Firefighters from Roseville as well as St. Paul, Maplewood, and Little Canada, with assistance from the Roseville Police Department, utilized the Project Lifesaver program to successfully locate and return a missing 10-year old autistic child Sunday.
The child was reported missing just before noon in the area of Larpentuer Ave and Dale St in Roseville.
Fortunately, the child was registered with the Project Lifesaver program operated by fire departments in Ramsey County. Project Lifesaver allows responders to use radio tracking devices to help pinpoint the location of a missing child.
Units from each of the involved agencies were deployed in a systematic tracking process. The Minnesota State Patrol Helicopter, along with the Minnesota Aviation Rescue Team (MART) from St. Paul Fire, were also called in to assist.
The child was successfully located unharmed after approximately 20 minutes of searching and reunited with his father.
The partnerships that led to the positive outcome were the result of recent agreements between several municipalities within Ramsey County and their fire departments. These partnerships helped lay the foundation for how and when fire departments respond to these types of emergencies and what procedures are followed.