Sheriff’s office receives grant
Houston County Courier - December 2009
CROCKETT - Deputy Jerry Durrett of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office accepted a grant from the Sam’s Club Foundation in the amount of $500 to assist citizens in the county who have family members that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease or Autism.
Houston County Sheriff Darrel Bobbitt had originally considered going with the program “Project Lifesaver.”
This project would have cost the county approximately $3,000 to get implemented.
The new program, Emfinders, is no cost to law enforcement, but is a valuable tool that can be used to help locate family members who have wondered off and cannot be located.
Sheriff Bobbitt stated that he is always looking for ways to cut costs to our county and believes this program will be an invaluable resource if there should be a need for it.
His hopes are to raise enough money to be able to purchase the bands for each family that is need of one and who meet the criteria of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Autism by a medical doctor.
According to EmFinders 70 percent of those with Alzheimer’s are likely to wander from their homes or senior care communities as the disease progresses. An Alzheimer’s patient who wanders outside alone can easily become lost, confused, injured, and exposure to extreme temperatures can be fatal. If not found within a 24-hour period, up to half will suffer serious injury or death.
The EmFinders EmSeeQ device provides caregivers with peace of mind, knowing that law enforcement can quickly locate and recover their loved one should that person wander and become lost. Senior Care communities benefit because they can protect their residents and reduce their liability risks, while providing residents with maximum personal freedom.
EmFinders based in Frisco, has developed an emergency location solution that is integrated nationally with current 9-1-1 systems.
The EmFinders EmSeeQ is a watch-like device without buttons or screen and is under the secure, remote control of the EmFinders operation center. When the device is activated — only law enforcement has access to the location information. The EmSeeQ device is water-resistant and is designed to be worn 24/7 by individuals with medical impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s important to note that this device can only be activated at the request of the caregiver. Once activated, the device places a call and provides its location to a 911 operator via the cellular network just as a standard cell phone would. EmFinders then coordinates directly with 9-1-1 dispatchers to identify and assist in the recovery of wandering individuals.
The EmFinders system does not use GPS. Instead it uses advanced triangulation through the cellular network to accurately determine a person’s location, including in buildings or environments that would typically interfere with GPS locators.
The EmFinders solution works nationwide and is able to follow a moving person. Unlike GPS that can be blocked by walls, roofs and tall buildings, the EmSeeQ device provides the best chance of locating wanderers indoors.
It takes one phone call to activate the service after the wanderer has been reported missing to the police. It links directly to 911 dispatch centers, giving caregivers piece of mind during an emergency situation.
The EmFinders solution is affordable. The purchase of the EmSeeQ device and monthly fee are similar to a mobile phone (less than $200 and about $25 per month). There is no software to download and no Internet requirement.
The EmSeeQ device has an internal battery which must be charged at least once a week. LED indicators are located on the side of the device; a green light will appear when the battery is fully charged while a red light will flash to indicate low battery level.
Since the device is monitored by the EmFinders operation center, customer service will automatically alert the caregiver via email, text messaging or phone if the battery reaches a critically low level.
For additional information or to make a donation contact the Houston County Sheriff’s Office at 544-2862.
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