New tracking technology did its job perfectly Tuesday, and now a young boy with autism is safely home with his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts. When Chelsea firefighters went looking for the 11-year-old child who went missing Monday morning, it was the first time. Real test case for the department’s new tracking system. The system uses antennas that detect signals emitted by bracelets equipped with tiny radio transmitters. Chelsea Fire Chief John Quatieri said he held his breath when he realized this would be the first time the system would go into effect. “When that call came out yesterday and I realized who it was and that he was wearing the bracelet, that was the first time that this system had been used,” Quatieri said. Technology has been around for decades to track wildlife, but more recently it has been adapted to track missing people. Its range is limited to around 400 meters on the ground, but unlike systems that use WiFi or GPS, it has no dark zones. according to the company that makes it, “they can be in the basement, on the second floor of a parking garage in Boston, and pick up the signal,” said Ralph Poland of SafetyNet Tracking. “With a GPS or something like that, you wouldn’t do it.” In the case of the missing 11-year-old boy, police and firefighters followed his signal to a Boston-bound MBTA bus. Within 20 minutes, the boy was found and found. his father. Since Tuesday, Chelsea has provided bracelets to six children and is now offering them free to other families of children and adults with special needs. The Chelsea Fire Department spent about $25,000 on the system. SafetyNet Tracking says the technology is also used by nearly 100 other public safety agencies in Massachusetts, including state police.
New tracking technology did its job perfectly Tuesday, and now a young boy with autism is safely home with his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
When Chelsea firefighters went looking for the missing 11-year-old Monday morning, it was the first real-life test case for the department’s new tracking system.
The system uses antennas that detect signals from bracelets equipped with tiny radio transmitters.
Chelsea Fire Chief John Quatieri said he held his breath when he realized this would be the first time the system would go into effect.
“When that call came out yesterday and I realized who it was and that he was wearing the bracelet, that was the first time that this system had been used,” Quatieri said.
Technology has been around for decades to track wildlife, but more recently it has been adapted to find missing people.
Its range is limited to about 400 meters on the ground, but unlike systems using WiFi or GPS, it has no dark zones, according to the company that makes it.
“They can be in the basement, on the second floor of a parking garage in Boston, and pick up the signal,” said Ralph Poland of SafetyNet Tracking. “With a GPS or something like that, that wouldn’t be the case.”
In the case of the missing 11-year-old, police and firefighters followed his signal to a Boston-bound MBTA bus.
Within 20 minutes, the boy was found and reunited with his father.
Since Tuesday, Chelsea has provided bracelets to six children and is now offering them free to other families of children and adults with special needs.
The Chelsea Fire Department spent about $25,000 on the system.
SafetyNet Tracking says the technology is also used by nearly 100 other public safety agencies in Massachusetts, including state police.