Our communities seem to prepare for every possibility. We have respondents ready for storms, fires, and tornadoes. Homes create emergency procedures. It’s rare that they prepare for missing persons situations, however. The FBI National Crime Center reported that over 651,000 people went missing in 2017, over 70% of whom were children. Florida-based Scent Evidence K9 has a way you can prepare your family for such a scenario.

The time to prepare your family for such a scenario is now — when the time comes, you need to be ready.

Who Most Needs an Emergency Plan?

Anyone without good decision-making faculties is at risk. Children and the elderly account for most missing persons cases, especially those with autism or dementia. According to the American Pediatric Association, 50% of children diagnosed with autism will go missing before the age of 17, and studies show that 60% of elderly autism and dementia patients will do the same.

How Can I Prepare for a Missing Persons Situation?

One of the most effective ways to locate a missing person is by their scent. They can’t take that off, unlike a GPS, and it can be preserved for up to 10 years in a Scent Preservation Kit®. Trained Scent Discriminate K9 units have used them to trail targets from 29 miles away days after the trail was laid. One elderly wanderer was found in five minutes.

The first step is to prepare a Scent Preservation Kit. Put it somewhere secure and memorable and then create an action checklist. It should include important local phone numbers, trusted neighbors, local and state authorities, and the locations of places they’ve previously wandered. Review it with your family. Preparing your family before someone goes missing may increase the chance they’re found quickly from 6% to 80%.

How Do I Respond When I Learn Someone’s Gone Missing?

If you can’t find your loved one in 15 minutes, call the police. If they’re a part of any at-risk group — young children or those with Alzheimer’s or autism — make sure the police know, as this will affect the time frame in which they respond. Prepare a photo, information about when you last saw them, your Scent Preservation Kit, and a list of medications they take, if applicable.

As Lt. Robert Siemer of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said: “Law enforcement agrees with the effectiveness of this new technology. Scent Preservation Kits save lives and save money.”

If you have a loved one in an at-risk population, be sure to use a kit in your emergency procedure. Call Scent Evidence K9 at (850) 272-6950 or visit their website to protect those you love and care for today.