WAYLAND, MA — The Wayland police and fire departments this week began a new program to help track vulnerable residents with cognitive impairments like dementia, autism and Alzheimer's disease.

Wayland residents can call either department to a request a SafetyNet bracelet. The devices emit a radio frequency signal that police and firefighters can use to find people when they go missing. The bracelets offer more accuracy than GPS systems, police said.

"Once first responders are alerted that a SafetyNet user is missing, they will respond to the last known location of the individual in a vehicle fixed with an antenna that is able to track the signal emitted from the bracelet," the department officials said in a news release.

The police and fire departments last year were able to find a missing person wearing a SafetyNet device in 12 minutes.

"In situations with people prone to wandering or becoming lost, it is crucial to be proactive, not reactive," Wayland Fire Chief Neil McPherson said in a news release. "This system does just that. It provides first responders with the tools beforehand to locate those missing and has the potential to reduce a search that would typically take several days or hours to minutes."

Residents who sign up for the program will get a bracelet that can be worn on either the wrist or ankle. Police and fire officials will come to change the battery in the device every six months.

The bracelets do cost a "nominal fee," the town said. Anyone interested in getting a bracelet should call the public safety building at (508) 358-4747 and ask for either Firefighter Todd Winner or Det. Seanna Lombardo.

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