By Cara Chapman
Press-Republican
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Sgt. William Dominy made his way around the vendor booths at the Clinton County Fairgrounds.
He was listening for a “beep” to come from his Yagi directional FM receiver, waiting for it to pick up a signal from an FM transmitter held by Sgt. Nicholas Leon at an unknown location.
Each beep was also accompanied by a quick rightward movement of a dial on the back of the receiver.
“The transmitter is making a ‘ping’ every two seconds,” Dominy said.
‘I Feel Safe’
The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office sergeants were demonstrating how signals picked up from the transmitter, when worn by a missing person, could be used to locate him or her.
Jonah Baker-Flora, 11, of Plattsburgh wears his on his wrist.
“The sergeant says you can’t take it off,” he said. “It’s waterproof, so if I take a shower or swim with sea turtles it will be fine.”
Lindsay Baker-Flora, Jonah’s mother, said her son is autistic, and she has heard many stories of children with autism disappearing and not being located.
“I’m forever grateful for this opportunity ... I’m a single mother, and I don’t trust a lot of people with my son.
“I’m overjoyed — I sleep better at night.”
Lindsay told the Press-Republican that Dominy will stop in at their home every once in a while.
“I feel safe,” Jonah said. “If I’m lost or taken away, my mom can call the cops and they will check the machine to the bracelet.”
Lindsay said Jonah may decorate his bracelet with Minecraft or Pokemon characters.
Successful Search
Project Lifesaver was introduced in the county earlier this year.
According to the program’s website, its primary mission is “to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, and other related conditions or disorders.”
As the beeps from the receiver grew louder and clearer, Dominy continued his search out onto the race track, behind the horse-show ring and then down a short tire-tracked path to where Leon stood waiting in the woods.
Dominy had located him after only about 15 minutes of searching.
Comforting
“When we respond to cases of missing children and adults, you see the fear and the panic in the eyes of parents, caregivers and loved ones,” Clinton County Sheriff David Favro said during a press conference held before Wednesday’s demonstration.
“We’re taking advantage of this incredible moment to be able to provide this level of comfort and excitement.”
Favro said the project is part of a tri-county effort with the Essex and Franklin county sheriff’s offices.
“Words cannot express the feeling you get from the families (when you) see the contentment and even pleasure on their faces,” he said.
FM Frequencies
Each personal transmitter, worn on the wrist or ankle, is assigned its own FM frequency, between 215 and 218, and can be located within 1/4 to 1/2 a mile using the directional receiver, Dominy said.
Favro said receivers can pick up a signal up to 2 miles away in a helicopter, and his office is working closely with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Division on testing the transmitters.
“It’s difficult to fool with,” Dominy said. “It’s simply going to find an FM channel.”
Leon and Dominy went through about eight hours of training to learn how to track the transmitters and are so far the only two law enforcement members in the county qualified to use the technology.
They each have a Yagi receiver with them at all times should they be called to locate a client; a third receiver stays at the Sheriff’s Office.
Dominy also has a non-directional receiver that picks up a signal 360 degrees around that he can place on top of his car to begin detecting as soon as he receives a call.
Statewide Program
Missing Persons Clearinghouse Program Manager Cindy Neff said Favro’s office is one of 22 sheriff’s departments and two police departments statewide that have received the transmitters and receivers, and another 27 sheriff’s departments were able to expand their programs.
“Since he took office, Governor (Andrew) Cuomo has stressed the importance of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement,” Neff said.
She said the state purchased the technology for the Project Lifesaver program, which includes 746 personal transmitters, with $253,000 used from the Missing and Exploited Children Special Revenue fund.
“Cellphone coverage does not impede the technology,” she added.
Favro said his office is not currently charging fees when transmitters are assigned.
Can Bring Closure
So far, three transmitters have been issued in Clinton County, including Jonah’s, and six have gone out to clients in Franklin County.
Steve and Jasmine VanValkenburg’s son Ethan wears a transmitter on his ankle.
“He’s had it for about three months,” Steve said. “I think he was the first person to get it.”
He said Ethan has low-functioning autism and if he were to wander off, he would not be able to communicate to someone that he was lost.
“In stores, he’ll wander down an aisle, and your heart will stop,” the Peru man said.
“If something really does happen or, God forbid, he was killed, we would be able to know where my son is.”
“It can also bring closure if the family member doesn’t make contact quickly enough,” Dominy said.
“Say something detrimental happens, we can find them and bring closure.”
‘Feel Good Program’
Favro said parents and caregivers interested in enrolling a loved one in Project Lifesaver should write to their respective departments rather than call to ensure their requests are documented.
Information can also be found through the departments’ websites.
Favro’s office will also be relying on local agencies to connect with potential clients.
Franklin County Sheriff Kevin Mulverhill said transmitters in his county have been issued to three people with Down syndrome, one with autism, and two with dementia.
“It’s given all of us the opportunity to work with the community,” he said. “It’s a feel-good, do-good program.”
“The goal of this program is to bring loved ones home,” Dominy said, “and on a fiscal level, how much money is spent, it can find them faster and with less manpower.”
“It’s a wonderful effort,” Favro said. “A lot of times programs don’t focus on the relief we can bring families — that’s something we need to do.”
Copyright 2015 the Press-Republican