Before Project Lifesaver came to Lancaster County on Oct. 20, 2012, an elderly man wandered from his home during the winter. Much effort was put into finding him, but he was not located until a day or two later. He had passed away 250 feet behind his home.

"If he would have had a working wristband from Project Lifesaver, we more than likely would have found him," stated Pilot Club of Lancaster member Cathy Cieslinski. "Project Lifesaver is all about bringing your loved ones home, and we saw a need in our county. Implementing this program in our county was important to our club."

Project Lifesaver is a search-and-rescue program to locate at-risk individuals who wander. Its mission is to use state-of-the-art technology in assisting those who care for individuals with Alzheimer's, dementia, autism, developmental disorders, Down syndrome, and other brain-related challenges across the United States. According to Project Lifesaver's data, in over 3,400 searches, Project Lifesaver has achieved a 100% success rate on an average of less than 30 minutes.

Pilot Club has partnered with 18 municipalities to bring Project Lifesaver to Lancaster County. Lt. Jennifer Brubaker from East Hempfield Township Police Department was one of the first police officers to receive training. "The equipment took time to work with and feel comfortable using," said Brubaker. "In a moment where lives are at stake, you don't want to use equipment that you need to think much about operating. You want to get right to work and get moving with it." Brubaker said she decided to receive training because she has two autistic goddaughters, so she saw value in the program.

Project Lifesaver participants wear a personalized transmitter 24/7 on their wrist or ankle that emits a tracking signal on FM radio frequency. When a caregiver calls 911 and reports that a participant has wandered, a search team triangulates the area and uses a receiver to locate the individual through his or her transmitter.

"People should enroll in the program because, although this won't keep loved ones from wandering, it will serve as a safety net," explained Cieslinski. "If they wander, this will give us a fighting chance to find them as opposed to finding that needle in a haystack."

Police officers keep profiles on every individual enrolled. "We have these on hand so officers are aware of what the person looks like, what they will possibly wander to, what their disabilities include, and so on," noted Brubaker. "Sometimes, we will meet individuals enrolled in the program, specifically children, to establish a friendship with them so that in the event of an emergency, they won't be afraid of us. We want people to see us and know that we mean safety."

Individuals with an official diagnosis can enroll in Project Lifesaver. To request an application for Project Lifesaver, contact Cieslinski at 717-572-2682.

The Pilot Club welcomes new members. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/PilotClub or search for "Pilot Club of Lancaster" on Facebook.