A new program aims to help missing persons in the area.
On Tuesday at the Law Enforcement Center in Greenville, Sherriff Johnny Mack Brown stood alongside the Commander of the K9 Search and Rescue Team and the president of Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital System to announce a partnership that aims to improve deputies abilities to find missing persons.
Sheriff Brown said the effort, known as Project Lifesaver, could not have been possible without a $20,000, two-year donation from Bon Secours that will help pay for the equipment needed to help deputies navigate the harsh realities of searching for lost and endangered people.
“We as first responders are faced with terrains and obstacles than can be extremely difficult to navigate, an especially during emergency situations,” Brown said.
Project Lifesaver works by using radio frequency-based tracking receiving to help authorities locate those who are reported missing.
Sheriff Brown says the program helps alleviate the worries of the family members of missing persons.
“When people lose a family member, friend or a loved one, they’re scared,” Brown said. “They want something done. It’s out duty as first responders to do what we can to help bring them home.”
Those who sign up for the Lifesaver program wear a bracelet that be detected using these tracking methods up to seven miles away.
The program is especially useful for certain populations, such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s, as well as people on the autism spectrum.
