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County seeks Wanderguard system at Hyder to reduce elopement risk, board told
Summary
Facilities staff asked commissioners to authorize pursuing vendor Stanley’s prior bid to install a Wanderguard wander‑management system at Hyder; staff said Riverside’s older system (Signet) is maintenance‑intensive and that Stanley’s 2‑year‑old bid was the preferred solution.
Dougie told commissioners on Jan. 15 that Hyder lacks an electronic wander‑management system and that the county previously solicited bids in 2022; two vendors responded, Signet (existing at Riverside) and Stanley. Staff said the Signet system has proved problematic at Riverside and that Stanley’s digital system was identified as the preferred solution in 2022.
Dougie said the Wanderguard technology uses fixed antennas inside the building to locate a bracelet worn by a resident and will indicate which door was breached. “It’ll tell nursing which door was breached,” Dougie said, adding that fixed antennas and in‑building RF triangulation provide room‑level location; GPS is available but would add cost and potential legal issues.
Staff asked the commission to express support so Dougie could reconvene with Stanley and attempt to secure a current price similar to the 2022 bid. Commissioners agreed to discuss the vendor meeting and return the item to a future agenda; no formal contract award was made at the Jan. 15 meeting.
Dougie emphasized the operational impact: Hyder sometimes has rooms with direct exterior doors and staff said the Wanderguard system would reduce elopement risk and allow the facility to accept residents they currently turn away because of elopement concerns.
