AMBER Alerts were recently issued in Connecticut, Texas, and Georgia
urging residents to be on the lookout for abducted children and their
abductors. Many of us wonder if there’s really anything we can do to
help.
I
don’t know about you, but I start watching the vehicles around me a
little closer when I see an AMBER Alert on the freeway signs near my
home. But you can get information even when you’re not near a TV,
radio, or freeway sign. How? On your cell phone via text message.
Anyone
with wireless phones capable of receiving text messages (if their
carrier participates in the program) can opt to receive free AMBER
Alerts by going to wirelessamberalerts.org.
You can also subscribe by texting AMBER plus your 5-digit ZIP code to
26237. For example, Beverly Hills residents would text “AMBER 90210” to
26237. It’s that easy!
AMBER stands for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response" and
was created in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with
local police to develop an early warning system to find abducted
children. The AMBER Alert Program was soon adopted across the nation
and is a legacy to Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped
while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and then murdered. All 50
states have since established AMBER Alert programs. More than 390
children have been found as a result of the AMBER Alert network.
President Bush authorized the national AMBER Alert program as part of
the PROTECT Act signed in 2003. The wireless industry has officially
partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children to make free Wireless AMBER Alerts
available to cell phone subscribers.
When a child is kidnapped, time is of the essence. Your participation
will add critical eyes and ears to the search. Please think about
joining. The text messages are free.
By Becky Scott
Contributing Editor
amber alert
