The Lifeguard group in the news...

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KPAX-Not only have LifeGuard founders Lowell and Tami Hochhalter organized searches for missing people and conducted trainings, but now they're adding a safe house. read more

HELENA, Mont. – On the last day of Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Governor Greg Gianforte today announced a partnership between Town Pump, the LifeGuard Group, and the State of Montana to raise awareness and put an end to human trafficking in Montana. read more

HELENA — Jan. 11 is the National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness, and Montana leaders marked the day by proposing a major overhaul of the state’s trafficking laws. read more

Ravalli County MT - “Human trafficking is alive and well in Montana,” says Lowell Hochhalter, CEO of the LifeGuard Group, a non-profit organization that works to end human trafficking. Very soon the Bitterroot Valley will be home to a safe house where former victims can safely rebuild their lives. The LifeGuard Group is readying LifeHouse at Crooked Tree Ranch which, in its initial stages, will accommodate up to six women. read more

Great Falls, MT - In partnership with a local task force, the LifeGuard Group of Missoula is launching a statewide human trafficking hotline Monday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m.

People can call or text the hotline at 1-833-406-STOP. There is also an online chat available at www.406stop.com.  read more

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Non profit, Retired Investigators Guild ( RIG ), has joined forces with The Lifeguard Group to fight human trafficking.

Founder and CEO of RIG, Mike Marty, formed the non profit to take retired law enforcement officers and volunteer their expertise to fill a void wherever needed. It consists of a team of former major case investigators who donate their time to law enforcement agencies. Marty says that their mission is to restore America’s faith in law enforcement and provide tireless efforts of going for criminals in pursuit of justice for violent crimes. read more

MISSOULA, Mont. — Human trafficking is on the rise and a Missoula couple is working to turn that around.

Tami and Lowell Hochhalter join NBC Montana’s Laurel Staples for this week’s Spotlight Montana podcast.

They are the founders of The LifeGuard Group. read more

Helena, MT - A coalition of law enforcement, nonprofit and private organizations on Wednesday unveiled the Sentinel Project, a collaborative undertaking. read more

MISSOULA – It has been approximately seven weeks since 23-year-old Jermain Charlo went missing and on Saturday, family, friends, and volunteers gathered to search near the Great Wolf Peak Casino by Evero Hill. read more

MISSOULA - The LifeGuard Group reports in a social media post that 34-year-old Frances Birdinground has been found.

No further information has been released.

(first report: 10:45 a.m. - Jan. 6, 2020)

The Missoula Police Department is asking people to be on the lookout for a woman who been reported missing from the Great Falls area.

MPD stated in a Wednesday morning social media post that 34-year-old Frances Birdinground, who was last seen in Great Falls on Monday may be in the Missoula area. read more

MISSOULA — It’s been 18 months since Dixon woman Jermain Charlo went missing and despite the lack of progress in Charlo’s case, the search continues.

She was last seen near the Orange Street Food Farm in Missoula on June 16, 2018. Search warrants and interviews have been completed, and dozens of leads investigated since Charlo's disappearance. read more

MISSOULA, Mont. — The numbers for human trafficking appear to be on the rise in Montana.

According to a report from the Montana Department of Justice, the number of incidents went from seven in 2015 to 69 in 2021.

It's a large jump, but experts say the increase is not due to more people involved in this crime, but more an increase in awareness. read more

Chances are, right now, there's an old saddle buried somewhere under a pile of dusty tak in the back corner of a Montana barn. This saddle has been forgotten, just like the hole in the barn's roof that's been patched over by a swallow's nest. However, outside of Missoula, there's a ranch where old saddles like those are being restored by people... read more

Interested in starting your own journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lowell Hochhalter, Founder of The LifeGuard Group, located in Missoula, MT, USA. read more

For 2023, BCRWI selected The Lifeguard Group to be honored with our annual fund raiser. The group fights human trafficking and sexual exploitation through several different efforts including education, rescue, prosecution and providing a place for restoration once victims escape. read more

Nearly 20 organizations and non-profits gathered together to continue conversations on how to combat human trafficking in the state.

Discussions centered around three topics: social and community services, law enforcement and prosecution, and legislation.

"If we're willing to be silent today, our kids are vulnerable tomorrow," said Lowell Hochhalter, executive director and co-founder of The LifeGuard Group.  read more

Family, neighbors and strangers unite online and on the ground to search for Jermain Charlo, as an expansive multi-agency law enforcement investigation works day and night to solve the case  read more

Cigarettes, chew and the occasional suicide note were the standard surrenderings from students after former youth pastor Lowell Hochhalter would give presentations at school assemblies across Montana and the country. But as time went on, he said the offerings became more grim, like stories aligning with signs of human trafficking.

“That was world rocking to me. I didn’t even think it could be possible,” Hochhalter said.  read more

BELGRADE, Mont. – Joined by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, law enforcement officers, and nonprofit leaders, Governor Greg Gianforte today held a press conference to mark Human Trafficking Awareness Month. 

Lowell Hochhalter, who leads the anti-human trafficking nonprofit The LifeGuard Group, also spoke to the importance of the new law. read more

MISSOULA, Mont. – Marking the 6th day of his third annual 12 Days of Giving campaign, Governor Greg Gianforte today contributed a quarter of his annual salary to The LifeGuard Group, a nonprofit committed to ending human trafficking by organizing rescue efforts, hosting trainings, and providing a safe house for survivors. read more

The Governor’s Office announced the partnership among the state, Town Pump and the LifeGuard Group in a news release on Monday — the last day of Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The LifeGuard Group is a nonprofit based in Missoula that works to stop trafficking.  read more