Wireless AMBER Alerts(TM) Are Available to Help Reunite Abdu

Wireless AMBER Alerts(TM) Are Available to Help Reunite Abdu
Press Release Source: CTIA - The Wireless Association Wireless AMBER Alerts(TM) Are Available to Help Reunite Abducted Children with Their Families Tuesday April 11, 12:28 pm ET INDEPENDENCE, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2006--An AMBER Alert was issued today in Kansas, urging citizens to be on the lookout for an abducted child and his or her abductor. During these times, when a child's safety is in question, many people wonder if there is anything they can do individually to help. Your viewers/listeners/readers might be interested in knowing that in addition to paying close attention to AMBER Alerts when they are distributed via broadcast outlets or on highway signs, they can also sign up to receive AMBER Alerts as free text messages on their wireless devices. Their participation will add critical eyes and ears to the search of abducted children. Any wireless subscriber capable of receiving text messages, and whose wireless carrier participates in the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative, may opt in to receive alerts by completing a simple registration process at www.wirelessamberalerts.org or their wireless carrier's website. 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 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. 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 NCMEC, authorizing them as the agent that coordinates and disseminates AMBER Alerts to secondary distributors. More than 250 children have been successfully recovered as a result of the AMBER Alert network. CTIA is an international association for the wireless telecommunications industry, representing carriers, manufacturers and wireless Internet providers. www.ctia.org The Wireless Foundation is a non-profit organization that was formed by member companies of CTIA-The Wireless Association(TM) in 1991. The Foundation oversees a number of programs designed to put wireless technology to work addressing the challenges of society. www.wirelessfoundation.org The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 365,600 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 117,100 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 99,500 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com www.missingkids.com Contact: CTIA-The Wireless Association(TM) Roxanne Robbins, 202.736.2983 or National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Communications Department, 703.837.6111 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: CTIA - The Wireless Association http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060411/20060411005776.html?.v=1

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