Submitted by FaceTec
Why are UR Codes such a good fit for the needs of Project Lifesaver?
First, briefly, a UR Code is an owner-controlled, cryptographically-signed QR barcode that uniquely embeds the UR Code owner’s verified identity and 3D biometric face vector data, along with a digital signature that guarantees data integrity and issuer authenticity, such as from a DMV, for the highest confidence identity verification possible without having to query a centralized database. UR Codes can be used in a very wide variety of applications, including official identity and travel documents, agreements, professional IDs like are used in law enforcement, and – in this case – they are included on a tracking wrist band or piece of clothing on people at risk of wandering or disappearing.
What is Project Lifesaver, and why are UR Codes so important here?
Project Lifesaver is a 501 (C)(3) community-based, public-safety nonprofit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, search-and-rescue (SAR) teams, caregivers and others with a program designed to protect and, when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering. The organization was founded in 1999 in Chesapeake, Virginia. Most participants are individuals with dementia, nonverbal autism, or any other type of cognitive condition, and are given wrist bands with transponders that provide location information. The program has about 2,400 cooperating agencies in the United States, mostly sheriffs and police departments, and it also includes some fire departments, EMTs, and regional search-and-rescue agencies.
The family, guardian, or medical facility requests participation from a local agency, and they order a transponder from Project Lifesaver. The transponders can be attached to an individual’s wrist or ankle (see photos). If a participant goes missing, the local agency is notified and can activate the transponder. Once activated, staff typically locate the individual within 30 minutes.
How do UR Codes enable identity verification once people are located?
A significant challenge UR Codes have met was delays in notification by the family or caretakers. And if they go outside their local area, the device can still be activated and transmit a signal that participating agencies can detect, but if another agency finds the subject, they would not know the subject’s name or where the subject is from if they had non-verbal issues. They have had individuals cross state lines or, in some cases, travel hundreds of miles and they were not able to identify them until they had received a missing persons report.
With this partnership, they will add a UR Code to the front and bottom of the device that, when scanned, will display the subject’s name, the name of the agency that issued the device, and the agency’s contact info. Additional UR Code labels will be provided to place inside shoes, clothing, or other devices the subject is likely to carry.
Adding UR Codes also provides a backup if the device is damaged or broken when the subject flees a residence.
What are the plans for the rollout?
The rollout started with testing at three agencies and will expand to all 2400 by the end of the year.
Where can people find out more about the program and UR Codes?
There are few places to get more information. The first is a press release, here. You can also get more information about Project Lifesaver at ProjectLifesaver.org, and about UR Codes at URCodes.com and FaceTec.com.
