Authorities say kits are easy to use and consist of a wipe and an airtight container.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is offering free scent-tracking kits available for pick up at the Operations Center in Bunnell.
The scent-tracking kits are easy to use and consist of a wipe and an airtight container, according to a media release from the Sheriff's Office. To use, a person rubs the included wipe along their neck, arms, back of their hands and their face. Then the wipe is secured in the airtight container, labeled with the name of the person swabbed, and stored in a safe, dry place out of direct sunlight.
“The entire process takes only moments and it could be the difference between life and death should you or a loved one ever go missing,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the release. “From our experience, those prone to going missing are adults with dementia or Alzheimer’s and searching for them takes a lot of resources and this might allow us to find them faster. These scent tracking kits could save a life and we are providing them to anyone who would like one free of charge.”
If a resident goes missing after completing a scent tracking kit, tracking dogs will have a pure sample of that person’s scent to track and can potentially have an easier time finding that missing person, the release states.
To obtain a scent tracking kit, stop by the Operation Center, 901 E. Moody Boulevard, Bunnell, or call 386-437-4116 for more information.