How can I figure the total cost of my program?

Our basic package that includes 2 tracking receivers, all equipment and 2 days of training for up to 12 officers is $4,995.00 plus trainer expenses that include travel, motel, meals and rental car*.  Care Trak bills actual expenses and we provide receipts upon request. We also follow a conservative policy with regard to expenses. If required we can estimate trainer expenses for you.
*With any program trainer expenses as extra

What frequency will my department operate on?
Most agencies in the U.S. are on 215MHz.  However, since Care Trak is authorized on the medical frequency 174MHz through 215MHz we have plenty of room for expansion.

So what is the problem with 216MHz?
It is potentially dangerous for human use.  216MHz is a heavily encumbered frequency with thousands of powerful transmitters used for animals, currency tracking, ocean buoy tracking, law enforcement use and many more applications. These transmitter pulse the same as a human transmitter.  You potentially could be tracking a Bobcat instead of a wandered Alzheimer victim or special needs kid and not even know it. 

Is digital TV a problem for Care Trak?
Only in an area that has a UHF or VHF open-air channel 13 TV station.  Channel 13 can shorten the 215MHz signal tracking range.  If this is the case we simply build your equipment at a different frequency.

Do I own Care Trak equipment or rent it?
You own it. Ownership allows your program more flexibility and saves thousands of dollars over the years as your program grows. Except for the minimal battery and band cost all your money stays local.

What about your warranty?
We have a 7-year Parts and Labor warranty on all electronics.  The warranty does not cover misuse, abuse or batteries.

Can caregiver change batteries and bands each month?
We allow parents of special needs kids to change batteries and bands on their children if they wish to.  The participating agency or its representative must change batteries and bands each month on those seniors afflicted with Alzheimer disease and other dementia.

Is the equipment used to track typical kids or adults?
No.  We are specialized in tracking only at-risk individuals like seniors with Alzheimer disease and other dementia and kids with special needs like Autism, Down syndrome, brain injuries and other conditions.  We do not track Typical kids or adults as others do.

How does the caregiver know the transmitter is even working?
The transmitter emits a silent radio signal 24/7. Each caregiver is given a Transmitter Tester and is required to test the transmitter twice a day and log the results.  The procedure is simple and only takes seconds.

How much do the Caregivers pay each month?
That depends on how you run your program.  Every two months the transmitter battery and band must be changed.  Our current price for a battery is $5.59 and a band is $0.99 total $6.58 plus postage.  Some departments charge just the battery and band cost, some charge nothing and some departments charge slightly more a month with the extra money going back into a fund to provide transmitter protection to a family that cannot afford it and to cover expenses.

Are Care Trak Receivers Digital?
Yes, although most people think of digital as a read out on a screen like on a car radio. Care Trak does not use a digital read out screen because they do not work well in the cold and they are hard to read in sunlight.  Have you ever tried to get money out of your ATM machine with the sun shinning on the screen? It is almost impossible to read.

How about police training?
Current and former law enforcement officers conduct training.  Our training is 2 days.  Our philosophy is to get your officers looking for hidden transmitters within the first 2 hours of instruction.  We do not overload your officers with fluff to fill time and go over information they already know.  Our training is fast and furious and certainly not boring. Hands-on is the most important part of the training.

Can more than 1 agency be trained at once?
Sure. We can train multiple agencies at the same time to save you money. The maximum class size is 12 officers. We supply one tracking unit for each pair of officers to maximize the hands-on experience.

Where did all of this come from?
Care Trak pioneered telemetry tracking of at risk individuals in 1986.  In 1996 Chief Greg Pratt of the then Stokes County Mountain Rescue Team in King, North Carolina developed search procedures and protocols for all current tracking programs. Chief Pratt is the founder of all electronic tracking programs in use today.

Why not just use GPS/Cell?
GPS is great for tracking cars, bad for tracking people.  GPS (Global Positioning Systems) depends on orbiting satellites to locate a person. Cell phone technology depends on towers. GPS may not be able to locate in buildings, in bad weather or in heavy underbrush.  Alzheimer wanderers and special needs kids are not aware they are lost.  Additionally, the big and bulky GPS bracelet must be recharged about every 4 days so you would need at least 2 GPS units since you always want a tracking unit on a person at risk. Sometimes LO TECH works better than HI TECH.

Why is the Care Trak CTR 1000 a preferred tracking receiver?
The Blue Box Care Trak Receiver has been a mainstay since invented in 1985.  Many who use the unit on a regular basis recognize the receiver worldwide as a superior tracking unit.  What makes the receiver so good is that it does not have add-on electronics that can cause confusion and features that will most likely never be needed or used.

The box is simple and very user friendly, which makes training on the unit very effective even to those who are technology challenged.  Users like our BCD thumbnail readout numbers rather than digital screens that are hard if not impossible to read in cold temperatures and in direct sunlight. The receiver also is equipped with a tune control knob that can help bring in very faint signals which can be crucial in locating an at risk loved one far off.

Why is telemetry preferred for this type of tracking?
Most at risk loved ones are not aware they are lost and because of the limitations of GPS and cell systems. Telemetry remains the best solution. Telemetry (radio waves) tracking is not rocket science. As one police agency person said telemetry is older than dirt.  Over the last 60 years there have been only minor advances in telemetry simply because we are limited by science and physics.  It is the nature of the beast.

In a very short time your officers can learn how to track with our user-friendly equipment.  That being said, the key to a successful search is practice, practice and practice.  Did I mention you will need to practice? 

For more information, please contact 

800-842-4537 M-F 8AM-4:30PM central time
Care Trak International, Inc.