AMBER Alert

Best Practices

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

- 2ND EDITION -
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

810 Seventh Street NW.

Washington, DC 20531

Caren Harp

Administrator

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Office of Justice Programs

Building Solutions • Supporting Communities • Advancing Justice

ojp.gov

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Enhancing Safety • Ensuring Accountability • Empowering Youth

ojjdp.gov

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, 

which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute 

of Justice; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, 

Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.

Unless otherwise noted, photos used in this report are © AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program.
AMBER Alert

Best Practices

- 2ND EDITION -

This document was prepared under cooperative agreement number 2017–MC–FX–K003 from the 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. 

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those 

of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

April 2019

NCJ 252759
AMBER Alert Best Practices Working Group ..................................................................... III

Valued Partners and AMBER Alert Contributors ............................................................. IV

Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... V

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1

Purpose....................................................................................................................................... 2

Understanding the Nature of the Problem: What the Research Tells Us........... 2

Case Management for Missing Children Homicide Investigations ...................... 3

National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and 

Thrownaway Children ......................................................................................................... 5

Development of the AMBER Alert Network................................................................ 6

AMBER Alert Criteria for Missing and Abducted Children ................................... 6

Part One: A Critically Missing Child – The Ecosystem of Response........................... 9

Outcome Contributors .......................................................................................................... 11

Part Two: The Life Cycle of an AMBER Alert...................................................................... 13

The 911 Call and Telecommunications First Response.............................................. 13

Law Enforcement Response................................................................................................ 13

Contacting the AMBER Alert Coordinator ................................................................... 15

Approving or Denying an AMBER Alert....................................................................... 15

Alert Content ........................................................................................................................... 16

Core Information Elements ................................................................................................. 18

Leveraging All Media: Broadcast, Websites, Social Media ...................................... 19

Leads/Tips Reporting Information................................................................................... 19

Alert Activation ...................................................................................................................... 21

The Activation Process – Tools and Applications ....................................................... 21

Outputs – Message Composition and Distribution Paths......................................... 21

EAS: The Emergency Alert System .................................................................................. 22

WEA: Wireless Emergency Alerts ................................................................................... 22

DOT: Department of Transportation............................................................................... 22

Supporting Output Methods: The Integrated 

Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)................................................................... 23

Ongoing Alert Management............................................................................................... 26

Alert Conclusion: Non-Emergency Channels/Paths.................................................. 28

After-Action Reporting ........................................................................................................ 29

AMBER Alert Program Committee Action ................................................................... 30

AMBER Alert Program Evolution – Continuous 

Process Improvement and Modernization .................................................................... 31

Modernization ......................................................................................................................... 32

Alerting Tactics........................................................................................................................ 33

Part Three: Strategic Outreach – Building Relationships, 

Proactive Coordination................................................................................................................. 35

Other AMBER Alert Coordinators and Programs....................................................... 35

Government: Local and State Partners ........................................................................... 36

Government: National Partners ........................................................................................ 39

Federal Law Enforcement Agencies ................................................................................ 41

Media........................................................................................................................................... 43

Regional and Local Non-Governmental Organizations

and Private Sector Partners ................................................................................................ 46

AMBER Alert in Indian Country ...................................................................................... 47

Part Four: Maintaining Readiness, Safeguarding Success .............................................. 51

The Critical Importance of Stakeholder Training

and Public Education/Awareness ..................................................................................... 51

Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................... 57

References and Resources............................................................................................................ 58

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
The following individuals are recognized for their contributions to this document. 

 Alert Best Practices 

Working Group

Program Leadership

• James Walters, AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program 

(AATTAP)

Project Chair

• Bonnie Ferenbach, AATTAP Digital Experiences Coordinator – Publications, 

eLearning, and Websites

Representing the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

• Robert Lowery, Vice President, Missing Children Division

• Alan Nanavaty, Executive Director, Special Programs

• Carly Tapp, Program Specialist, AMBER Alert Operations

Representing AATTAP Region 5

• Carri Gordon, Washington State AMBER Alert Coordinator and Program 

Manager, Washington State Patrol Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit | 

AATTAP Associate and Region 5 Liaison

Representing AATTAP Region 4

• Chuck Fleeger, Assistant Chief of Police, College Station, Texas, Police 

Department | AATTAP Associate

• William Smith, Special Agent in Charge, Kansas Bureau of Investigation | 

Kansas AMBER Alert Coordinator and Program Manager

Representing AATTAP Region 3

• Michelle DuBois, Program Coordinator, AMBER Alert Program and 

Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing Persons, Wisconsin Department of 

Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation

Representing AATTAP Region 2

• Gus Paidousis, AATTAP Associate and Region 2 Liaison

iii
Valued Partners and Alert 

Contributors

The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program and the Office of 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention acknowledge key partners from the 

media; the broadcast industry; the wireless industry; state, local, regional, and tribal 

AMBER Alert Coordinators; state missing children clearinghouses; the National 

Center for Missing & Exploited Children; FirstPic, Inc.; and other private and public 

sector partners that have championed the work of AMBER Alerts through their 

many strategic and operational efforts.

Sincere respect and gratitude are extended for the contributions of survivors 

and their families. Through the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance 

Program’s annual Family and Survivor Roundtable meetings, participants 

bring invaluable insights to the work of law enforcement and child protection 

professionals to continuously improve both investigative response and work with 

families during incidents of endangered missing and abducted children.

Collectively, these partnerships, as well as leaders at various levels of government 

and in the private sector, have played and continue to play a critical role in 

improving the AMBER Alert program and comprehensive child recovery strategies 

across the nation.

The AMBER Alert National Symposium events bring together AMBER Alert partners including AMBER Alert 

Coordinators and other child protection officials, and offer an important opportunity to learn and collaborate 

together across state and regional boundaries.

iv
Acknowledgments 

The significant enhancement and strengthening of AMBER Alert Programs across 

the United States and internationally since the development of this document 

in 2012 provides demonstrable evidence of the power and critical importance of 

AMBER Alerts as a key tool in the larger scope of a comprehensive child recovery 

process. In the years since the 2003 passage of the PROTECT Act (the Prosecutorial 

Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today Act), and the 

resulting creation of the National AMBER Alert initiative, states across the country 

have worked tirelessly to build and strengthen their AMBER Alert programs. Their 

AMBER Alert plans, involving multiple partners in the private and public sectors 

as well as the general public, have shown significant leadership, unwavering 

commitment, and relentless dedication by many to advance the shared mission of 

safely recovering endangered missing and abducted children.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention acknowledges the work 

of the professional staff and associates from the National Criminal Justice Training 

Center of Fox Valley Technical College, which delivers the AMBER Alert Training 

and Technical Assistance Program; and also recognizes the expertise and diligence 

of the state and regional AMBER Alert Coordinators who contributed their time 

and talents to the updating of this cornerstone publication.

v
The 

PROTECT 

Act

Visit the Best Practices Resource Collection 

To Download the Act

On April 30, 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law the 

Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation 

of Children Today (PROTECT) Act. The Act served to:

• Comprehensively strengthen law enforcement’s ability to 

prevent, investigate, prosecute, and punish violent crimes 

committed against children;

• Reinforce the need for every state to have a plan to notify 

the public and law enforcement of child abductions and to 

coordinate search efforts for missing children;

• Provide funding and resources to encourage states to 

implement strategies that would streamline the approach 

to safely recovering missing and abducted children; and

• Create a level of national leadership by designating the 

Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice 

Programs (OJP) to serve in the position of National AMBER 

Alert Coordinator to assist states in the development of 

those plans, and to provide guidance on the issuance and 

dissemination of AMBER Alerts.

