Project Lifesaver

The City of South Miami Police Department is proud to announce it's participation, as the first police agency in Miami Dade County, in the Project Lifesaver program.  Project Lifesaver is the premier search and rescue program operated internationally by public safety agencies, and is strategically designed for "at risk" individuals who are prone to the life threatening behavior of wandering.  The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children with the propensity to wander due to a cognitive condition. 

How it Works

Project Lifesaver utilizes bracelets with radio transmitters that send a unique signal once per second. When a caregiver notifies the South Miami Police Department that a program participant is missing, specially trained officers will respond to the wanderer’s area and begin searching. The signal emitted by the wrist band can be tracked on the ground or by aircraft over several miles with a specially designed radio receiver. The signals are only utilized and tracked when a person goes missing, and they are not constantly tracked. Only law enforcement officers with specialized training, equipment, and knowledge of the person's unique frequency can use the technology to locate someone wearing a Project Lifesaver bracelet. Because Project Lifesaver is an international program, there are a large number of law enforcement agencies around the world that utilize this technology. This means that if a family in the program travels away from home and a program member goes missing, other law enforcement agencies can use the frequency to help locate the person far away from their hometown.

Program Requirements

In order for a citizen to participate in the program, they and their caregiver must be willing to abide by the following program requirements:

1) The person wearing the Project Lifesaver bracelet cannot be allowed to operate a motor vehicle.

2) The person wearing the Project Lifesaver bracelet must have 24/7 supervision, and cannot be allowed to live alone or be left alone without a caregiver in the home at all times. The Project Lifesaver bracelet is designed to be a worst-case scenario option for when a person wanders off while under supervision, and is not intended to replace the direct supervision or care of a patient.

3) A South Miami Police Officer must be allowed to enter the home once per month for a re-evaluation and/or to change the battery on the device. This can be coordinated between the schedule of the officer and the caregiver.

 For more information, please email communications@southmiamipdfl.gov or via telephone at 305.663.6301.