Emergency crews in Brooke County searched for nearly six hours Tuesday night for a disabled missing woman who was later found safe. But new technology could soon shorten the response time for situations like that.

Investigators are still looking into why Penny Tittle, 44, wandered away from her home. Brooke County Sheriff Richard Ferguson said she may have hitched a ride with someone and that's how she wound up 16 miles away from home.

However, Emergency Management Agency director Bob Fowler said he feels situations such as this, where a disoriented person wanders off, would benefit greatly from new technology his department is working to bring into the county.

Fowler said the county wants to obtain tracking devices for people who are at risk.

"It's a little transmitter that is placed on the person so that if they walk away from home or become lost, we have a device back at the (EMA) center that will be able to pick up on the transmitter's frequency and track that person down," said Fowler.

Fowler said the tracking devices work within a one-mile perimeter for ground searches and three or four miles for aerial searches.

Children with autism and adults with Alzheimer’s disease would be first to benefit from the new system, Fowler said.

The $10,000 project is expected to make its way to Brooke County by February. Fowler said the agency has grant money coming its way, but he hopes that it will be able to get sponsors throughout the county to donate the rest.

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