Foundation funds public safety program

Independent staff and submitted information

Seth Baker, CEO of The Van Wert County Foundation, announced grant funding support in the amount of $25,000 for a new public safety program in the community: Project Lifesaver. County Council on Aging Director Kevin Mathews applied for the grant in cooperation with the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office. 

Project Lifesaver is the premier search and rescue program operated by public safety agencies. It is strategically designed for “at-risk” individuals prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering. The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely responses to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children with the propensity to wander due to a cognitive condition.

There are three key components used by the Project Lifesaver program that enable first responders to achieve the program’s mission of “bringing loved ones home.” They are as follows:

Cutting edge locating technology
Project Lifesaver is in a constant state of research and development to ensure the program utilizes the latest and most effective technologies, both in the prevention of wandering and the recovery of a client in the event of elopement.

Innovative SAR methods
Project Lifesaver has strategically designed methods and techniques for the specific use of recovering individuals with a cognitive condition. When applied by first responders, these innovative strategies enable the most efficient rescue of an eloped client.

Community policing courses
Project Lifesaver provides first responders with a basic understanding of cognitive conditions, giving them the necessary tools needed to respond to an elopement and assess and effectively manage an eloped client’s safe and comfortable return.

To learn more about Project Lifesaver, contact the Van Wert County Council on Aging at 419.238.5011.