©Pixabay/Pexels.com 

vi
The first AMBER (America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency 

Response) Alert program was created following the 1996 

abduction and murder of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman in 

Arlington, Texas. In response to this tragedy, representatives from 

local law enforcement and media joined forces to develop and 

implement a groundbreaking series of protocols to be followed in 

the event of a child abduction.

The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the 

community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of an 

abducted child. AMBER Alerts are activated in the most serious 

child abduction cases. The alerts are broadcast through radio, 

TV, road signs, cell phones, and other data-enabled devices. The 

AMBER Alert system is being used in all 50 states, the District 

of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas within 

Indian Country, and internationally across 27 countries. Learn 

more about AMBER Alerts by visiting https://amberadvocate.org

and www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/amber.

Significant progress has been made in the more than 20 years 

since the inception of AMBER Alert. Yet, as with any major 

multiagency initiative, all program partners and stakeholders 

must remain vigilant and work collaboratively to improve their 

understanding of the roles and responsibilities of every agency 

and organization involved in the program. Partners must be openminded when communicating with each other and always strive 

to meet the ultimate goal – keeping our children safe.

i Introduction

1
Purpose

The purpose of the AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide is rooted in raising 

awareness, increasing confidence in understanding, and promoting access to 

resources. Specifically, it is designed to:

• Raise awareness of roles, actions, and outcomes central to the coordination of 

an AMBER Alert program;

• Support the ability to create a meaningful and effective environment to 

facilitate recovery of missing children through the use of AMBER Alerts; and

• Promote good stewardship of the AMBER Alert program and plan for which 

AMBER Alert Coordinators are responsible.

This report provides a “what works” approach based on the input of those carrying 

out the day-to-day work of leading, administering, and executing AMBER Alerts 

as part of larger missing persons and child protection programs at the state and 

regional levels. Valuable input has also been gathered through the AMBER Alert 

Training and Technical Assistance Program’s National AMBER Alert Coordinator 

and Missing Persons Clearinghouse symposium events. This publication and its 

online resource collection offer field personnel additional information about 

effective and promising practices. It is designed for interpretation at the state 

and regional levels in a manner that allows programs to consider their resource 

limitations and diverse demographic and geographic needs.

Understanding the Nature of the Problem: What the 

Research Tells Us

Those coming into a role within an AMBER Alert system without direct experience 

in missing child investigations will benefit greatly from having a clear picture of 

the nature and scope of the problem of endangered missing and abducted children. 

Studies conducted to date provide a better understanding and definition of:

• Who missing children are,

• What happens to them when they are taken; and

• The actions required to find them.

Findings underscore the necessity of swift, targeted, and strategic response by law 

enforcement and community partners through AMBER Alerts and their larger 

comprehensive child recovery systems. Of central relevance and importance in law 

enforcement’s work to safely recover endangered missing and abducted children 

2
are the Washington State Study report Case Management for Missing Children 

Homicide Investigation, and the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, 

Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART).

Case Management for Missing Children Homicide 

Investigations

(Washington State Office of the Attorney General, 2018)

This 1993–1996 study, with a 2006 update, was funded by the Office of Juvenile 

Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and conducted by the Washington 

State Attorney General’s Office. The study area covered 44 states and included 

both large and small law enforcement agencies in urban, suburban, and rural areas. 

Researchers examined 833 cases (27.4 percent unsolved) involving more than 800 

child abduction murders occurring between 1968 and 2002 (74 percent female and 

26 percent male).

The study findings support the need for a rapid, comprehensive community 

response to missing children cases.

Key findings:

• Time is the enemy

» In nearly 60 percent of the missing children homicide cases studied, more 

than two hours passed between the time someone realized the child was 

missing and the time police were notified.

» In 76 percent of the cases studied, the child was dead within three hours of 

the abduction – and in 88.5 percent of the cases the child was dead within 

24 hours.

• The killer is statistically just as likely to be a friend or acquaintance as to be 

a stranger

» Victims and killers were strangers in 44 percent of cases studied.

» Victims and killers were friends or acquaintances in 42 percent of cases 

studied.

DIG DEEPER INTO THE WASHINGTON STATE

STUDY AND NISMART FINDINGS

AMBER ALERT BEST PRACTICES RESOURCE COLLECTION 

Research, Rulings and Findings

3

INTRODUCTION
» Fourteen percent of the cases studied involved parents or intimates killing 

the child.

• Killer profile: Prior crimes against children and sexual assault

» Nearly two-thirds of killers had prior arrests for violent crimes, with 

slightly more than half of those prior crimes committed against children.

» The use of pornography by killers as a trigger to murder is a significant 

finding, and the primary motive for the child abduction in cases studied 

was sexual assault.

• Victim age

» In 74 percent of the missing children homicide cases studied, the victim 

was female, average age 11 years.

• The killer is likely to be someone identified early on in the investigation

» There is a probability of the killer’s name surfacing during the first week 

or initial stages of the investigation.

Key recommendations:

• Families and communities must ensure children are supervised – even if 

they are in their own front yard or neighborhood. Children are not immune 

from abduction because they are close to home. Approximately one-third of 

the abductions studied occurred within one-half block of the victim’s home. 

More than half of the study’s abductions took place within three city blocks 

of the victim’s home.

• Children should be taught not to ever approach a car. Whether the occupant 

is a stranger or not, children should not approach the car – no matter what 

the occupant tells them or asks them.

• Families and communities should be aware of unusual behavior in their 

neighborhoods. Many child abductions are witnessed by people who do not 

realize that a crime is being committed.

• When a child is missing, CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY. An immediate 

response to a missing or abducted child may mean the difference between 

life and death.

4
National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, 

Runaway, and Thrownaway Children

(OJJDP, 2018)

The Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 1984 established the involvement of 

practitioners, policymakers, and researchers who now contribute critically 

important data that define the severity of abductions, as well as the characteristics 

of children who are abducted, missing from their caretakers, or sexually exploited. 

