Statistics show that the most critical time in the recovery of an abducted child is the first three hours. How much of this critical period has already passed by the time the average person learns about a missing child on the news? How many people may have seen that child and never known he was in trouble?

It is impossible to know how many missing children might have been found quickly if a random stranger had only known to look for them, but it is possible to inform many more people in a very short time.

The Wireless Amber Alerts Initiative is a partnership of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the US Department of Justice, and the cell phone industry. The program allows anyone to register a cell phone number and receive Amber Alerts as they happen in the form of free text messages. The sign-up process is fast, simple, and free, and the potential benefit to a child in danger is staggering.

If everyone who reads this signs up and tells everyone they know to sign up, this program can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of Amber Alerts and could very possibly help to save a missing child's life.

1. Visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org and sign up for the program by providing your wireless phone number and the ZIP Codes that you frequent (more on signing up here).
2. When the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issues an Amber Alert, the information is transmitted to wireless carriers.
3. The wireless carriers send Amber Alert text messages to subscribers in the appropriate area.
4. You receive the free text message on your phone. The brief message includes identifying information on the abducted child, the abductor, and any suspected vehicle that may be involved, as well as a phone number to contact law enforcement.
5. You will receive a second text message when the Amber Alert is cancelled.

Just as the information in an Amber Alert is quickly distributed to law enforcement and media outlets, it can also, through this program, be provided quickly to members of the general public, who may be out on the same roads where the abductor may be fleeing. The more people that know about a missing child in those critical first hours, the more likely it is that someone will see something that helps law enforcement officials rescue the child.

Sign-up is quick, simple, and free. When the registration is complete, you will receive Amber Alert text messages on your phone as often as they are issued in your area. You will receive no other text messages, emails, or phone calls as a result of your registration. No further action will be required to maintain the registration as long as your phone number and location do not change.

1. Go to http://www.wirelessamberalerts.org/ and enter your 10-digit wireless phone number in the box on the home page, and click submit.
2. Read and accept the terms and conditions of the program.
3. Click "Complete Subscription."
4. Enter the ZIP Codes that you frequent.
5. Choose a password. You will only need to log in to the site again if you want to unsubscribe or change your ZIP Codes.
6. Receive a welcome message on your phone, and you're done. Any Amber Alerts issued in your area will be sent to your phone as free text messages.

• My cell phone company charges me for text messages.
  Not for these text messages. The wireless carriers have entered an agreement with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to provide these text messages free, regardless of your cell phone plan.


• I don't know if my cell phone and my cell phone plan qualify for the program.
  Most major national carriers and many regional carriers participate in the program. (View a list of participating carriers here.) Your phone qualifies as long as it is capable of receiving basic text messages (almost all current phones are) and your carrier allows you to receive messages. It does not matter if your plan has an included number of text messages or a per-message charge. There are no charges for receiving Amber Alert messages in either case.


• I need to enter more than five ZIP Codes.
  Amber Alerts are issued by region or state, so listing the ZIP Code of your home and work will qualify you for all Amber Alerts in your general area. "Please note that only one ZIP code per city is necessary to receive Wireless Amber Alerts for an entire city. Most states issue state-wide Amber Alerts." (Source)

Everyone can do something to help abducted children get rescued by signing up for Wireless Amber Alerts and encouraging others to sign up too. Tell your friends and family to visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org or simply email them this page.

Help the Polly Klaas® Foundation find missing children, prevent children from going missing, and pass laws like Amber Alert that help keep children safe. Build a lens for them at the Polly Klaas® Foundation Headquarters on Squidoo or visit the Polly Klaas® Foundation website.