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| The AMBER Alert and America Online |
April 16, 2003 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who can receive AOL AMBER Alerts?
You can receive AOL AMBER Alerts if you are an AOL member or if you use AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). You will only receive AOL AMBER Alerts if you ‘opt-in,’ and you will only receive them for the geographic area you choose.
2. How do I sign up for AOL AMBER Alerts?
On AOL, to sign up for AOL AMBER Alerts:
1. Go to Keyword: AMBER Alert
2. Click “Add an AMBER Alert”
3. Enter your zip code
4. Click “Save”
If you use AOL Instant Messenger, to sign up for AOL AMBER Alerts:
1. Select “My AIM”
2. Scroll down to “Alerts”
3. Select “Manage Web Alerts”
4. Click “Add an Alert”
5. From the Alert Topics, click “News”
6. Click “AMBER Alert”
7. Click “Add an AMBER Alert”
8. Enter your zip code
9. Click “Save”
3. How are AOL AMBER Alerts sent out?
Local law enforcement agencies, like the Albuquerque Police Department and the New Mexico State Police, issue AMBER Alerts, which are sent to broadcast media via the Emergency Alert Service. These agencies will also send the same information to AOL. AOL transmits the AMBER Alerts to you as soon as they are received.
You can choose to receive AOL AMBER Alerts via your choice of e-mail, IM, or as a text message to your cell phone or pager.
4. Are AOL AMBER Alerts free or do I have to pay for them?
AOL AMBER Alerts are a free service to AOL members and to AIM users. However, your wireless carrier may charge a fee to receive an AOL AMBER Alert via a text message on your wireless device.
5. The information posted at Missing Kids indicates there is no established AMBER Alert system in place in my state. Why is that?
This means that, at this time, local law enforcement in your state does not yet have an AMBER Alert plan in place. Keep checking An Updated List of states/localities with these programs.
You can contact your local, state, and federal elected officials and ask them to create an AMBER Alerts plan. If you are an AOL member, you can use AOL’s Government Guide (Keyword: Government Guide) which includes extensive information about contacting your officials.
You may also want to consider looking to the experts for guidance in this area by going to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or the Polly Klaas Foundation.
The Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, and the New Mexico State Police all have established AMBER Alert programs. Currently, AOL AMBER Alerts are only available through APD, but the program is expected to be statewide soon.
6. Can I sign up to receive all the AOL AMBER Alerts issued around the country?
When you sign-up for AOL AMBER Alerts, you sign up by zip code.
AOL AMBER Alerts will be issued to everyone who has signed up in the community, state, or region where a child has been declared abducted or kidnapped. The law enforcement agency decides how broadly it wants AMBER Alerts to be distributed.
If you want to receive AOL AMBER Alerts in other areas, you may sign up for multiple zip codes.
7. How will I know if -- and when – an abducted child has been returned safely?
When a child is safely recovered, local law enforcement typically sends a follow-up AMBER Alert to notify the public that the AMBER Alert is canceled. When AOL receives follow-up AMBER Alerts, they are distributed the same way as the original Alert – as soon as AOL receives them. |
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