PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A safety program that helps track individuals prone to wandering will continue operating in Port St. Lucie after receiving new funding.
Project Lifesaver provides tracking devices to individuals who may be at risk of eloping, like those with autism, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The devices allow law enforcement to quickly locate missing persons using specialized transmitters.
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Sarah Durgee enrolled her 17-year-old son Dylan, who has autism, in the program seven years ago.
“He requires a lot of assistance [and] constant supervision so there’s always that concern that there could be elopement or that he could encounter people in public that he might not be safe with,” Durgee said.
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.
“We provide transmitters [and] batteries for families who may have autistic family members or a family member with dementia and or Alzheimer’s,” said Master Sgt. Dominick Mesiti of the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
Families were notified in September that while the program would continue, participants would need to cover the cost of new transmitters and batteries.
Durgee said the device offers reassurance in emergencies.
“You never know what’s going to happen so it just really gives us that peace of mind and that ease that he’s going to be safe in our home and our environment,” she said.
For Durgee, the value of Project Lifesaver goes beyond equipment.
“One 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,” Durgee said. "They actually physically put the band, a lot of times, on our children.”
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.
Since then, the department secured a $6,000 grant, allowing families to join and stay in the program without additional cost.
“This technology just makes it quicker and easier for us to locate them on top of the other resources that we would utilize,” said Mesiti.
Durgee says she’s relieved to see the program continue.
“We’re really excited to continue with the program and to just have that security that it’s going to be helping out the autism community and continuing to bring awareness,” she said.
The small wearable device is helping deliver peace of mind and in some cases, life-saving support for families like the Durgees.
