The system has its origins in the Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act, a bill Congress passed in 2006 as part of a larger port security bill. It allocated $106 million to create the voluntary, national emergency alert system.

Since then, the FCC has been working with wireless carriers as part of the Commercial Service Alert Advisory Committee (CMSAAC) to develop recommendations for how to execute CMAS. The FCC adopted an initial framework for CMAS in April and adopted further rules for educational and public broadcasting stations in July.

With time being the biggest issue in regards to a missing child, any way to get Amber alerts into the hands of the general public is a big step into finding that child as quickly as possible.

 

Walking Safe

• I never let my child, if under age 10, cross the street alone.
• I know exactly where my child will be walking, who with, and when to expect him home.
• My child wears reflective materials and carries a small LED flashlight when it’s dark, at dawn, and at dusk.

Playing Safe

• I supervise my child at playgrounds and parks. I also make sure there is a safe surface such as mulch, gravel, rubber or fine sand to play on.
• My child always wears the right, properly fitted protective gear when he plays team or backyard sports.
• I make sure my child wears proper sunscreen even when it is cloudy or overcast outside.

Wheeling Safe

• My child wears properly fitting helmets and other protective gear every he rides a bike, scooter, in-line skates, or skateboards.
• My child knows the rules of the road and obeys all traffic laws.

Riding Safe

• I make sure all my children have their own child safety seats or safety belts appropriate for their age and size, and that they sit in a back seat.
• I have studied both my vehicle owner and car seat manuals carefully.
• I have made sure that my car is mechanically safe and sound.
• I have inspected my car inside and out to make sure there are no sharp objects or safety hazards

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Outdoor Safety

• I routinely walk our property and where children play looking for broken glass or other potential dangers.
• Designated play areas are separated from the driveway and the road by a fence.
• The lawn is routinely mowed so any objects or toys are visible and children are less likely to trip and fall.
• I know the types and names of plants and flora on my property and I have verified they are not poisonous or toxic.
• All patio and property fences and barriers are safe and secure. My child’s head, limbs, or body can not get stuck in the rails.
• Dangerous areas such as drop-offs, cliffs, or thorn patches are safely fenced off.
• Water hazards such as lakes, ponds, creeks, or rivers are sealed off by fencing and children require my strict supervision to be near them.
• Small areas where water can accumulate have been filled.
• All sources of stagnant water such as old car tires and baby pools have been stored or removed to prevent mosquitos and West Nile Virus.
• Soft ground cover surrounds all play equipment.
• All play equipment and structures are periodically inspected for sharp and portruding hardware. Any dangers found are cut off, grinded, sanded, or covered.
• Firewood piles are stored away from play areas and children are never allowed to climb on them or play near them.
• Children are never allowed to play on patio or lawn furniture.
• All lawn and garden tools including mowers are stored securely in a shed, closet, or garage.
• Small children never play in the lawn when it is being mowed.
• Children do not play on the lawn until 48 hours after it has been treated with chemicals, fertilizers, or pesticides.
• All grills and propane are stored where children can not access them.

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Swimming Safety

• I Always supervise my child when they are playing in water. I Never take my eyes off of them or do activities that distract my attention like reading books or chatting on the phone.
• I never rely solely on a lifeguard. I am always within an immediate distance to rescue my child.
• I have made sure my child has received proper swim lessons and aquatic training. I encourage my child to continue to practice what he have learned.
• I do not allow ruff housing or dangerous play when my child is in the water.
• I am always aware of the water depth and make sure my child can safely stand with his head fully emerged out of the water.
• If diving is allowed, I never let my child dive in water less than nine feet deep

Pool Area Safety

• I always keep a mobile or cordless telephone near the pool.
• I keep all doors leading to the pool from the house locked at all times.
• There is a five foot fence that completely surrounds the pool with self-latching/self-locking mechanisms out of my child's reach.
• I do not keep toys, pets, or other temptations near the pool.

Medical Safety

• I always have the proper medical supplies readily available within the pool area.
• I have learned basic medical techniques such as CPR for both children and adults.

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The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (Metro) adopted the Amber Alert system on October 2, 2001.  Metro plays an integral role in the effort to find missing children in the Middle Tennessee area.  Metro's hard work ensures that as many missing children as possible are returned safely to their homes.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) operates at the forefront of any missing child emergency and is responsible for issuing Amber Alerts for the entire state. Every Tennessee Amber Alert is featured on the front page of its website, in English  as well as in Spanish. The TBI's efforts ensure that as many missing children as possible are returned safely to their homes.

The program's champions say that its successes have been dramatic. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, more than 400 children have been saved by Amber Alerts. Of the 17 children Massachusetts has issued alerts on since it created its system in 2003, all have been safely returned.

Those are amazing statistics, but some say very misleading as well. Criminology researchers from the University of Nevada believe that even though the Amber Alert system causes a lot of “drama” and brings wide spread knowledge of a missing child to the forefront of the community, that they actually accomplish very little.

The lead criminology researcher at the University of Nevada, Timothy Griffin, refers to the Amber Alert system as “crime control theater” and worries that the system may be based more on emotions that actions that may actually work. However, the work of the criminologists only focused on a handful of the Amber Alerts issued, and they also did not have the full report in any of those cases. He still claims that his research is absolute.

One of the main arguments for the effectiveness of Amber Alerts is that, in the vast majority of kidnappings in which Amber Alerts are issued, the children are returned safely. But most of those kids, says Griffin, would have been rescued whether an alert had been issued or not. Around 63 percent of Amber Alert issuances they looked at had "no direct effect on recovery," Griffin and his coauthors wrote in a paper last year in the Criminal Justice Policy Review. Instead, kidnappings were resolved in many cases by traditional police all-points bulletins and investigations - or because kidnappers simply changed their minds.