In addition, the Act requires the OJJDP Administrator to “periodically conduct 

national incidence studies to determine for a given year the actual number of 

children reported missing each year, the number of children who are victims 

of abduction by strangers, the number of children who are victims of parental 

kidnappings, and the number of children who are recovered each year.”

Today, NISMART research presents a significant body of findings across 

publications and bulletins resulting from its three major studies NISMART-1 (1984), 

NISMART-2 (1999), and NISMART-3 (2011), conducted as a component of ongoing 

data collection by the U.S. Department of Justice and its contracted partners. 

NISMART establishes five categories of episodes that can cause children to become 

missing. NISMART-2 and NISMART-3 used these standard definitions to develop 

unified estimates of missing children, including those who were and were not 

reported to an agency for help in locating them, as well as to support accurate 

classification within the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

• Abduction by a family member

• Abduction by a nonfamily perpetrator (including “stereotypical” kidnappings)

• Children who run away or are “thrown away” (i.e., abandoned, told to leave 

home, or prevented from returning home by a parent or other household 

member)

• Children missing because they are lost, stranded, or injured

• Children missing for benign reasons (i.e., misunderstandings)

NISMART’s data present a dramatic example of the high numbers of children who 

go missing each year, estimated at 1.3 million. Although many of these children 

5

INTRODUCTION
return home safely, this number underscores the magnitude of the problem and 

mandates the swift and effective involvement of law enforcement.

Development of the Alert Network

Creating and maintaining an effective AMBER Alert network is essential for 

continued success in recovering endangered missing and abducted children. While 

an AMBER Alert plan is critical to safely recovering abducted children, it should be 

considered as one tool in a larger, comprehensive approach to recovering abducted 

children.

Identifying key stakeholders, or those individuals and entities who are invested 

in contributing to successful program outcomes and who will play a primary role 

in the dissemination of an alert, is central to an effective and robust AMBER Alert 

system. Program partners, or those who provide additional support and promotion 

of the program’s purposes and processes, must also be proactively sought out, 

relationships built, and effective communications regularly fostered. The plan’s 

success ultimately rests on the involvement of critical stakeholders and partners 

who actively participate in the monitoring, planning, and development of an 

effective and seamless abducted child alert system.

Part One of this guide will establish and define those outcome contributors and 

partners that bring the AMBER Alert program, as part of the larger missing child 

response system, to life.

 Alert Criteria for Missing and Abducted 

Children

Every successful AMBER Alert plan contains clearly defined activation criteria. The 

following guidance, as developed by the U.S. Department of Justice with input from 

AMBER Alert stakeholders around the country, is designed to promote a uniform, 

interoperable network of plans across the country and to minimize potentially 

deadly delays because of confusion among jurisdictions with varying alert criteria.

Abduction verification | AMBER Alert plans require law enforcement to confirm 

an abduction before issuing an alert. This is essential when determining the 

6
level of risk to the child. Clearly, stranger abductions are the most dangerous to 

children and thus are primary to the mission of an AMBER Alert. However, family 

abductions, especially where domestic violence is a factor, should also be responded 

to with equal vigilance, as they can be just as dangerous to the safety of the child 

or children involved. In some family abduction cases, the issuance of an AMBER 

Alert or Endangered Missing Advisory (EMA) may be the best recourse to assist in 

the safe recovery of the child. Allowing activations in the absence of significant 

information that an abduction has occurred can lead to overuse and ineffective 

outcomes for the system, ultimately degrading its power to find endangered missing 

and abducted children. Experienced AMBER Alert Coordinators emphasize that 

each case must be appraised on its own merits, and a judgment call must be made 

quickly based on the best information available.

Risk of serious bodily injury or death | Plans require a child to be at risk for serious 

bodily injury or death before an alert can be issued. This relates again to care in 

avoiding overuse of public alerting, reserving alerts for the most serious cases 

in which involvement of the public will prove of benefit to law enforcement’s 

investigative work to locate and rescue the child.

Sufficient descriptive information | For an AMBER Alert to be effective in 

recovering a missing child, the law enforcement agency must have enough 

information to believe that an immediate broadcast to the public will enhance 

the efforts of law enforcement to locate the child and apprehend the suspect. This 

element requires sufficient descriptive information about the abducted child, the 

abduction, the suspect, and the suspect’s vehicle. Many plans allow for the issuance 

U N DE R S TA N DI NG DI F F E R E NC E S I N A M BE R 

ALERT ACTIVATION CRITERIA

AMBER Alert Coordinators must understand that state and 

regional AMBER Alert plans’ issuing criteria vary, often due 

to legislative mandates and/or program design, so diligence 

in reviewing and understanding neighboring states’ issuing 

criteria is a critical step in preparing to work effectively with 

other states in the event a multi-state activation request is 

made in a case.

7

INTRODUCTION
of an AMBER Alert without specific information on the abductor or a vehicle, but 

they may choose not to activate resources such as road sign messaging systems or to 

send cell phone messages unless vehicle information is known.

Age of child | While the majority of states have adopted the “age 17 or younger” 

standard, there are variances in age between AMBER Alert plans. As noted above, 

AMBER Alert Coordinators should review surrounding state plans to understand 

their alerting criteria and be prepared to effectively respond to requests for 

interstate issuance of alerts.

National Crime Information Center data entry | Data regarding the AMBER Alert 

should be entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system 

immediately, which is defined as two hours following the first call/report of the 

missing child. Entry of the alert data into NCIC expands the search for an abducted 

child from a state, local, or regional level to a national level. This is a critical element 

of any effective AMBER Alert plan. Law enforcement personnel working with call 

intake and data management should carefully review the publication Effective 

Use of the National Crime Information Center Database With Missing-Child Incidents 

reference guide to ensure proper record creation, modification, and validation 

are occurring in these case types. More information on training and operational 

resources related to NCIC and telecommunications first response is covered in Part 

Two of this guide.

©benjikat/Shutterstock.com 

8
Because an AMBER Alert program is a collaborative effort 

involving multiple agencies, the public, and the media, these 

stakeholders are outcome contributors – their actions within the 

AMBER Alert system and its processes are truly interdependent, 

and either strengthen or weaken the search to locate and safely 

recover the missing child. As the AMBER Alert initiative and 

regional and state AMBER Alert programs have evolved over 

the past two decades, experience and learning have shown us 

that like other complex and interconnected systems, AMBER 

Alerts have a life cycle and are affected by a multi-dimensional 

interaction of human decisions executed across multiple 

technologies.

Therefore, it is important to understand the AMBER Alert 

Coordinator’s role in the larger context of a missing child event. 

