I am a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) in Johnston County, NC. I began this petition after a client of mine eloped from their home and was found in a body of water. I have worked in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina with children who have access to Project Lifesaver in their counties. After learning of my client's recent, potentially life-threatening situation, I began searching the project website for access in Johnston County only to find it is available in surrounding counties and not ours. 

 In my work as an SLP, I interact with many children with cognitive disabilities (autism, down syndrome, developmental delay, ADHD, etc.) who are at higher risk for elopment. Furthermore, my family experience with dementia has also illustrated the risks that come with wandering for these individuals. Project Lifesaver is an initiative aimed at providing rapid response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who elope. This program, operational in 50 states in the US has, to date, performed over 3,500 successful rescues and typically locates wanderers in around 30 minutes. Given these statistics, the implementation of Project Lifesaver can be life-changing for our community. I urge Johnston County Police Departments to acknowledge the pressing need for this system and make the necessary arrangements to adopt Project Lifesaver. This will not only protect those with cognitive disabilities, but also offer peace of mind to their caretakers and families. Your signature can help us make this lifesaving change. Please sign this petition and together let’s bring Project Lifesaver to Johnston County.

https://projectlifesaver.org

Project LifeSaver contacts in other counties have also suggested writing personal letters or emails to local agencies, emphasizing experience with elopers and the importance of programs like these in our community.

Please contact me at tristanhubb@gmail.com for any questions.