Does it hurt though to have as much information about a missing child out there as possible? Many don’t think so.

Defenders of the program reject Griffin's argument. Some dismiss it as needless hair-splitting, while others question his data. And, considering the grim stakes, most see little point in criticizing a tool that saves any lives at all. "If an Amber Alert saves any child, don't you think it was worth it?" says Terrel Harris, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

If it saves even one child’s life, the system is worth whatever drawbacks it may be perceived as having.

Current data on the subject of child abduction is hard to find but there were several comprehensive studies published in the early 2000's, such as the NISMART (National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Throwaway Children

Two Basic Episode Types of Child Abduction

1. Family Abduction
2. Non-family Abduction

Family Abduction - The Most Common and Least Considered

A family abduction occurs when, in violation of a custody order, a decree, or other legitimate custodial rights, a member of the child's family, or someone acting on behalf of a family member, takes or fails to return a child, and the child is concealed or transported out of State with the intent to prevent contact or deprive the caretaker of custodial rights indefinitely or permanently. (For a child 15 or older, unless mentally incompetent, there must be evidence that the perpetrator used physical force or threat of bodily harm to take or detain the child.)

Key Findings

• An estimated 203,900 children were victims of a family abduction in 1999. Among these, 117,200 were missing from their caretakers, and, of these, an estimated 56,500 were reported to authorities for assistance in locating the children.
• Forty-three percent of the children who were victims of family abduction were not considered missing by their caretakers because the caretakers knew the child's whereabouts or were not alarmed by the circumstances.
• Forty-four percent of family abducted children were younger than age 6.
• Fifty-three percent of family abducted children were abducted by their biological father, and 25 percent were abducted by their biological mother.
• Forty-six percent of family abducted children were gone less than 1 week, and 21 percent were gone 1 month or more.
• Only 6 percent of children abducted by a family member had not yet returned at the time of the survey interview.

Non-family Abductions - The Least Common and Most Feared

A non-family abduction occurs when a non-family perpetrator takes a child by the use of physical force or threat of bodily harm or detains a child for at least 1 hour in an isolated place by the use of physical force or threat of bodily harm without lawful authority or parental permission; or when a child who is younger than 15 years old or is mentally incompetent, without lawful authority or parental permission, is taken or detained by or voluntarily accompanies a non-family perpetrator who conceals the child's whereabouts, demands ransom, or expresses the intention to keep the child permanently.

It is no secret that we fear the latter most. Most of us imagine a kidnapping being perpetrated by a greasy man in a dark ally, but the truth is family is the most likely to kidnap a child. This fact means we as parents need to be responsible and attentive to the whereabouts and activities of our children, and also keep important information an arms length away.

Most parents aren't aware of the fact that medical facilities will not see and treat your child without parental consent. The liability for these facilities is too high for them treat your child, unless it's a life threatening situation. That's why it's important to always use a consent and contact form anytime you leave your child with a caregiver. That inlcludes when you use a babysitter and may be gone for only a few hours.

InstantAmber has put together a simple Consent and Contact Form that you can download and print. We encourage you to use this form whenever necessary.

Download Consent & Contact Form

• PDF
• Word

Disclaimer: This is not a legally binding form and some emergency facilities may not accept this, so you should check with your local medical facilities to make sure they will accept it from a caregiver in the case of an emergency.

1. Educate Children

One of the biggest ways you can prevent your child from being abducted is by simply teaching them the basics. For younger children that includes their full name, home address, phone numbers, and basic rules (never talk to strangers, never leave the side of an adult, etc.).

You should teach your children these basic rules:

• Always tell your parents where you will be.
• Never get into vehicles without your parent's permission.
• Don't take shortcuts or go to places where you will be alone.
• If you get separated from your parents, find a store or police officer to help you. Don't go looking!
• The child should always tell you if someone makes them uncomfortable or scared.

Going over these rules and making sure your child knows their basic information can be a great deterrent from an abduction.

2. Be Involved in Activities

If you're able, you should try to involve yourself in some of your child's activities. Simple things like offering to coach, chaperoning a field trip or eating lunch with your child can both give you a better insight into their life and help increase your child's trust in you. Use this list of parent/child activities for ideas to spend more time with your child. When you're around them try to learn more about their habits, friends, and events.

3. Know and Keep Detailed Records

This is single most important step in the event that an abduction occurs. 75% of all child abductions happen by a family member or acquaintance so it is important to have accurate details about the people that your child comes in contact with. Also the first few hours are the most important in recovering you child. Use a service like InstantAmber to keep a record of your child's details. Using a service like InstantAmber allows you to archive important information regarding your child — including their habits and relationships — so in that time of need it will be instantly available to state and federal law enforcement.

4. Prepare Child for the "What If"

In the event that something does happen to your child, he/she needs to be prepared. Teach them a few rules to maximize their chances of escape or getting help by teaching them to:

• Scream "FIRE". People are de-synthesized to hearing "Help".
• Try to escape and run if they are in danger.
• Be persistent on looking for a way to contact someone.

Try not to instill fear into your child, just help them understand that they have a choice of action and are never helpless.

5. Listen to your Child

Finally, just listening to your child could be a wonderful deterrent to future problems. Ask them often about their fears and take them seriously. Children need to trust you and never feel embarrassed with anything they share.

By using these 5 Steps to Prevent Child Abduction you can prepare you family for the worst through education and having a plan of action.

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They used the fingerprints at the bottom of each InstantAmber page as an example. You can read the full article at Smashing Magazine: "Footers In Modern Web Design: Creative Examples and Ideas"