AMBER Alert is one of many tools in a comprehensive child 

recovery strategy. The success of an AMBER Alert activation 

ultimately rests on the proactive involvement of critical 

stakeholders alongside alert program design and execution. 

Training and resource access across each of these roles is integral 

to effective contributions to the missing child response.

1 A Critically Missing Child – 

The Ecosystem of Response

©Rosemary Ketchum/Pexels.com 

9
Comprehensive Child Recovery Strategy

Building relationships, identifying resources, and 

establishing agreements, training, and continuous 

improvement – ALL ARE CRITICAL in being ready 

to respond to missing child incidents.

PROGRAM STRATEGY:

Agreements and Policy

OPERATIONAL 

READINESS:

Procedures and Field 

Resources

COMPETENCY AND 

CONTINUOUS 

IMPROVEMENT:

Training, After-Action, 

and Process Work

• Stakeholders/Outcome 

Contributors Identified

• Interagency Agreements MOUs*

• Technology Support and 

Infrastructure (Communications, 

Mapping, Data Sharing, etc.)

• Equipment Use and Deployment 

Policy, Agreements and 

Resource Inventories

• Child Abduction Response Team 

(CART) Request and Call-Out 

Policy

• Child Abduction Verification 

Criteria for Critically Missing 

Children

• Missing Child Alerting Policy and 

Agreements for Messaging Type, 

Technology/Platform Utilization, 

and Activation

• Broadcast and Social Media 

Plans

• Continuous Improvement: AfterAction Debrief and Reporting, 

System Analysis

• Annual Review of Policies and 

Overall Plans (e.g., AMBER Alert, 

EMA**, etc.)

• Intake and Interview Protocols

» Telecommunications

» Patrol

» Investigations

• Staffing and Call Out

• Equipment Request and 

Deployment

• Initial and Ongoing 

Interagency Notifications

• Command Post Operations

• Canvass, Search, and 

Recovery

• Leads/Tips Intake and 

Management

• Public Alerting (e.g., AMBER 

Alert): Requesting, Approval/

Denial, Activations, Updates, 

and Cancellations

• Public Information 

Management: Websites, 

Broadcast Media, and Social 

Media

• Debriefs and After-Action 

Participation

• Training First Responders

» Telecommunications, Patrol

• Training Investigators

» Initial Response and Ongoing 

Case Management

• Multi-disciplinary/Full-Response 

System Training

» Mock Calls, Tabletop 

Exercises, and Field Exercises

• Equipment Tests

» Mobile Equipment, Computer 

Systems, and Infrastructure

• Public Alerting (AMBER Alert): 

Training Across All Areas of the 

Life Cycle

» Requesting, Approval/Denial, 

Activations, Updates, and 

Cancellations

• Public Education

» Awareness, Updates, 

Volunteer Training

• Leadership and Advisory 

Education

» Committee Updates, 

Process and Technology 

Demonstrations, Process 

Improvement Work

*MOU: Memorandums of Understanding

**EMA: Endangered Missing Advisory

10
Outcome Contributors

Each of these roles contribute to AMBER Alert’s work to recover the missing child.

Ecosystem of Outcome Contributors in a 

Child Abduction Event

Abduction

Event

911 & CALL

CENTER

LEGISLATI V E

FAMILY

PUBLIC

MEDIA

A M B E R A L E R T 

P R O G R A M 

LEADERSHIP

PATROL

RESPONSE

I N V ESTIGATI V E 

RESPONSE

COMMAND

POST

OPERATIONS

PUBLIC

INFORMATION

OFFICER

AMBER ALERT

COORDINATOR

Source: AMBER Alert Best Practices – Research page: https://www.amberadvocate.org/best-practices/#Research.

11

01/A CRITICALLY MISSING CHILD
• 911/Telecommunications – The 1st First Responder | The information 

gathered, supplemented, and maintained by the telecommunicator forms 

the foundation of the incident information acted on by patrol officers and 

investigators arriving on the scene.

• Patrol – First on scene: Secure, assess, classify, and mobilize | Patrol officers 

identify circumstances that lead them to believe the child is critically missing; 

their proper incident evaluation and escalation of the response is vital.

• Investigations – Expand response, build information | Trained investigators 

build upon initial interviews, leverage specialized resources, and drive 

response and updates. Investigations support can involve local, state, and 

federal law enforcement resources.

• AMBER Alert Coordinator – Engage and engineer | The AMBER Alert 

Coordinator collaborates with on-scene law enforcement to drive a rapid, 

comprehensive alert engagement to empower the public with actionable 

knowledge in the effort to safely recover the child.

• Public Information Officer – A conduit for understanding | The Public 

Information Officer conveys accurate and timely information from the law 

enforcement agency to the public via the media and works to keep the child’s 

image and the story in the news.

• Command Post – Coordinate and control | The command post serves to 

unify multiple resources to manage expansive operations efficiently and 

effectively.

• Media – Foundational ally in reaching the public | The media distributes 

information through an array of systems and platforms.

• Public – Eyes and ears | Sparked by alerts and updates, the public engages 

with a desire to help locate and recover the missing child.

• Family – A critical focal point | Family involvement can be varied and 

complex but is always important.

• AMBER Alert Program Leadership – Drive change, empower action | 

Executive leadership is a powerful catalyst for vision, advocacy, and strategic 

support.

• Legislative – Authority and funding | State and federal lawmakers codify 

the AMBER Alert program framework, establish operational and training 

mandates, and authorize the allocation of resources.

12
In child abduction cases, AMBER Alerts present a unique level 

of complexity, urgency, and investigative value. Understanding 

how AMBER Alert coordination functions across the life cycle 

of a case involving the issuance of an AMBER Alert will help 

to clarify actions, interdependencies, and outcomes, which are 

important in every key juncture of the process.

The 911 Call and Telecommunications 

First Response

Upon receiving the call about a missing child, the 

telecommunicator works through a defined intake protocol to 

gather information essential to determining the location and 

nature of the emergency, dispatching law enforcement officers, 

and entering and properly classifying the child in the National 

Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. This establishes 

an information baseline and mobilizes law enforcement’s field 

operations. The AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance 

Program (AATTAP) offers a comprehensive training program 

for telecommunicators, Telecommunications Best Practices for 

Missing and Abducted Children (TELMAC), offered both online and 

in the classroom, which provides the background, best practices, 

and operational resources needed to meet the critical demands of 

the first responder role.

