May 20, 2013
(Chipley, FL; January 4, 2013)— The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is launching a county-wide campaign to educate citizens and promote the benefits of the Silver Alert Program. The Silver Alert is a plan to aid local law enforcement in the rescue and recovery of a missing senior who is afflicted with an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties. For a Silver Alert to be issued, the senior citizen must be over 60 years old, have a clear indication of dementia and be driving.
The Silver Alert provides a coordinated response between local and state law enforcement to quickly and effectively broadcast important information to the community, including dynamic message signs posted along major roadways. The Silver Alert is vital to protecting a very fragile and vulnerable population in Florida, and it may help prevent a tragedy.
Over 4 million Floridians are aged 60 or older, and more than 500,000 of them have some sort of dementia. Local and state law enforcement, along with the Florida Silver Alert Support Committee, urges residents to look after friends and family with dementia, and to stay alert for Silver Alert signs along the roadways. If a senior citizen with cognitive impairment goes missing, make sure to contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with the make, model, year, and color of the car, along with the tag number and tag state.
For more information about Florida’s Silver Alert, please visit www.fdle.state.fl.us or call the Elder Helpline at 800-963-5337.
