Lt. Greg Moss explains what the Project Lifesaver bracelet looks like and how it works.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — The city of Chicopee, in collaboration with the Hampden Country Sheriff’s Department, hosted a press conference on June 11 to discuss a vital new program, Project Lifesaver.
Project Lifesaver is a new initiative aimed at protecting residents with cognitive conditions who are at risk of wandering or getting lost. The program is designed to help bring vulnerable individuals home safely and quickly.
Lt. Greg Moss from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department was as the press conference to talk about the technology and how it has benefited communities and residents so far.
The program includes a bracelet that a person wears that can be tracked through radio frequency to help locate the person who may be missing. It is watch sized and can be worn on the wrist or ankle.
Each transponder has its own radio frequency assigned to them so when a person goes missing, they can detect their last known location on a tracking device. The easy-to-use transmitter enables first responders to locate them quickly using state-of-the-art receivers, should they become lost or wander off.
“Once we get that location, all our searches have been successful,” Moss stated.
The average recovery time for individuals enrolled in Project Lifesaver is under 30 minutes.
There are also different color bands and two different sizes to accommodate to the person wearing the band.
Moss also stated that the Sheriff’s Department goes out every two months to change all the batteries to make sure “everything is up to par.”
The program is free and to sign you or someone you love up for this program, Moss said to reach out to his office at 413-858-0060.
The equipment was able to be purchased in Chicopee after VCare Medical Group CEO Sergey Sokolovsky donated $5,000 to Chicopee in September 2024, to fund essential electronic search and rescue membership and equipment from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office.
Founded in 2021 by Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, Hampden County TRIAD is a community safety initiative dedicated to empowering, educating, and improving the lives of people across Western Massachusetts. Project Lifesaver is part of Hampden County’s TRIAD program.
Mayor John Vieau discussed how Project Lifesaver represents a critical step forward in protecting vulnerable members of the community and providing peace of mind to families.
“Project Lifesaver is about more than just technology, it’s peace of mind for families,” Vieau said, “This partnership ensures our most vulnerable residents are cared for with urgency and compassion.”
Members of the Chicopee Police and Fire departments have completed comprehensive training to support the program, ensuring they can respond swiftly and effectively. They received certificates of completion for those who are certified in Project Lifesaver.
Chicopee Fire Chief Dan Stamborski thanked those who took the time to take the training courses. He said, “We also appreciate the volunteers from the Police Department and Fire Department. We weren’t throwing out some big bonuses, we said, ‘hey who wants to get involved in this program and try to help our community’ and they stepped up. That’s wonderful stuff.”
The state-of-the-art equipment will aid authorities in finding family members with dementia, Alzheimer’s or mental disabilities who are prone to wandering and may also be nonverbal.
Not only does the training help them locate the individual who is lost, but it also prepares them to assist and communicate with the person who may be nonverbal or may not even realize they are lost.
This program is available to residents who meet the following eligibility criteria: diagnosed with a cognitive condition, has wandered off in the past or is at risk of doing so, does not drive a motor vehicle, requires constant supervision or monitoring.
