Wireless AMBER Alerts - General FAQs

• What is the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative?
  The national Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative is a voluntary partnership between the wireless industry, the United States Department of Justice, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), to distribute AMBER Alerts to wireless subscribers who opt in to receive the messages and are able to receive text messages on their wireless devices.
• Why was the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative created?
  Statistics show the first three hours after a child's abduction are most critical to recovery efforts. Recognizing that wireless technology can help galvanize communities to assist law enforcement in the search for and return of the child, the membership of CTIA-The Wireless Association®, The Wireless Foundation, the United States Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children are honored to offer the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative.
  
  By combining the efforts of the wireless industry with NCMEC and law enforcement agencies, the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative will be a catalyst for the more than 200 million wireless subscribers to aid in the return of an abducted child.
• What is the history of the AMBER Alert program?
  President Bush authorized the national AMBER Alert program as part of the PROTECT Act signed in 2003. The law formally established the federal government's role in the AMBER Alert program, appointing the Department of Justice (DOJ) as the agency responsible for coordinating AMBER Alerts on the national level. DOJ has officially partnered with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, authorizing them as the agent that coordinates and disseminates AMBER Alerts to secondary distributors.
  
  AMBER stands for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response" and was created in 1997 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system.
  
  NCMEC currently says 260+ children have been recovered.
• When will Wireless AMBER Alerts be distributed to subscribers?
  NCMEC will initiate the transmission of AMBER Alerts to wireless carriers after law enforcement has issued the alert and the following criteria, recommended by the U.S. Department of Justice, have been met:
  
  There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred.
  The abduction is of a child age 17 years or younger. The law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
  
  There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child.
  The child's name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
• How does the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative work?
  An abducted child, age 17 years or younger, is reported to a local law enforcement agency. If the abducted child case meets the recommended criteria, law enforcement issues an AMBER Alert and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is notified and provided with the information to include in the alert.
  
  NCMEC formats the AMBER Alert message and sends it electronically to Syniverse. Syniverse sends the AMBER Alert message to wireless carriers participating in the Wireless AMBER Alerts initiative.
  
  Participating carriers send the AMBER Alert message, in text message format, to their subscribers that have opted in to receive the notices.
• How can consumers receive Wireless AMBER Alerts?
  Wireless subscribers, whose wireless devices are capable of receiving text messages, may opt in to receive Wireless AMBER Alerts by registering at www.wirelessamberalerts.org or by visiting their wireless carrier's website.
  
  When they opt in, consumers need to provide their wireless phone numbers, including area code, and designate up to five ZIP codes for which they want to receive Wireless AMBER Alerts.
  
  IMPORTANT: Information you provide will be used solely for the Wireless AMBER Alerts initiative and will not be shared with additional parties.
• Is the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative available in all 50 states?
  Yes, the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative is available, through participating carriers, to wireless subscribers in all 50 states.
• How will opting in to receive Wireless AMBER Alerts affect my wireless device?
  Wireless AMBER Alerts are simple text messages and will appear on your wireless device in the same manner as any other text message.
• How often will I receive Wireless AMBER Alerts?
  We hope the need never arises for you to receive a Wireless AMBER Alert. Approximately 200-250 AMBER Alerts are activated across the nation each year. You will only receive an AMBER Alert if a notice is sent pertaining to the areas you designated when you opted in to the program.
• Will I receive Wireless AMBER Alerts from all over the country?
  No. Subscribers will only receive AMBER Alert messages on their wireless devices that pertain to the specific areas they identified when they opted in to receive the alerts.
• How will I get the Wireless AMBER Alerts from my area?
  When you register, you may designate up to five ZIP codes from which you will receive Wireless AMBER Alerts. We recommend that you at least register the ZIP Codes where you live and work.
• Will I only receive Wireless AMBER Alerts that affect the specific ZIP codes I select?
  Users can designate up to five ZIP codes from which they'd like to be alerted in the case of an AMBER Alert activation. Please note that only one ZIP code per city is necessary to receive Wireless AMBER Alerts for an entire city. Most states issue state-wide AMBER Alerts.
• Why can I only subscribe to five ZIP Codes?
  The Wireless AMBER Alerts program uses ZIP codes as the most convenient method to determine the appropriate Alerts to send to you, in the areas where you spend the most time. It's similar to when you use a web site to get a weather report for your area. Weather sites on the web ask for your ZIP code to retrieve the weather forecast that is most relevant to your general area, but they don't prepare separate forecasts for each ZIP code in the area.
  
  In many cases, AMBER Alert Coordinators issue state-wide alerts. In other cases, AMBER Alerts are issued on a regional basis. So, by selecting just your home ZIP code, you will receive all AMBER Alerts that pertain to your community.
  
  Some people travel extensively and routinely cross into other states. That's where the option to enter as many as five ZIP codes can be helpful. In this way, travelers can receive AMBER Alerts for several different areas, so someone who commutes to Chicago from Milwaukee, or who flies to New York from Atlanta often, has the option to receive AMBER Alerts in more than one area.
• Will I receive Wireless AMBER Alerts when I'm traveling?
  Typically, you will receive Wireless AMBER Alerts when you are out of your home coverage area, just as you receive text messages of any kind when you are traveling. In some rare instances, however, your text messages cannot be forwarded to your mobile device. Regardless of where you are, you will only receive Wireless AMBER Alert notices that pertain to the areas you selected when you opted in.