Law Enforcement Response

Upon arrival, a law enforcement first responder should triage 

the event using best practices, including on-scene checklists and 

operational tools. The overarching elements of their response 

should include interviewing pertinent parties, securing the scene, 

and mobilizing additional resources. Officers should be trained, 

2 The Life Cycle of an 

Alert 

©Pixabay/Pexels.com 

13
specifically as pertains to endangered missing and abducted child incidents, on 

these key areas of enforcement and investigative work:

• Securing the Scene, Establishing Perimeter

• Interviewing Witnesses

• Canvassing and Searching

• Managing Command Post Operations

• Using Volunteers

• Coordinating Public Information

• Organizing Recovery and Reunification

AATTAP offers both classroom and online training in these areas through the 

following courses:

• Canvassing, Search and Recovery Strategies for Abducted Children 

(classroom)

• Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Training (classroom and online)

• Child Abduction Tabletop Exercises (classroom)

• Initial Response Strategies and Tactics When Responding to Missing Children 

Incidents (classroom)

• Investigative Strategies in Child Abduction Cases (classroom and online)

• Patrol First Response for Missing and Abducted Children (online)

In addition to training, a variety of resources related to law enforcement’s field 

response and investigative work in these cases can be found in the AMBER 

Advocate website’s various resource collections:

• AMBER Alert Best Practice Resources

• Child Protection and Community Safety Resources

• Child Abduction Response Team (CART) Resources

R E S OU RC E S F OR T E L E C OM M U N IC AT OR S , PAT ROL 

OFFICERS, AND INVESTIGATORS

AMBER ALERT BEST PRACTICES RESOURCE COLLECTION

FOR TELECOMMUNICATORS:

• APCO-ANS-1.101 NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES AND MODEL POLICY

• NCIC - QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE FOR MISSING CHILD INCIDENTS

(continued on next page)

14
Contacting the Alert Coordinator

Early action is essential because every minute matters when a child is missing. 

Law enforcement leadership should empower on-scene uniformed personnel 

to rapidly reach out to their AMBER Alert Program Coordinator, who will guide 

them in discussing, verifying, evaluating, and assessing the incident. The goal of 

this interaction is to decide if sufficient information exists such that issuing an 

AMBER Alert will prove beneficial to the case. The person having contact with the 

Coordinator should have direct knowledge of the ongoing event.

Approving or Denying an Alert

The decision to approve or deny the issuance of AMBER Alerts is most effectively 

executed by a primary person – the AMBER Alert Coordinator. A small group of 

alternate coordinators, trained and regularly involved in AMBER Alert operations, 

should be utilized to ensure continuity of approach. A recommended tactic involves 

R E S OU RC E S F OR T E L E C OM M U N IC AT OR S , PAT ROL 

OFFICERS, AND INVESTIGATORS (continued from previous page)

• NO FEE TRAINING – CLASSROOM OR ONLINE 24/7

» TELECOMMUNICATIONS BEST PRACTICES FOR MISSING AND ABDUCTED 

CHILDREN (TELMAC)

FOR PATROL FIRST RESPONSE AND INVESTIGATIONS PERSONNEL:

• MODEL POLICY

• PATROL AND INVESTIGATIVE GUIDES

• OPERATIONAL CHECKLISTS

• INTERVIEW, CANVASS, AND SEARCH RESOURCES

• VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

• PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER CONSIDERATIONS

• NO FEE TRAINING – CLASSROOM OR ONLINE 24/7 

» PATROL FIRST RESPONSE FOR MISSING AND ABDUCTED CHILDREN 

(PATMAC)

» INVESTIGATIVE STRATEGIES IN CHILD ABDUCTION CASES (ISCAC)

15

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
utilizing a second coordinator from the alternate group in initial contact with law 

enforcement agencies when an alert is requested. This promotes a full perspective 

on what is discussed and provides a real-world training experience. This builds 

valuable insight into the dynamics involved with the decision-making process.

The discussion with the requesting agency that leads to the decision of alert usage 

should be rich with details and the coordinator(s) should compare the specific facts 

with the DOJ-guided criteria. At the end of the discussion, the goal should be to 

have a collaborative mutual agreement on whether the alert should be utilized in 

the case. Divergence from a mutual agreement should be rare if the coordinator 

aligns the discussion with the criteria in a beneficial way. If the decision is made 

to not enact an AMBER Alert, the coordinator should provide alternative alerting 

options, such as an Endangered Missing Alert (EMA), along with offering the 

mobilization of other investigative resources.

Alert Content

AMBER Alerts must be concise, easily understood, and quickly disseminated. They 

should avoid abbreviations and police jargon, and should use the fewest words 

possible without compromising clarity. While message construction will vary 

depending on the tools used, it is critical to include specific person and vehicle 

descriptors that will help the public to identify the child and/or suspect from the 

rest of the population.

In constructing the message, be aware of the potential for further victimization 

of the child through divulging information that is unnecessary, not actionable, 

or impertinent. This would include sharing with the public any type/manner of 

physical/sexual victimization of the child known to law enforcement as part of the 

investigation, the sexual preference of the abductor (other than confirmation of the 

abductor being a registered/known sex offender), and any disability information 

(child or suspect) that does not pertain directly to the endangerment factors or 

identification efforts in the case.

16
A Child Is Missing

System Action Across Patrol, Investigations, 

AMBER Alert, and the Public

SAMPLE: Overview Process Map for AMBER Alert Deployment

First Responders Investigative Team The Public AMBER Alert Program AMBER Alert Partners

911 Call Child Is

Recovered

Deactivate 

AMBER 

Alert

Public Is Aware 

of Alert & 

Participating

Initial

Investigative

Actions

Contact

AMBER 

Alert 

Program for 

Consultation

Discussion 

of Fact 

Pattern

Endangered 

Missing 

Advisory 

(potential)

Start

 AMBER 

Alert 

Deployment

Social 

Media 

Messaging

Yes

No

Human & 

Technological Actions 

Engage Preset 

Process (IPAWS, 

WEA, EAS;* website; 

email; etc.)

Notification: 

Governmental 

Partners &

Media Partners

Partners Engage 

Alerting Protocols & 

Media Reporting

National Center for 

Missing & Exploited 

Children

DOJ

Criteria 

Met?

Mobilize 

Investigative 

& Intelligence 

Resources

Call Center 

& Leads 

Management

Ongoing

Investigative

Actions

*IPAWS: Integrated Public Alert and Warning System

 WEA: Wireless Emergency Alerts

 EAS: Emergency Alert System

17

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
Core Information Elements

The alert message is derived from the following information gathered through 

effective call intake by the telecommunicator, and through subsequent on-scene 

follow-up by officers and investigators.

