A missing child is every parent’s nightmare and experience shows that the first three hours are the most critical to the recovery of an abducted child. That’s why several years ago, wireless companies collaborated with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the U.S. Department of Justice to make Wireless AMBER Alerts available to you via text message. Wireless AMBER Alerts significantly increase the reach of the overall AMBER Alert program. Because of the critical time window and their ability to reach you instantly wherever you are, these alerts are another invaluable tool to help find missing children.

How It Works

• Law enforcement reports a missing or abducted child to NCMEC, which formats the AMBER Alert message and sends a text message with all of the vital information.
• That message is then sent to wireless carriers who transmit it to all of the wireless users in a specific area who have signed up to receive these messages.

What You Can Do

• It’s simple, if you have a cell phone or other wireless device, you can sign up to receive geographically-specific wireless AMBER Alerts at WirelessAmberAlerts.org.
• Or, you can text the word “AMBER” followed by a space and your five-digit ZIP Code to 26237. Most major carriers participate in the program.
• For additional questions, please visit The Wireless Foundation.