Amber Alert
An AMBER Alert is a notification system that is sent out across the United States and Canada when authorities confirm that a child has been abducted. During an AMBER Alert, law enforcement officials and media outlets team together to find missing children. Typically, an AMBER Alert is issued as soon as possible after authorities learn of a missing child. The program started in Texas and is named after Amber Hagerman.1
An AMBER Alert can be sent out via e-mail, electronic traffic condition signs, SMS text messages, terrestrial and satellite radio broadcasts, and local and cable television broadcasts by the Emergency Alert System.
Fast Facts
- Put into action by H.R. 605 in 20002
- 2003: President George W. Bush signed law2
- Named after: Amber Hagerman2
- National medial outlets are involved1
- Go out within minutes of notification1
- Most critical time for missing children is the first few hours1
About Amber Hagerman
In 1996, nine-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted in Arlington, Texas, and found brutally murdered four days after her disappearance. During the time of her vanishing, the media played a vital role in disseminating information to the public. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Protect Act, which mandated a child abduction alert program on a national scale.2
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