Cell Phone Plans

AMBER Alerts Via Wireless Phones

May 17, 2005

Wireless users are now able to sign up to receive AMBER alerts via their cell phone. This alert would come as a text message in hopes to help increase the amount of missing children that are found each year.

After the 1996 abduction and then killing of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, the AMBER Alert system was devised and implemented in 1997. Since then 201 missing children have been found. That number is expected to increase with the new wireless alerts.

The AMBER alert system sends out information about the missing child including a description, age, and where the child was last seen as well as any information about a suspected abductor. The AMBER alert transmits through television, radio and now wireless phones.

Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, VA, stated, "The best way to find children who are at the greatest risk is to mobilize the eyes and ears of the public." Allen worked with wireless phone companies to initiate the start of this new way of alerting the public.

Visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org to sign up to receive AMBER alerts for your area. The website is user friendly. You will need your wireless phone number and the zip codes for the areas you wish to receive the alert for. Users will need to generate a password and it is a simple process to unsubscribe to the service.

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