Category: Search and Rescue
Plymouth County Sheriff Uses SafetyNet by LoJack Service to Locate Alzheimer’s Resident Unharmed
Deputies from the Plymouth County, MA Sheriff’s department and Halifax Police successfully deployed Tuesday night to locate an elderly Halifax resident who had wandered from home, using their SafetyNet tracking equipment that allowed searchers to locate the missing man in a matter of minutes.
Local officials reported the 79-year-old man missing shortly after 5 p.m. yesterday, officials said. Specially trained responders arrived on scene and located the man, unharmed, in a wooded area about a quarter mile from his back door.
“As soon as we arrived, we were able to pick up a strong radio signal from the SafetyNet by LoJack device,” said James Muscato, Superintendent for Law Enforcement at the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department. “We followed the signal with the tracking receiver (and) he was right there in some briars, but otherwise OK.”
Muscato said from the initial notification to finish, the rescue took only 45 minutes.
The Tuesday event was the first time public safety officials have successfully activated the SafetyNet tracking device since being implemented countywide in April 2011.
Posted on November 30, 2011 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Search and Rescue, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, Halifax, law enforcement, MA, Mass, Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Sheriff's Department, Wandering, wooded area
Thanksgiving – A Time for Reflection and Thanks
There’s a chill in the air and the trees are almost bare. Here in New England that’s a clear sign that fall is upon us and soon the Thanksgiving holiday will be here. Where ever you are and whatever your situation is, Thanksgiving is a perfect time to give thanks!
Personally, I’m thankful for my wonderful family, my health, my spouse, my caring co-workers, my two dogs and many many other things. I urge you to think about what you are thankful for and to let those people (and pets!) know how much you appreciate them.
As a company, we here at LoJack SafetyNet sincerely appreciate our close nit community. Our customers, followers and supporters have played a massive role in our growth and we truly appreciate and want to thank all of you.
It’s a great feeling for us when we hear about success stories like this and this, which proves our efforts to bring loved ones back home with our SafetyNet service really do work and we are in fact saving lives.
As the Thanksgiving holiday comes closer, here are some links that may be helpful to you:
Thanksgiving Travel Tips:
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2010/11/12/dont-turkey-follow-thanksgiving-travel-tips/
Thanksgiving Cooking and Safety Tips:
http://www.catalogs.com/info/kitchen/thanksgiving-cooking-tips.html
Thanksgiving Events – Family and Black Friday:
http://www.fchornet.com/2.2211/a-beginners-guide-to-shopping-black-friday-1.2704947#.TsaEiGPfdWA
http://www.wafb.com/story/16074437/best-buys-worst-buys-on-black-friday-2011
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/guide/family-guide-to-thanksgiving-volunteering/
http://fatherhoodchannel.com/2010/10/29/thanksgiving-family-survival-guide-2010/
Thank you for reading and we look forward to a prosperous 2012 and beyond.
Stay safe!
Jason at LoJack SafetyNet
Posted on November 22, 2011 | 1 Comment | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Dementia, Down Syndrome, Search and Rescue, Uncategorized, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Dementia, Down Syndrome, giving thanks, GPS, Radio Frequency, Search and Rescue, technology, thanksgiving, Wandering, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's
The Benefits of Radio Frequency Technology for Finding People Who Wander
By Jennifer Morrissey
Customer Care Specialist, LoJack SafetyNet
When I attend conferences and events, I’m lucky enough to meet a lot of parents and caregivers. And it is safe to say that a lot of people don’t know what Radio Frequency is. It is also safe to say that I didn’t know much about it before I joined LoJack Corporation, the premier worldwide provider of tracking, recovery and rescue systems, which uses Radio Frequency (RF).
