Wireless AMBER Alerts(TM) Are Available to Help Reunite Abducted Children in North...

Wireless AMBER Alerts(TM) Are Available to Help Reunite Abducted Children in North Carolina with Their Families

SMITHFIELD, N.C.--(Business Wire)--
An AMBER Alert was recently issued in North Carolina urging
citizens to be on the lookout for an abducted boy and his 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 audience 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 for
abducted children.

Any wireless subscriber may opt in to receive free Alerts by
completing a simple registration process at
www.wirelessamberalerts.org or their wireless carrier's website. Most
wireless customers can text the word AMBER followed by a space and
their 5-digit ZIP Code to 26237.

AMBER stands for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response"
and was created in 1996 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. The wireless industry has
officially partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice and the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to make free Wireless
AMBER Alerts available to cell phone subscribers.

More than 390 children have been successfully recovered as a
result of the AMBER Alert network.

The Wireless Foundation is a non-profit organization that was
formed by member companies of CTIA-The Wireless Association(R) 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 550,000 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has
assisted law enforcement with more than 130,300 missing child cases,
resulting in the recovery of more than 112,900 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

The U.S. Department of Justice's mission is to enforce the law and
defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to
ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide
federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just
punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair
and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

www.usdoj.gov

The Wireless Foundation
Jennifer Comer
202-736-3675
or
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Communications Department
703-837-6111

Copyright Business Wire 2008