The Wireless Industry and The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Join the U.S. Department of Justice in Recognizing AMBER Alert Awareness Day

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
AMBER Alert Awareness Day takes place on January 13, the thirteenth anniversary
of a tragic child abduction in Texas that was the catalyst for the creation of
the AMBER Alert program.

In recognition of this important day, the wireless industry and the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) join the U.S. Department of
Justice (DOJ) in recognizing the success of the AMBER Alert program and
reminding citizens of the vital role they can play to aid in the recovery of
abducted children by registering to receive Wireless AMBER Alerts.

"AMBER Alert Awareness Day is an important reminder for all of us to renew our
efforts in making child protection a national priority," said Steve Largent,
President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association® and President of The
Wireless Foundation. "Thanks to innovative wireless technology, we can all
participate in the search and rescue of an abducted child by signing up to
receive Wireless AMBER Alerts-free text messages notifying folks of the
emergency situation wherever they are."

There is no charge to enroll in the Wireless AMBER Alerts program, and no charge
for any AMBER Alerts that are delivered. Information provided at enrollment is
used only for Wireless AMBER Alerts. 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, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have since
established AMBER Alert programs.

"In 13 years, we have seen a single, local program grow into a powerful national
network," said Jeffrey L. Sedgwick, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of
Justice Programs, who also serves as the National AMBER Alert Coordinator.
"Amber`s tragedy sparked the creation of the AMBER Alert program, now one of the
most effective tools employed to protect children."

Wireless subscribers whose wireless carrier participates in the Wireless AMBER
Alerts Initiative, may opt in to receive Alerts by completing a simple
registration process at www.wirelessamberalerts.org. Alternatively, most
wireless subscribers can simply text the word "AMBER" followed by a space and
their 5-digit ZIP Code to 26237. Then when an AMBER Alert is issued for an
abducted child in the area that you`ve chosen, you`ll receive a free text
message.

"Amber`s legacy lives on through the lives of the 432 children the program has
saved," said Ernie Allen, NCMEC President and CEO. "Wireless AMBER Alerts is a
major contribution to the AMBER Alert program, and will help to continue to save
the lives of abducted children."

Collectively, participating wireless carriers serve 96 percent of all wireless
customers in the United States.

The Wireless Foundation is a non-profit organization that was formed by member
companies of CTIA-The Wireless Association 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 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 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization. Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has
operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children`s hotline which has
handled more than 2.3 million calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the
recovery of more than 132,300 children. The organization`s CyberTipline has
handled more than 653,300 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child
Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 20,014,400
child pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with
the U.S. Department of Justice`s office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at
1-800-THE-LOST or visit the website below.

www.missingkids.com

CTIA-The Wireless Association
Shannon Nix
202.736.3891
or
NCMEC
Communications Department
703.837.6111
or
Office of Justice Programs
Summer Duncan
202.307.0703

Copyright Business Wire 2009