Bill announced to create emergency alert plan

Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer/Middlesex) and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Bergen) have announced legislation to create an emergency alert plan for missing elderly people.

The bill, S1551/A277, establishes a plan that will notify the public of a missing elderly person who may be in danger, based on the Amber Alert plan used to locate missing children.

The alerts will include a description of the person and information about how to contact the appropriate agencies. The plan is in part a reaction to the increasing number of Alzheimer's and dementia patients. According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's patients are susceptible to hypothermia and/or dehydration, and nearly 50 percent of those who wander off risk illness or death.