ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — The Roane County Sheriff's Office is advancing the ways deputies find missing elderly people with cognitive disabilities and children with autism who may wander away.
Deputies trained on how to use new Project Lifesaver equipment over the last week. The technology works by having a person who is prone to wandering away wear a radio transmitter that sends information about their location to equipment the police use to find them.
Spanish Version: Comisaría del Condado de Roane utilizará nuevos equipos para ayudar a encontrar ancianos y niños desaparecidos con autismo
The antenna used to find people is designed to be lightweight and fit into a backpack or luggage. It also does not require subscriptions, cell coverage or satellite reception to work, according to Project Lifesaver.
The Roane County Sheriff's Office also said they finished training with the equipment and will start developing the program further, fine-tuning it to meet their needs.
Once the current phase of the program is finished, the sheriff's office said it will take applications from anyone who wants to participate in it. The equipment was purchased through donations, according to a release from officials.