• Specific information about the incident:

» Day

» Time

» Location

» Concise details about the nature of the incident (the AMBER Alert will use 

only that information which is appropriate for sharing with the public)

» Confirmation that an abduction has occurred and law enforcement 

believes the child is in imminent danger

• Child descriptive information:

» Name

» Age

» Gender

» Height and weight

» Hair and eye color

» Clothing last seen/known to be wearing

» Scars/marks/tattoos that would be readily identifiable by the public

» Any items the child may have in possession that are quickly recognizable, 

such as a bag/backpack

• Suspect descriptive information (if known):

» Name

» Age

» Gender

» Height and weight

» Hair color and eye color (if known)

» Clothing last seen/known to be wearing

» Scars/marks/tattoos that would be readily identifiable by the public

» Confirmation (if applicable) that the suspect is a known/registered sex 

offender

18
• Vehicle descriptive information (if known):

» Color, year, make, model, license plate/tag, including state of issuance

» Any highly recognizable issues with the body of the vehicle (e.g., damage, 

large areas of rust, bumper stickers, etc.)

• Known or suspected route/direction of travel and suspected destination (if 

known):

» Roads and highways believed to be used by the suspect, if known

» Other methods of transportation (such as taxi, bus, train, or airplane) that 

the suspect may use

» Town, community, or state where the suspect may be traveling 

Leveraging All Media: Broadcast, Websites, Social 

Media

The content of the AMBER Alert will directly impact the effectiveness of the alert. 

It is critical that AMBER Alert Coordinators and public information officers pursue 

an agreement with local broadcast outlets that they will disseminate radio and TV 

alerts using the same message wording and sequencing as is released through the 

Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) broadcasts.

Additional details about the missing child that are available to the public but 

not included in the alert should be provided to the news media for televised 

broadcasts, websites, and social media platforms. The state AMBER Alert program 

will generally have a website or web page within its hosting agency on which 

active AMBER Alerts and other program information are provided to the public. 

However, the handling law enforcement agency can also be well served by using a 

recognized/consistent location for active public alerts on its website, and creating 

standardized AMBER Alert content formats for use when releasing and updating 

active alerts (AMBER, EMA, etc.) via social media posts.

Leads/Tips Reporting Information

When constructing alert messages for broadcast, web, and social media, be sure 

to include phone number(s) to be used by the public for providing tips (provide 

numeric, not just alphanumeric, if used). If the agency taking the calls can accept 

text messages, also provide that information. Website addresses should be included 

and hyperlinks to those sites incorporated if possible.

19

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
AMBER Alert situations are fluid and can change minute-to-minute. Therefore, 

during an alert, AMBER Alert Coordinators, law enforcement officials, and their 

respective public information officers should be accessible to their media partners, 

providing mechanisms for reporters to verify information gathered during normal 

newsroom operations. AMBER Alert program and the handling law enforcement 

agency websites can provide a mechanism for media partners to monitor for 

updates, and may assist the public information officers in their ongoing work to 

regularly update the media.

SAMPLE EMERGENCY ALERT MESSAGE

THE METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SEARCHING FOR 10-YEAR-OLD 

JANE DOE. SHE WAS ABDUCTED AROUND 4 P.M. WHILE WALKING NEAR THE 

CORNER OF NEBRASKA AVENUE AND RENO ROAD IN NORTHWEST WASHINGTON 

COUNTY. JANE IS APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET TALL, WEIGHS ABOUT 60 POUNDS, HAS 

SHORT BROWN HAIR AND BROWN EYES, AND IS CAUCASIAN. SHE WAS WEARING 

A BLUE T-SHIRT, BLUE JEANS, AND A RED HAT, AND WAS LAST SEEN CARRYING 

A PINK AND WHITE STRIPED BACKPACK. THE SUSPECT IS A WHITE MALE IN HIS 

20S, APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET 10 INCHES TALL, 200 POUNDS, AND HAS SHORT 

BLACK HAIR. HE WAS DRIVING A BRIGHT RED OLDER MODEL FORD EXPLORER 

WITH OREGON LICENSE PLATES. THE SUSPECT WAS LAST SEEN HEADING NORTH 

ON CONNECTICUT AVENUE TOWARD I-495. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION 

REGARDING THIS ABDUCTION, CALL THE METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT 

IMMEDIATELY AT XXX-XXX-XXXX, OR DIAL 911.

THE CAE CODE

The Child Abduction Emergency (CAE) is an EAS Event Code 

used solely for AMBER Alerts. EAS, IPAWS, and WEA all rely 

on this code to flag AMBER Alerts.

20
Alert Activation

With AMBER Alert programs in every state, successful plans have leveraged 

differing approaches in utilizing resources and technologies to achieve the goal of 

rescuing an abducted child. AMBER Alert Coordinators must have a functional, 

working knowledge of messaging tools and pathways of distribution.

The Activation Process – Tools and Applications

AMBER Alert activations include multiple steps that may be completed separately 

through human intervention or may be streamlined through automated software

purchased from a vendor or customized for an agency. Regardless of the processes 

used, the goal is always to rapidly notify the public of an abducted child using the 

outputs discussed below.

Outputs – Message Composition and Distribution 

Paths

AMBER Alerts involve notifying the media, the public, and others through a variety 

of output methods. Whether the activation process is completed manually or with 

software, it should allow the AMBER Alert plan to deploy several message formats 

to accommodate the unique needs of each output type.

Software systems may provide for a single entry point to accomplish several of 

these steps in one action, while others utilize multiple contact points to distribute or 

activate different notification tools.

Awareness of the benefits and limitations of each output tool will ensure AMBER 

Alerts are clear and accurate when they are disseminated to the public.

DISTRIBUTION RESOURCES

Resource downloads and links to more detailed information on 

EAS, WEA, websites, social media, and more can be found in the 

AMBER ALERT BEST PRACTICES RESOURCE COLLECTION

21

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
EAS: The Emergency Alert System

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) interrupts television and radio broadcasts 

with emergency tones, followed by a brief audio recording and text crawl to relay 

important information to the public. EAS provides only for a brief audio segment 

and scrolling text, so these messages should present the most critical descriptive 

and actionable information first.

EAS may be activated through software, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning 

System (IPAWS), the National Weather Service (NWS), or a broadcast entity, so it is 

important to communicate with software vendors, emergency management, and 

State Emergency Communications Committees to establish/confirm deployment 

processes.

WEA: Wireless Emergency Alerts

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are governmental messages broadcast free of 

charge to all cell phones from cellular towers in a selected geographic area. WEA 

messages are activated via IPAWS. The messages require strictly limited text, 

as they are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), so it is 

important to present unique identifiers first and, if possible, direct the public to 

additional resources. Vehicle information is often the primary piece of information 

distributed through WEA, but it may be incident specific. WEA messages are an 

“opt-out” system and trigger emergency tones on cell phones, so AMBER Alert 

Coordinators should carefully consider the time of day and area for which alerts are 

being activated.

DOT: Department of Transportation

State or local Departments of Transportation (DOT) will play an integral role in the 

AMBER Alert process by posting information to signs along roadways. They usually 

have a number of Variable Message Signs (VMS) that can be activated remotely and 

will display text regarding a child abduction incident. Consider limiting use of VMS 

to cases where there is known vehicle information, since motorists are the primary 

audience. Like WEA, using DOT signs to relay specific, actionable information may 

vary based on the details of the investigation, and standards may change as the 

technology evolves.