I feel it is important for me to say right away that each family needs to find a system that works for them, whether it’s RF, cellular or GPS. Eloping or wandering is a serious issue that affects those with cognitive conditions such as autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Down syndrome, brain injuries and other serious conditions. And while the families have already prepared for a wandering incident by using special locks around the house on doors and windows, alarms and fences – sometimes it is just not enough. I have heard many parents of children with autism describe their son or daughter as “Houdini.” No matter what lengths they have taken, their child is still able to get out.
It is when your loved one gets out of the safe, secure area of your home that the SafetyNet™ by LoJack Service comes into play. Once you realize he is missing, you will undoubtedly call 911 about this emergency. Since law enforcement is going to do the search anyway, you may want to add the SafetyNet Service to the tool box and help bring your loved one home sooner. The average missing person search is roughly nine hours. Nowadays, you don’t have to go very far to read a story in the news or on Facebook about someone missing overnight or even for days. And with the cold weather coming, every minute counts. The SafetyNet Service could bring them home within minutes.
Now on to why I feel RF is the best locating device for a missing person.
Radio Frequency is not obstructed by concrete. Not steel. Not densely wooded areas. And, it can work in shallow water.
How many times have you had a dropped call on your cell phone? Or maybe you can’t even make cell phone calls from inside your own home or office. Sometimes your cell phone will be in a “dead zone” where you may get a “No Service” message. Basically, you need to be near cell towers in order to use a cell phone. So if you find yourself in an area where there is too much distance between the towers or no towers at all (usually in remote areas), the phone won’t be able to find a signal and therefore you’ll get “No Service.” Essentially, your loved one could be wearing a cellular device and end up somewhere without service and the signal would not get picked up.
Last week, I was using the GPS in my car and when I pulled into an underground garage, it stopped working. The reason for that is because the GPS unit needs a direct line of sight to the sky andsatellite from which it is getting the directions. Because I went into an underground structure made of concrete, the GPS could not communicate with the satellite and lost contact.
Two weeks ago, SafetyNet by LoJack was used to find a missing teen with autism. The police found him within minutes in an underground subway system of Boston. Radio Frequency was able to penetrate through the subway system and onto land, where officers with the MBTA Police were able to pick up a signal using SafetyNet’s equipment and head to the location of the missing boy. You can read more about that story on BostonHerald.com.
I also mention to parents and caregivers that the equipment that public safety officers use can pick up the RF signal in the SafetyNet bracelet up to one mile on the ground and up to 7 miles in the air. SafetyNet equipment has been used multiple times by aviation units to find a missing person, including this past week in Philadelphia – http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/local/article/975850–police-missing-man-located-with-lojack-technology.
The last thing I talk about has nothing to do with RF, but I find it incredibly important. During the training that public safety gets from SafetyNet officials, they not only learn about using the equipment but also on how to approach and interact with someone who has a cognitive condition. We here at LoJack SafetyNet take the time to learn about your loved one during the enrollment process so that we can share that information in a secure database with public safety agencies. That way, they have a sense of who your son, daughter, mother, father or loved one is before they even reach the scene. Is your son afraid of dogs? Does your father walk with a cane?
The SafetyNet Service uses tried and true RF technology. That along with trained law enforcement, you can feel good about your loved one on the SafetyNet service. Enroll before the end of September by October 15, 2011 and get waived enrollment and six months free. Visit our website at www.safetynetbylojack.com or call us at 877-434-6384
LoJack is a registered trademark of LoJack Corporation and SafetyNet is a trademark of LoJack SafetyNet, Inc.
Posted on September 23, 2011 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Dementia, Down Syndrome, Search and Rescue, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, Autism, GPS, Radio Frequency, technology, Wandering
Woman with Dementia Rescued by Marathon County Sheriff’s Office After She Wandered and Went Missing; First SafetyNet Rescue in Wisconsin
Congratulations to the Marathon County (WI) Sheriff’s Office! They were the first public safety agency in Wisconsin to use SafetyNet’s state-of-the-art technology and safely rescue a missing person who had wandered and went missing.
