ABC-7 Listens: 01.31.16

keeping up with technology? rick cabrera looks at the amber alert system in abc-7 listens. it’s been 20 years since amber hagerman was kidnapped while riding her bike in arlington, texas. her death lead to the creation of the amber alert system. it not only honors amber but is an acronym for … … america’s missing: broadcast emergency response. and according the u-s justice department … as of this past december close to 800 children had been rescued thanks to the amber alert system. from nicole … “i just logge on to facebook and found out that there is an active amber alert for a girl missing from this area. ” didn’t get the alert on my phone, nor did anyone else i’ve asked. last week i received an alert about a missing child from hundreds of miles away. “why do we not receive phone alerts on all missing children? “someone wh misses an alert might just be the one that could have spotted a missing child, if only he/she had known.” i reached out the spokesperson for the amber alert system … bob holder. he told me the alerts are geographically targeted. and it’s not necessarily based on where the child was abducted … as much as where he or she is believed to be at that given moment. in texas … there are 19 amber alert zones … el paso is its own zone … and the state amber coordinator decides where to send out the alerts. also, get this … the alert is sent to cell towers in that zone … so you could be driving through el paso … say from alabama … and you’ll get the alert if a child is abducted here … because your phone is within range of that cell tower. as far as facebook … liking their page will get you alerts … as will following them on twitter @amberalert. by the way if you are wondering if you have to subscribe to the alerts on your cell phone … the answer is no … since 2013 your phone is automatically equipped with notifications for wireless emergency alerts. so, it’s actually an opt out program … where you have to manually go into the setting of your phone and de-activate the notifications. but personally i hope you don’t … it could save a life. rick cabrera. abc-7 listens.