Wireless Amber Alerts

The Amber Alert program has been very successful in helping find missing children since it began 10 years ago. But many times, the only people who become away of the alert are those at home who are watching television, where they are unlikely to spot the suspect. "I always worry when we`re at the ballpark.. it`s always tough trying to keep an eye on them all the time," says Holly Swink. You hear all the time that it only takes a second for a child to disappear from a parent`s sight. Many times, their child didn`t go far. But for others, the unthinkable has happened... their child has been kidnapped. Now, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has partnered with the wireless industry. As soon as a child goes missing and the Amber Alert is sent out, that message is then sent to your cell phone at no cost. "I`m very interested in this. I have a granddaughter that stays with me, and I had a scare when my kids were small, so this is a wonderful way for the community to participate in safety for our kids," says Carol Tarvin. Maggie Beason agrees. "It`s a great way to spread the word, spread the news and keep people alerted to it." Seventy percent of Americans have mobile phones and most of them are capable of receiving text messages. These alerts can be sent to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Maggie Beason says because she`s rarely at home, this sounds like a great idea. "There are people like myself who are rather busy, who don`t get a chance to watch television, so very rarely am I ever aware there is an amber alert going on." Signing up for the program is easy. All you have to do is enter your mobile number and a few zip codes. All the folks we talked to say now that they know about-- they`re definitely signing up. "As a new parent, yes... we could always get a cell and prepare, in case little Charlie ever goes missing," says Jake Allen. Carol Tarvin adds, "A child is a precious entity. I`d do anything, and I would want to help anybody else in that role."