Patrons of the Valparaiso Farmer’s Market were invited to participate in the 2nd annual Find-The-Sheriff event on Tuesday morning. Porter County Sheriff’s Department, local senior citizens, and volunteers from local businesses teamed up to create the Porter County Triad. Triad focuses on the well-being and safety of senior citizens, thus creating and implementing the use of Project Lifesaver among interested Porter County residents.
“Project Lifesaver is a GPS unit for someone who might have Alzheimer’s or perhaps a child with autism. If these individuals happen to wander away from home, the sheriff’s department gets involved and they can find the missing person through this device,” Cathy Ellis, the Marketing Director for Life Care Center of Valparaiso and President of Triad, said.
In addition to Project Lifesaver, Triad protects senior citizens through education. The group ensures that senior citizens are aware of the dangers of spam and phishing phone calls, particularly ones that claim to be from the IRS or the U.S. Treasury Department. Beacon Light, another service the organization provides for a small fee, is a light that goes outside of an individual’s house and helps emergency responders to quickly locate their home..
“The unit for Project Lifesaver costs $250, but we don’t charge people if they can’t afford it. Sometimes we ask for a donation after the fact, but if they can’t, it’s taken care of,” Danielle Balek, Vice President of Triad, said. “We also do a File of Life, which is something you put on your fridge with all your medical information, so if emergency services were called to your home, they know everything about you.”
The volunteers for Triad shared that they work to raise funds for Project Lifesaver units, which can be worn either as a bracelet or anklet.
“We sold spots on the back of our T-shirts to different local business, communities, and whoever else wanted their name or logo to be advertised,” Balek said. “That money goes toward Project Lifesaver. For example, today, we’ll present the sheriff’s department with $1,000 to go toward these units, which would buy four.”
The sheriff’s department teams up with Triad to ensure the success of the Project Lifesaver program. Once a month, officers visit individuals with the GPS unit to check battery life. The sheriff’s department also meets monthly with Triad to inform them of where these units might be needed.
“Project Lifesaver is instrumental for the sheriff’s office in helping us locate subjects who tend to wander,” Sergeant Jamie Erow said. “Within the Porter County communities, we’ve had this program for quite some time now, and we’ve utilized it in a few instances. Project Lifesaver helps us cut down on our response time and the time it takes to locate the lost individual.”
Valparaiso School Board member Paul Knauff and Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds demonstrated the differences in efficacy of locating lost individuals with and without the GPS unit. Corporal Brian Gill and his K9 Bumpus searched for Reynolds, who was not wearing the GPS unit. Gill raced another officer looking for Knauff, who did don the unit. Knauff was found in less than five minutes, a little more than two blocks from Central Park Plaza, while Gill continued to search for Reynolds for another few minutes before finding him.
"If you know a neighbor who may need our services or have friends who may someday need it, let people know about this,” Ellis said. “We have applications for Project Lifesaver; all the applicants have to do is call the sheriff’s department, and they’ll set you up.”
Learn more about Project Lifesaver and how you can help Triad in their mission by visiting them at portercountytriad.com.