Area officers undergo special rescue training
Several Winona County Sheriffs deputies and City of Winona Police officers are participating in a special training course today and tomorrow on how to search for and locate lost persons with autism, Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder. Officer Bob Parrott of the New Brighton Department of Public Safety is conducting the training on behalf of Project Lifesaver International. Project Lifesaver uses special radio technology to track individuals through a personalized bracelet the client wears. According to their website, the bracelet emits a special signal which can be used to pinpoint the lost person's location. Project Lifesaver says the search and locate time for those lost has been reduced from hours and days to minutes. In 1,500 rescues, the average search time was just 30 minutes. In addition to learning how to operate the tracking equipment, those participating in the training will learn methods to help them communicate with the lost individual.