A 71-year-old woman with dementia wandered away from her Wausau, Wisconsin residence and went missing late last week. Just 30 seconds after deputies with the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the missing woman’s residence (her point last seen), they located her using SafetyNet’s Search and Rescue Receivers. The woman was located behind a building near her residence.
A deputy with the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office was pleased with the speed and efficiency of the SafetyNet-enhanced search and rescue, as was the woman’s family!
At LoJack SafetyNet, we were all thrilled to hear about this terrific story. And, we want more caregivers to have an opportunity to try the service for themselves. Now through September 30th October 15th, 2011, we’re giving caregivers and parents the opportunity to try the SafetyNet service for free for six months. If during the first six months you or your loved one is not satisfied with the service for whatever reason, you are not obligated to pay anything. To learn more about this special opportunity, please visit https://www.safetynetbylojack.com/.
Posted on September 6, 2011 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Dementia, Search and Rescue, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, Dementia, LoJack, Marathon County, person at risk, rescue, SafetyNet, search, Sheriff's Office, Wandering, Wisconsin
Teenager with Autism Goes Missing and Rescued by Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office
On June 16th, a 17-year-old boy with autism who lives in Tampa, FL wandered outside of his residence and did not return. Upon realizing that he was missing, the boy’s caregiver notified the Tampa Police Department about his disappearance. The Tampa Police later learned that the boy was enrolled in SafetyNet by LoJack, a service that enables public safety agencies to more effectively find and rescue individuals with cognitive conditions who are prone to wandering and becoming lost. The service features a SafetyNet Bracelet worn by a client that emits Radio Frequency signals, which can be tracked by local public safety officials via their SafetyNet Search and Rescue Receivers.
To assist with this search and rescue, the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office (HCSO) were notified about the incident and they immediately informed their ground and aviation units about the boy’s disappearance. Shortly thereafter, HCSO helicopter and ground units equipped with SafetyNet Search and Rescue Receivers picked up a signal from the missing boy’s bracelet. Just 15 minutes after receiving the initial Radio Frequency signal from the SafetyNet bracelet, deputies with HCSO located the boy nearly a half a mile away from his residence sleeping inside an unlocked car at an auto dealership on North Florida Avenue in Tampa. The boy was later returned to his residence unharmed.
This is the third rescue made by HCSO using SafetyNet’s technology and equipment.
Posted on June 24, 2011 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Search and Rescue, Wandering | Tags: Autism, GPS, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Radio Frequency, rescue, Tampa, Wandering
Lower Merion, PA Police Captain Explains Why LoJack SafetyNet Will Benefit His Force and Community
The Lower Merion, PA Police Department is working in conjunction with the Main Line Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Main Line Program to implement LoJack SafetyNet, a new service that helps public safety agencies search for and rescue people at risk of wandering, including children with autism. The service will be available for caregivers and their loved ones living in Lower Merion Township and Narberth beginning in June 2010.
Captain John Dougherty of the Lower Merion Police Department discusses the value of LoJack SafetyNet and how it will help the Main Line community, as well as how it will benefit public safety agencies in their search and rescue operations
Captain John Dougherty of the Lower Merion Police Department gives examples of how LoJack SafetyNet will benefit his force in their search and rescue operations
Posted on May 20, 2010 | 1 Comment | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Search and Rescue, Wandering | Tags: Alzheimer's, Autism, LoJack SafetyNet, Lower Merion County, Main Line Community, Wandering
Book Review | Lost: Trio linked in search for Alzheimer’s wanderer
The Columbus Dispatch
We haven’t seen many — or any — suspense novels where the plot revolves around the search for a person with Alzheimer’s disease who has wandered. But The Columbus Dispatch says author Alice Lichtenstein has done her research and that makes “Lost” worth reading.
Condensed to a sentence, Lost sounds like a suspense novel: Christopher, a 72-year-old former architect afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, wanders off into the snowy woods somewhere in the Northeast, and his wife and a team of rescuers try to find him.
via Book Review | Lost: Trio linked in redemptive search | The Columbus Dispatch.
