County of Monmouth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 5, 2009

Safety first in the DTV television transition
Project LifeSaver will continue with upgrade

FREEHOLD –  What does America’s transition to digital TV have to do with safety for Monmouth County residents? Plenty.  

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Monmouth County’s Office on Aging and the county Sheriff’s Office discovered that the global positioning system used by the county’s Operation LifeSaver needed some adjusting as a result of the pending June 12 DTV transition.
 
“Fortunately, quick-thinking staff members discovered that the same frequencies used to decode digital pictures from a home DTV decoder could interfere with adjacent frequencies the county’s LifeSaver bracelet uses,” said Barbara Rutan, representative for Monmouth County’s Office on Aging.
 
The Operation LifeSaver bracelet program makes it possible to quickly locate an individual wearing a special bracelet that transmits a radio signal and to return that individual home. Most often the individuals who wear the Operation LifeSaver bracelets are children with autism spectrum disorders and adults with Alzheimer’s.
 
A sheriff’s officer using a tracking device, similar to an old-style antennae, can often find an individual wearing a bracelet within minutes. 
 
“We contacted the bracelet manufacturer and they agreed to rebuild the bracelets on frequencies that would not be impacted by the DTV conversion,” Rutan added.

“Most importantly, the safety and security of our residents who rely on this technology – either as bracelet wearers or as their caregivers – can rest assured that the service will continue,” said Freeholder Amy A. Mallet, liaison to the county’s Office on Aging. “Also, the fact that the Office on Aging acted quickly has saved taxpayers thousands of dollars in additional expenses.”
 
With the delay in the digital TV launch, it provided Monmouth County and the manufacturer the time to retool the bracelets so that when June 12 arrives there will be system continuity. 
 
For further information about Project LifeSaver, log onto the county Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com or call the County’s Office on Aging at call (732) 431-7450.

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