery change would turn into an hour long visit with the family. Project Lifesaver not only allowed us to become part of their family, but it allowed the Franks to become a part of our family. With one look into Mathew's eyes, it as easy to see the love he had for us.

On January 19, 2006 at 5:30 a.m., I received a phone call from the Midnight Sergeant on duty. Mathew had passed away. I immediately telephoned Nick, and we went to the Frank's house. We spent the next hour and a half with the family and their pastor. The Frank's asked Nick and I to speak at Mathew's funeral and requested 4 deputies to be pall bearers. Nick and I were given the opportunity to share our story with 200+ people. I shared with the congregation that I probably never would have met a little boy named Mathew had it not been for Project Lifesaver.

I may never have gained any understanding of what Autism is, and what these families deal with on a daily basis. While I know that it is crucial to find wanderers immediately, I believe that the largest part of this program can be seen  in the relationships that are established with the families. Chief, I have shared this belief with you before, and I will continue to express it every time I speak about Project Lifesaver. I truly feel honored and blessed to be a part of Project Lifesaver, and I thank you for all you have done to assist me in the past three years.

Sincerely,

Sgt. Tim Sutton Hanover County Sheriff's Office    

Contact RTAAF with any questions you may have, or to pre-enroll in Project Lifesaver. We are excited to have been able to bring Project Lifesaver to Olmsted County on April 1st, 2007-the first day of Autism Awareness Month!

Thank you, Brad and Joanie Trahan 

Co-Founder's of RTAAF

rtautism@yahoo.com