By the numbers, diagnoses of people with cognitive impairments have been on the rise for years. And when children and adults wander or elope due to autism, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Down syndrome, brain injury and other cognitive conditions, they face unique challenges — as do their searchers. The missing individuals are vulnerable, often unaware of the dangers they face and typically unable to help themselves be found. Time permitting, they’re generally destined for peril. Unfortunately, traditional search-and-rescue (SAR) protocol often misses the mark in the attempt to find them before the danger does. Hence in the search for a missing person with a cognitive disorder, every second counts and every informed decision matters.

In recognition of the extreme and critical nature of such a special-needs SAR effort, thousands of public safety agencies throughout North America and beyond have joined the Project Lifesaver* expedited SAR mission since its 1999 inception. And in recognition of this, a new namesake song titled “Electronic Angels” honors their unique dedication to better understanding, protecting and assisting their most vulnerable and “at-risk” citizens and their caregivers.

These member agencies — typically law enforcement, fire rescue, SAR, and other first responder and public safety departments or initiatives — and dedicated personnel become trained, certified and equipped to run the comprehensive Project Lifesaver program within their communities. There, these new Certified Electronic Search Specialists (ESS) incorporate the proven technology, training and strategic methodologyrequired to locate participating citizens quickly, safely and efficiently by tuning into and tracking the designated radio-frequency (RF) signals emitted by the wearable transmitters of individual clients who have been reported missing and precisely homing in on their exact location, saving precious time, resources and, most importantly, lives.

The term “Electronic Angel(s)” was coined for and about the Project Lifesaver initiative during its infancy. More specifically, it applied to the people — often referred to as the lifesaving “angels” — behind the program. These include Gene Saunders, Project Lifesaver founder and a pioneer in what’s now more broadly referred to as assistive and/or personal locator technology for this purpose, and the growing number of first responders who embraced Saunders’ trailblazing vision of rapid and effective SAR protocol and technology to support a mission of “bringing loved ones home” after they have wandered or eloped due to a cognitive disorder. Electronic RF technology played (and still plays) a critical difference-making role in the ongoing success of Project Lifesaver’s unwavering mission.

“Often these Project Lifesaver ESSes are going the extra mile, committing to the cause of those who may not be able to speak for themselves by mission-readiness training, continuing education at our conferences and being an integral part of a dedicated SAR team that specializes in finding people with cognitive disorders quickly and efficiently, providing measures of personal safety and caregiver peace of mind otherwise unavailable to these individuals and their families,” Saunders noted.

“Electronic Angels” musical tribute

According to Saunders, longtime CEO of Project Lifesaver International, the Electronic Angel(s) moniker was bestowed upon the Project Lifesaver initiative early on by (the now late) Nancy Gray of Pilot International, a woman whose enthusiasm for the concept and its potential and long-term implications grew exponentially as Saunders presented his research- and expertise-based vision to Pilot Club members, local health and safety providers, and others during efforts to raise awareness, funding and support.

Some 26 years later, in December 2025, author and former newspaper and magazine writer/reporter Nora Firestone wrote lyrics* inspired by commonly shared caregiver sentiments to honor the now tens of thousands of Project Lifesaver Electronic Search Specialists who protect their vulnerable loved ones and provide families with much-needed peace of mind amid their profoundly challenging circumstances. Firestone then worked within and outside an artificial intelligence (AI) song generator to put her original lyrics to music. Her husband, Mike Fien, an engineer, helped her to refine the final product: this expressive musical tribute to Project Lifesaver ESSes, aka “Electronic Angels,” from the collective heart of weary and grateful caregivers. Listen to the full song at projectlifesaver.org/electronic-angels.

“Electronic Angels” lyrics*

For all you do to keep my child safe,
You’re an angel.
For all you do to keep my spouse’s wandering to limited time and space,
You’re an angel.
For all you do to buy my precious loved-one the gift of precious time;
For all you do to return us weary caregivers our long-lost peace of mind.
We know you’re out there, ready to assist
Our most vulnerable and “at-risk”
As we sleep, as we care, as we worry through our days and the challenges at play.
And you’re an angel!
You’re our Electronic Angel!
Inspired by a vision, in keeping with your heart,
You defy tradition in the dire and daunting mission,
Redefining what it means to search
“On a wing and a prayer.”
We thank you for our brothers, our sisters, and for our mom and dad,
For our children, our neighbors, for the time we might not have had.
You restore our precious hope and peace of mind
As you live for saving precious time and these oh-so precious lives.
And we feel your dedication to bringing loved ones home.
Though unheralded by the masses, to us you’re not unknown.
You understand the speechless, the frightened and confused,
And when they’re lost, you find them,
As quietly, your actions speak volumes for their cause.
So with every bated breath and every heartbeat that we skip,
We know you’re with us;
We thank you for your service;
And we lift our tired voices to extol your tireless quest.
‘Cause you’re an angel!
You’re our Electronic Angel!
Inspired by a vision, in keeping with your heart,
You defy tradition in the dire and daunting mission,
Redefining what it means to search
“On a wing and a prayer.”

Lyrics and song copyright 2025, Nora Firestone; all rights reserved.