Project Lifesaver

Supporters & Enrollment

Project Lifesaver is a program that is supported by many organizations, including the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, Health and Human Services, Elk River Police Department and Guardian Angels of Elk River. Applications for enrollment in Project Lifesaver (PDF) of Sherburne County can be completed and submitted for approval.

Project Lifesaver Logo

How Does Project Lifesaver Work?

By forming partnerships with various organizations and departments, Project Lifesaver deploys specially trained teams with the most reliable technology available to quickly locate and return wandering adults and children to their families and caregivers.

Operation & Equipment

Project Lifesaver relies on proven radio technology and specially trained search and rescue teams in the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, Big Lake, and Elk River Police Departments. Applicants who are enrolled in the Project Lifesaver program wear a personalized wristband that emits a unique tracking signal. When caregivers call 911 and state that the applicant is a member of the Project Lifesaver program and that the applicant is missing, a search and rescue team responds to the wanderer's last known area and starts searching with the mobile locater tracking system. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes.

In over 3,739 searches worldwide, recovery times average less than 30 minutes.

Special Training

Project Lifesaver teams are specially trained, not only in search and rescue and the use of the electronic tracking equipment, but also in the methods necessary to communicate with a person who has Alzheimer’s Disease, Autism, Down Syndrome, or a related cognitive disorder. Locating the individual is only part of the mission. The person who is located will be disoriented, anxious, and untrusting. The Project Lifesaver team knows how to approach the individual, gain their trust and put them at ease for the trip home.

Further Resources

More information is  available on Project Lifesaver of Sherburne County (PDF), by email or contact your local representative. Further information on Project Lifesaver International, including recent testimonials and rescues, can also be found at the Project Lifesaver website.

Local Contact Information for Project Lifesaver of Sherburne County

Sherburne County Sheriff's Office
13880 Business Center Drive, Suite 100
Elk River, MN 55330
Phone: 763-765-3500

Elk River Police Department
13077 Orono Parkway NW
Elk River, MN 55330
Phone: 763-635-1260