Posted on March 26, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Search and Rescue | Tags: Alzheimer's, book, review, Wandering
Man with Alzheimer’s found by using electronic tracker
St. Petersburg Times
TAMPA — A 77-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease who went missing Thursday was found by deputies who activated an electronic locator on the man’s ankle.
Carl Chandler of W Hiawatha Street in Tampa goes for a walk around his neighborhood every afternoon. He’s usually gone for about a half hour.
His wife of 55 years, Naomi Fay Chandler, said she got worried when Chandler didn’t come home after about an hour.
Chandler wears an electronic LoJack SafteyNet tracker that is registered with the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office through a nonprofit Virginia company called Project Lifesaver. When Chandler’s wife notified deputies that he was missing, they turned on his tracker.
via Man with Alzheimer’s found by using electronic tracker – St. Petersburg Times.
Posted on January 16, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Search and Rescue, Wandering |
N.H. police see safety, savings in ‘LoJack for people’
Manchester (N.H.) Union-Leader
SALEM, N.H. — Finding a missing Alzheimer’s patient or an autistic child is a nightmare for law enforcement and caregivers alike, but now the same technology used to locate stolen cars will be deployed to help.
The Salem Police Department is the first in New Hampshire to offer the LoJack SafetyNet program, said Deputy Chief William Ganley. Essentially, it allows caregivers to equip an individual in danger of “wandering” with a water-proof transmitter worn on the ankle or wrist. It emits a unique digital radio frequency pre-registered with police.
If someone is missing, officers will be able to hone in on them using a receiver. The system has a range of about a mile from the ground and up to seven miles from the air, Ganley said.
“For lack of a better description, it’s kind of like LoJack for people,” he said. “It’s designed for people who can’t tell us where they are or who they are. It’s not for anybody to use as a safety measure. … It’s for the people who need our help the most.”
via N.H. police see safety, savings in ‘LoJack for people’.
Posted on October 27, 2009 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Dementia, Down Syndrome, Search and Rescue, Wandering | Tags: family caregiving
LoJack and Project Lifesaver Expand Search & Rescue Solution into New Hampshire
WESTWOOD, Mass., Oct. 14 — The Project Lifesaver Program and the LoJack SafetyNet System have expanded into New Hampshire, their 45th state, according to an announcement made today by Project Lifesaver International and LoJack Corporation (Nasdaq: LOJN). This tracking and rescue solution, which is now available in Salem, NH and used by the Salem Police Department, offers public safety agencies the necessary training, technology and procedures to enable the successful rescue of people with cognitive conditions — such as Alzheimer’s and autism — who wander or otherwise become lost.
As part of its commitment to protecting people at risk of wandering, LoJack has provided Radio Frequency-based LoJack SafetyNet Search and Rescue receivers at no cost to the Salem Police Department.
Project Lifesaver International, a non-profit organization that specializes in electronic search and rescue (SAR) programs, conducted in-depth training and provided certification to the Salem Police Department in late September. Their training includes teaching public safety officials how to use the LoJack SafetyNet System and how to gain the trust of and communicate with people at risk who wander, as well as to ensure that caregivers are well versed in the program — all of which are essential to a successful rescue.
“We are excited about this partnership with Project Lifesaver and LoJack SafetyNet,” said William J. Ganley III, Deputy Chief, Salem Police Department. “This will allow our police department to be proactive, rather than reactive in dealing with this critical need in our community. Thanks to donations from community groups like Kiwanis, we can better serve the people who need our help the most.”
via LoJack and Project Lifesaver Expand Search & Rescue Solution into New Hampshire.
Posted on October 14, 2009 | No Comments | Category: Alzheimer's, Autism, Caregiving, Dementia, Down Syndrome, Search and Rescue, Wandering |
