Maureen Nagy, a secretary in the Ulster County Sheriff's Department, shows off a bracelet than be worn to help find lost individuals

KINGSTON – If you are caring for a senior citizen suffering from Alzheimer’s or a child with autism, Down syndrome or other developmental disorders, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department has gained another tool to help track these individuals if they wander away.

Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum and his staff unveiled Project Lifesaver Thursday, a radio- transmitter system to help find these individuals in case they disappear.

Individuals wearing a bracelet, which looks like a wrist watch, can be found within a two-mile radius in case they disappear.

“There is no other program like this in Ulster County and other surrounding counties other than Columbia (County),” said Van Blarcum. The system has already been used during a successful find in Columbia County, and Van Blarcum said it can be used in neighboring Sullivan, Orange, Greene and Dutchess counties as a long as individuals are wearing a bracelet.

The system is also used in Westchester County.

The department obtained the equipment with a $7,000 grant, but families wanting to utilize the program must pay a $99 enrollment fee along with a $30 monthly charge to help find their loved ones if they wander off.

“You gear up for the worst when something like this happens,” said Van Blarcum.

But these fees for the equipment, enrollment and monthly charges are minimal compared to the costs of finding a lost individual. Searches often entail a lot of manpower, including the uses of ATVs and flight coverage to locate lost individuals.

“If we have someone out there with this bracelet on, it will save a ton of resources because we can get on the scene quickly,” said Van Blarcum. “We’ll get within that two-mile radius and hopefully end it quickly. It’s one of those things you should have – but you hope you never have to use it.”