Natrona County Emergency Management offers perception into Project Lifesaver throughout location coaching

CASPER, Wyoming (Wyoming News Now) – Project Lifesaver has served the county since 2006. In January, Natrona County Emergency Management received three locators to help locate missing persons.

Natrona County first responders have a 100% success rate in finding lost or runaway children and adults with Project Lifesaver.

“It’s really important that we work with our local agencies to come together in times of crisis for our community when carers and guardians are missing a person… It’s really important to give them that sense of security and reassurance that we’re helping them.” to find this missing person,” said Kiera Grogan, PIO for the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office.

The program is free and is aimed at people with cognitive disorders that can lead them to hike. Parents or carers must work with the NCSO to register. The emergency management staff updates the batteries and checks the people in the program every 30 to 60 days to ensure that the device is working properly.

While GPS technology goes beyond what’s used for PLS, NCEM says the devices are more accurate for finding people who may be hiding or not outdoors. Program participants wear an armband that emits a personalized radio signal that a locator can be tuned to for location, but first responders don’t constantly monitor the signals.

“It’s not something that reports your location 24 hours a day, nothing we can verify, so there’s a lot of security for the people who are in the program. Then, when the need arises, we have the information ready so first responders can go out and start searching with Project Lifesaver,” said Michael Cavalier, Natrona County assistant emergency management coordinator.

The NCSO trains all new employees on how to use the locator to ensure anyone can help with the search if needed. The training allows first responders to learn how the system works and provides a low-risk environment to practice tracking for transmitters.

Copyright 2022 Wyoming News Now. All rights reserved.