PLAINFIELD, Ind. — More families are reaching out to Hendricks County’s Project Lifesaver following the death of a 4-year-old with autism.
So far, the program coordinator reports five families in the county and two outside have requested information on how to sign up since the body of Fiedwenya Fiefe was found.
“A lot of it, unfortunately, is a reactive thing due to tragedies that happen and that’s the most recent one,” said Julia Lewis, coordinator of Hendricks County Project Lifesaver. “We have a lot of families that find out about our programs from incidents like this.”
Lewis told 13News her team was not part of the search for Fiefe.
Project Lifesaver is an international nonprofit created to help find children or adults who are likely to wander due to a cognitive disorder like autism or dementia.
They wear a battery-operated transmitter 24/7. It’s put on either a wrist or ankle. Lewis said there are different types of wristbands to accommodate wearers that may have sensory issues.
If a person goes missing, first responders put their device’s specific frequency number into a handheld receiver. It can detect a signal a mile out. Search crews can also put an Omni antenna on top of a car or truck and get a 360-degree search up to a quarter-mile out. Vehicles can only go 25 miles per hour or less.
“It allows us our first responders to be able to go out and find these individuals a lot faster than just going on a normal search, because we’re able to track their location we can triangulate,” she said.
Hendricks County's program is free to residents. Families interested in joining should contact Lewis at 317-617-1914 or by email at jlewis@avonfd.org.
Lewis said there are similar programs in 36 Indiana counties, including Marion and the seven other donut counties, but each program is different.
For example, Marion County has several programs, according to the Project Lifesaver website. The site allows you to put in a ZIP code to find the nearest participating agency.
The Indianapolis Fire Department told 13News there are more than 200 people registered as part of its program. The fire department is equipped with the search equipment, but requires families to get their transmitter on their own. The cost to join can cost a family several hundred dollars.
The coordinator for the city of Lawrence’s program reports it has five clients. It used to be free for residents, but funding ran out. Now families must pay a $400 startup fee. However, the county provides batteries and wristbands.
The Decatur Township Fire Department has a program with 16 clients. It is free for residents. Station 73 is the designated Project Lifesaver firehouse. Families can sign up for the program using this link and filling out a form.
Hamilton County said its program is also free. The website states, “Our passion is to help secure the safety of loved ones that have been diagnosed with autism, dementia, Alzheimer's, PTSD, etc. that are prone to wandering by offering our services at no cost.”
There was a bill proposed during this past legislative session to require all counties to have a Project Lifesaver program. However, the effort failed and did not receive a hearing.