COLUMBUS, Neb. -- The Columbus Community Hospital announced a Platte County family will be benefiting from Project Lifesaver. 

CCH said at Project Lifesaver, the mission is simple — bring loved ones home.

As the parent of a child with cognitive disabilities and a history of wandering, those four simple words struck a chord with Maxine Stuhlmiller and motivated her to learn more about the program, according to CCH's press release. 

“Dr. Tara Sjuts first introduced me to Project Lifesaver,” Stuhlmiller said. “After learning more about the program and speaking with Dr. Sjuts, we felt my child would be a great candidate for the program.” 

Project Lifesaver is a non-profit organization that provides law enforcement, rescue personnel and caregivers with a way to protect and quickly locate individuals prone to roam away. This could include someone with autism or Alzheimer’s disease. 

Stuhlmiller later contacted the Platte County Sheriff’s Office to learn more about the program and initiate the process. 

“We have trained personnel at the sheriff’s office and the police department who work directly with families to answer questions and provide information about how the program works and if it’s right for them,” said Ed Wemhoff, Platte County sheriff. “Ultimately, our main goal with this program is to assist families who have a loved one with autism or Alzheimer’s who has a history of wandering off.” 

After a couple weeks of conversations and questions, Stuhlmiller said she felt an extra sense of security when she welcomed the sheriff’s office to her home on Tuesday, Feb. 14, to install the Project Lifesaver wristband. 

“Installing the Project Lifesaver wristband was a relatively quick and easy process that took less than 30 minutes,” Stuhlmiller said. “When the Sheriff’s Office arrived, they had me complete some paperwork and showed me how to check the battery of the wristband. I could put the wristband on my child, so the experience was less stressful than having a stranger put it on.” 

Individuals in the program wear a personalized wristband that sends a tracking signal to an assigned radio frequency each second, 24 hours a day.

If an enrolled person goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. The signal helps reduce the time, cost and support for a search and rescue mission. 

“This program will aid law enforcement in helping find someone who has wandered off,” Wemhoff said. “This technology will save valuable time during a search effort. The sooner we locate someone who has wandered off, the sooner we know people are safe and can reunite with their family.” 

Nearly one month later, Stuhlmiller said she’s thankful to everyone who worked diligently to bring Project Lifesaver to Columbus.

She said the added technology gives her peace of mind knowing that law enforcement officers could locate her child quicker if they were to wander off again. 

“It’s been so easy to incorporate Project Lifesaver into our daily routine,” Stuhlmiller said. “You have to check the battery daily, but the two seconds it takes to check the battery is worth the peace of mind it gives me.” 

CCH said individuals about 3 years and older who meet the qualifying criteria can register with Project Lifesaver.

The transmitter for the program costs $410 and requires a $25 monthly maintenance fee authorized by the agency. Additional funds and scholarships may be available to help offset the cost of the equipment. 

To learn more about Project Lifesaver or to enroll a loved one in the program, contact the Columbus Police Department at 402-564-3201 or the Platte County Sheriff’s Office at 402- 564-3329.