22
Supporting Output Methods: The Integrated Public 

Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is a cloud-based 

technology hub hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

Using standard alerting language, called the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), 

authorized alerting authorities can use a variety of software programs to access 

and send information to IPAWS, which in turn distributes the information in a 

pathway to emergency messaging technologies. These technologies include the 

Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) cell phone 

messages, the National Weather Service (NWS), and other state and local systems. 

IPAWS provides a standard path between alerting authorities and the tools used to 

alert the public, enabling seamless integration and flexibility as technology evolves. 

More information about IPAWS and other alerting technologies can be found in the 

AMBER Alert Best Practices Resource Collection.

23

Source: AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

IPAWS

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System

EAS

Emergency

Alert

System

WEA

Wireless

Emergency

Alerts

Internet

State/

Local 

Alert 

Systems

National 

Weather

Service

Alerting Authority

Alerting Authority

Alerting Authority

The Integrated Public

Alert and Warning System

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
Social Media

Social media includes an ever-changing group of platforms, such as Facebook and 

Twitter. Rapidly changing technology allows for direct, widespread access to the 

public and as a result AMBER Alerts often spread in a viral fashion. Capitalizing on 

current optimization practices can help direct accurate information to the public. 

By following the social media discussion around an AMBER Alert, it is possible to 

obtain almost instantaneous feedback and adjust public communication if needed. 

AMBER Alerts are posted to national social media accounts and specialized tools 

via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) AMBER Alert 

Secondary Distribution process.

The speed of social media makes it both a flexible and challenging tool to utilize. 

Consider engaging social media specialists at your agency or at partner agencies to 

help craft and regularly evaluate procedures. Procedures and templates will provide 

consistent messaging, which will build public trust over time in the information 

being shared with them. Consider integrating the following tips:

• Hashtags, tags, and share drives draw the conversation. #AMBERAlert 

is often used by the public across platforms, and hashtagging geographic 

locations, like a city and state name, can draw in local users. Tagging media 

agencies and personalities or re-sharing articles will help spread the word 

and maintain public interest;

• Include additional content. Provide a link to the full alert information;

• Keep the public engaged. Post updates and cancellation notices to the public; 

remember they are invested in the outcome of the alert. Updates keep the 

story at the top of newsfeeds, even as the case ages;

• Set the boundaries in advance. Understand how administrators will interact 

with the public when it comes to responding or not responding to comments. 

State laws may prohibit deleting comments or banning users, so know the 

rules in advance. Monitor comments and social media for leads, if possible;

• AMBER Alerts are posted to @AMBERAlert on Twitter, and to Facebook.

com/AMBERAlert. Facebook also pushes the alerts to users near the child’s 

missing location as part of AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution;

• Be prepared for viral alerts. Users may continue to share old alerts. Update 

or delete original posts to minimize this, and post messages to the public if an 

alert continues to circulate heavily. If your posts include a link to the alert, 

24
ask your information technology department to provide a custom 404 page 

that indicates an alert is canceled when someone uses the broken link; and

• Keep posting regularly, even when there aren’t active alerts. Sharing 

program news, articles, non-AMBER cases, and other items of interest will 

keep the public invested in your program and keep profiles from appearing 

antiquated if there are long gaps between alerts.

Agency Websites

During an active AMBER Alert, it is critical to have a central location for the media 

and public to obtain current information and photographs of the victim, suspect, 

and vehicle if available. The website information should be easy to post and 

optimized for public consumption including printing, links for WEA messages, and 

mobile viewing. Proactive communication with technology teams will keep your 

website operating in alignment with current standards and promote your ability to 

provide dynamic and secure content.

Lottery

State lottery agencies have become another valuable asset for displaying AMBER 

Alert information to the public. The alert content may be printed on a purchased 

lottery ticket or displayed as text and/or images on digital signs and automated 

lottery machines. The processes for and types of information shared between state 

AMBER Alert programs and their lottery partners vary based upon agreements and 

technologies utilized by the state/region.

Partner Email and Text Notifications

Email distribution lists, apps, and opt-in text message systems are an effective way 

to reach the public and various AMBER Alert stakeholders. These systems may be 

available through alerting software, emergency management systems, standalone 

tools, or from other partner agencies. Email notifications may be used to mobilize 

important resources during an AMBER Alert. Group emails that can reach multiple 

people across operational teams should be leveraged, along with a regular process of 

updating and confirming them to ensure they remain current.

25

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is tasked by the 

U.S. Department of Justice with providing AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution 

(AASD), and can also facilitate the deployment of WEA for AMBER Alerts if needed. 

The AASD consists of a network of partners, including national corporations, 

federal agencies, and others who need AMBER Alerts provided to them in a single, 

geographically targeted format. AASD and additional critical case resources for an 

AMBER Alert are facilitated through the NCMEC 24/7 Call Center.

Ongoing Alert Management

Alert Updates

As the AMBER Alert evolves and new information comes into the investigating 

agency through tips and leads, it may be necessary to update investigators, 

the public, media, and other stakeholders. This is especially critical when the 

information changes or new identifying information becomes available. As an 

example, if the alert was initially issued with only a vehicle description and 

license plate information has subsequently been obtained through investigation, 

this should be immediately disseminated through all appropriate channels, as it 

can make tools such as WEA or DOT signs significantly more effective.

Options and Considerations for Distributing Updates

Care should be taken in determining which notification systems should be updated.

Often, an EAS message is broadcast over television and radio only one time for 

HOW T O AC C E S S NC M E C ’ S S E C ON DA RY 

DISTRIBUTION RESOURCES

Contact NCMEC for information on how to include 

them in your email notification listing, as that will 

trigger NCMEC’s secondary distribution resources for 

your AMBER Alert.

1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678)

26
THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

Detailed information on the role of the Public Information Officer can be found in 

the publication Field Response for Endangered Missing and Abducted Children: Law 

Enforcement Investigative Response in Relation to the AMBER Alert Process

Available from the

AMBER ALERT BEST PRACTICES RESOURCE COLLECTION

the initial activation, but significant updates may justify additional broadcasts. 

This concept can be applied to WEA as well. Whatever choices are made, it is 

important to understand the method and impact of updating each distribution 

resource in order to balance relaying important information to the public with 

care not to over-alert. For example, you may choose not to update the EAS or 

WEA message for a slight spelling change in a name, but may in fact choose to 

send an update when new vehicle or suspect information becomes available 

because it could enhance the investigation.

