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Project Lifesaver

Keeping Loved Ones Safe

The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office Project Lifesaver program serves the needs of children and adults with autism, Down syndrome or a cognitive impairment, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, that may cause them to chronically wander and not find their way back home.

Project Lifesaver clients wear a wrist or ankle band that emits a silent radio frequency. When caregivers notify the Sheriff ’s Office that their loved one is missing, specially-trained Sheriff’s deputies respond to the area and conduct a search with state-of-the-art locating equipment. Project Lifesaver has a 100 percent success rate in locating wandering children and adults and bringing them safely home.

After a deputy meets with the client and caregiver to put on the wrist or ankle band, he or she will visit the client every 60 days to replace the transmitter battery and band. Deputies can electronically update client information, such as height and weight, a photograph, medical issues and favorite hiding places without having to rely on site visits or paper files.

Spots Open in Fairfax County!

The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office is now accepting new clients, on a case-by-case basis, for the Project Lifesaver program. This is also open to cities within the Fairfax County area, such as City of Fairfax, Herndon, etc.

If you have questions or would like to receive an application, please email the Sheriff's Office or contact Sergeant Paulette Braud, the Project Lifesaver Coordinator for Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office at Paulette.Braud@fairfaxcounty.gov

If you would like your loved one to be considered for Project Lifesaver, you should provide as much information as you can in your application so that when a vacancy becomes available, the Sheriff’s Office can contact you to finalize the program agreement. The below information can be emailed to shf-projectlifesaver@fairfaxcounty.gov.

• Client Name:
• Client Address:
• Client Date of Birth:
• Client Status/Reason for Entering Project Lifesaver:
   
• Caretaker Name:
• Caretaker Address:
• Caretaker Contact Phone Number:
• Caretaker Email Address:

In Fairfax County, Project Lifesaver equipment is funded through individual and corporate donations. Their cost per client is $300 per year. They suggest a $25 monthly donation from the caregiver, but the inability to pay does not prevent participation in the program.

Project Lifesaver Programs in the DC Metro Area

• Community: Project Lifesaver | Sheriff - Fairfax County
• Loudoun County Project Lifesaver
• City of Alexandria Project Lifesaver
• Arlington County SafetyNet Tracking (not free)
• Prince William County Project Lifesaver
• Warrenton, VA Project Lifesaver

About Project Lifesaver

Project Lifesaver is a 501 (C)(3) community based, public safety, non-profit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, and caregivers with a program designed to protect, and when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life threatening behavior of wandering. The organization was founded in 1999 in Chesapeake, Virginia. The necessity of this program was determined through the correlation between cognitive conditions and the act of wandering.  With the dramatic increase of cognitive conditions since the inception of the organization, the program has grown from a localized program to a program recognized internationally as a proven and effective method of “bringing loved ones home.”

Learn more about Project Lifesaver or find a location near you!