WHAT IS THE AMBER PLAN?

The AMBER Plan is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies and broadcasters to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases.

Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System (EAS), formerly called the Emergency Broadcast System, to air a description of the abducted child and suspected abductor.

This is the same concept used during severe weather emergencies. The goal of the AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe return of the child.

WHEN AND WHY WAS THE AMBER PLAN CREATED?

The AMBER Plan was created in 1996 as a powerful legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, a bright little girl who was kidnapped and brutally murdered while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas.

The tragedy shocked and outraged the entire community. Residents contacted radio stations in the Dallas area and suggested they broadcast special "alerts" over the airwaves so that they could help prevent such incidents in the future.

In response to the community's concern for the safety of local children, the Dallas/Fort Worth Association of Radio Managers teamed up with local law-enforcement agencies in northern Texas and developed this innovative early warning system to help find abducted children. Statistics show that, when abducted, a child's greatest enemy is time

HOW DOES THE AMBER PLAN WORK?

Once law enforcement has been notified about an abducted child, they must first determine if the case meets the AMBER Plan's criteria for triggering an
alert.

Each program establishes its own AMBER Plan criteria; however, the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children suggests three criteria that
should be met before an Alert is activated.

• law enforcement confirms a child has been abducted
  
• law enforcement believes the circumstances surrounding the abduction
  
• indicate that the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death
  
• there is enough descriptive information about the child, abductor, and/or
• suspect's vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help

If these criteria are met, alert information must be put together for public
distribution. This information can include descriptions and pictures of the missing child, the suspected abductor, a suspected vehicle, and any other information available and valuable to identifying the child and suspect.

The information is then faxed to radio stations designated as primary stations
under the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

The primary stations send the same information to area radio and television
stations and cable systems via the EAS, and it is immediately broadcast by
participating stations to millions of listeners.

Radio stations interrupt programming to announce the Alert, and television stations and cable systems run a "crawl" on the screen along with a picture of the child. Some states are also incorporating electronic highway billboards in their Plans. The billboards, typically used to disseminate traffic information to drivers, now alert the public of abducted children, displaying pertinent information about the child, abductor or suspected vehicle that drivers might look for on highways.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN CASE OF AN AMBER ALERT?

The AMBER Alert message encourages the public to look for the missing child or suspect. You become the ears and eyes of local law enforcement.

In the event that you spot a child, adult, or vehicle fitting the AMBER Alert description, immediately call the telephone number given in the AMBER Alert and provide authorities with as much information as you know.

SUPPORT FOR THE PLAN

In response to NCMEC’s effort to help ensure that the Plan is implemented effectively, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a special “Abducted Child Statement” event code. This code will be used within the Emergency Alert System (EAS) when the AMBER Plan is activated.

Until now, broadcasters have activated the AMBER Plan as a “Civil Emergency Message.” However, these alerts have been confused with other civil emergencies such as flood or tornado. Recognizing the need for consistency nationwide, the FCC added this special code.

Not only does NCMEC and the FCC believe this special code will help mobilize a community more quickly when a missing-child tragedy strikes, but it will also build on the reputation of the EAS as the most credible and reliable vehicle for providing this type of emergency information to the public.

NCMEC and the FCC are encouraging all broadcast stations to adopt this new code and upgrade their EAS Systems to include it.

For more information please contact the Knoxville Police Department