The Wareham Police Department is now trained in the Project Lifesaver program, which is designed to track and rescue people with cognitive conditions that cause them to wander. This service answers a critical need for protecting people at risk of wandering, including those with Alzheimer's, autism, Down syndrome, and dementia.

Clients enrolled in the service wear a wrist-watch sized radio transmitter on their wrist or ankle. The transmitter constantly emits a Radio Frequency signal, which can be tracked regardless of where the person has wandered - even into a densely wooded area, a marsh, a concrete structure such as a garage, or a building constructed with steel.

When a loved one goes missing, caregivers notify locally trained agencies, and responders are dispatched to the missing person's area. The average rescue time is around 30 minutes.

Project Lifesaver International, the leading organization in electronic search and rescue (SAR) programs, provides training, certification, ongoing management, and support to public safety personnel. The training includes teaching public safety officials how to use the equipment and how to gain the trust of and communicate with people who wander, as well as to ensure that caregivers are well versed in the program - all of which are essential to a successful rescue.

Project Lifesaver develops public outreach programs to educate others about the issue of wandering, and they constantly work toward developing public policy and effective law enforcement response to help save lives and bring loved ones home.