R E DUC I NG C ON F U S ION A N D F RU S T R AT ION W I T H 

CANCELLATIONS

• Best practice suggests that media outlets should place information about alert 

cancellation at the TOP of their online news stories or related content to 

reduce the frequency of redistribution of resolved alerts.

• While the public may sometimes ask that cancellation details be sent to 

WEA, it is important to remember that every WEA broadcast will set off 

emergency alert tones on potentially millions of phones. The purpose of WEA 

is to alert the public to the incident so they can seek additional information 

or take action. As the system evolves, this recommendation may change, but 

the system is currently designed to simply cease broadcasts when an alert is 

cancelled.

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT

27
Media Engagement: Beyond the First Release – Press Conferences, 

Active Media Stance/Presence

The primary investigating agency should provide the media access to a designated 

Public Information Officer throughout the incident. If the agency does not have 

this resource, another agency with established media relationships and processes 

may be involved to assist. Consistent and regularly updated public information 

throughout an incident not only improves the chances of swift and safe recovery, 

but can also foster good will from the public for current and future cases, and build 

trust with media counterparts.

Alert Conclusion: Non-Emergency Channels/Paths

Informing the Media of the Cancellation

As soon as the child has been recovered, information about the conclusion of the 

AMBER Alert should be swiftly and accurately relayed to the media. Specific 

information about the condition of the child should be handled by the primary 

investigating agency during a follow-up press conference if needed, while the 

cancellation notice from the AMBER Alert plan should be more generic. The Alert 

cancellation should, at a minimum, indicate if the child has been recovered, and if 

the suspect is in custody or is still at large.

Updating Additional Distribution Resources

Ensure that all parties participating in the alert are notified of the cancellation. 

Websites and social media sites should be updated with cancellation posts, and 

emails should be sent to distribution lists and NCMEC. EAS, WEA, and DOT sign 

broadcasts should be canceled, but should not be re-broadcast with the cancellation 

information to the public in order to avoid triggering alert tones and emergency 

notifications.

If the Child Remains Missing

Unfortunately, not all AMBER Alert cases result in the recovery of the child. 

Maintaining the active status of the alert may not benefit, and may even hinder, the 

investigation. As the case continues, other investigative tools may add more value 

to the search for the child. Care should be taken in determining when to cancel an 

alert for an unrecovered child along with what the best course of action should 

28
be in notifying the public. Some plans have a mandated expiration timeframe or 

alternate status for alerts where the child has not been found. This can provide 

a more consistent investigative process for children who remain missing. Some 

AMBER Alert plans require the decision of whether or not to cancel an alert to be 

made jointly between the AMBER Alert Coordinator and the primary investigating 

agency.

After-Action Reporting

An effective after-action review is an essential element of the continuous 

improvement process related to the issuance of an AMBER Alert. As soon as 

practical after the missing child incident is resolved, an in-depth review should be 

conducted to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the AMBER Alert process. 

All facets of the process should be dissected with a critical eye to determine what 

must be done to correct deficiencies or gaps in service delivery. Particular attention 

should be given to issues that resulted in delays in the issuance of the alert.

The review should be attended by individuals who were directly involved in 

the incident, as well as leadership constituents who have the ability to initiate 

immediate corrective measures. Detailed minutes should be kept with emphasis 

placed on who is tasked with correcting deficiencies as well as timelines in which 

the corrections will occur. Areas that might be included in the review are as 

follows:

• The Telecommunicator/Call-Taker role in the issuance of an AMBER Alert;

• Field discussions and processes initiated by on-scene first responders;

• Notifications with appropriate individuals involved in requesting activation, 

i.e., command personnel who may not be on scene;

• Activation/notification/communication with the AMBER Alert Coordinator;

• Timelines associated with the activation process;

• Utilization of appropriate technology and any problems that delayed the 

alert;

• Processes involved in processing tips/leads;

• Processes for updating alert information to be sure accurate and complete 

information is broadcast/disseminated;

• Processes around cancellation of the alert; and 

• Training issues or gaps in human performance.

29

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
After-action reviews must be conducted with open, honest, and frank dialogue. 

This is absolutely essential to an accurate assessment of how things went, and 

creates the foundation for the system’s ability to improve and grow stronger with 

every missing child incident handled.

In documenting findings and preparing a final report, be sure to create 

documentation that will align with open-records laws in your state, and make 

distribution of the report and any related resources to all roles in your system a 

priority. Your AMBER Alert system team should ideally have a chance to receive, 

review, and understand the findings before any formal presentation of the 

report is made. Diligence in developing, distributing, and discussing after-action 

findings creates a common denominator of information and perspective from 

which the AMBER Alert oversight committee can best review processes, make 

recommendations, and support the work and resources needed for continuous 

improvement.

 Alert Program Committee Action

AMBER Alert programs are a collaborative effort among law enforcement, media, 

technical partners, advocacy groups, and citizens. The establishment of committees 

can allow a venue for these stakeholders to provide input to the program. 

Committee activity would be complementary to a robust after-action review 

process.

A committee involved with an AMBER Alert program should have a purpose 

statement that defines its role and scope. The statement can vary based on the 

intent of the guidance, with two general categories of feedback: oversight and 

technical guidance. The participants on committees should be carefully selected for 

their role and how they can influence the respective committee and/or program.

An oversight committee should contain executive-level members representing the 

AMBER Alert program, patrol, investigation, prosecution, media, and the public 

via an at-large member. This type of committee can provide input on historic 

program motion and strategic advice on future program direction. An annual or 

semiannual review of all alerts deployed and requested can provide insight to the 

trends within a given program and geographic area. The insights can be formative 

in understanding existing challenges and creating an architecture of training and 

improvement to overcome the challenges.

30
A technical guidance committee should contain engineers or practitioners from 

media and technical partners. For example, it could contain media engineers from 

radio, television, and web design alongside partners representing the cellular 

industry, digital billboards, government signage, and software vendors associated 

with the alert apparatus. This type of committee can provide information 

on the mechanical distribution pathways accessed by the alert, and accurate 

troubleshooting in the event of technical challenges. This group should also have 

insight to evolving technology that could be harnessed in the future.

 Alert Program Evolution – Continuous Process 

Improvement and Modernization

When Minutes Matter

An AMBER Alert Coordinator or Program Manager should consistently question 

everything in their span of control. Can it be improved, modernized, or eliminated? 

They should measure and map everything that moves under their control 

internally or moves under the influence of their external training. Does each 

motion add sufficient value at the expense of time? During a child abduction event, 

minutes matter and a contemporary AMBER Alert program recognizes the need for 

continuous process improvement and modernization.

Continuous process improvement is about implementing change within the 

mechanics of an AMBER Alert activation. The AMBER Alert activation process 

can be defined as a series of human or technological actions that produce a 

timely, accurate, and expansive message to the public about an abducted child. 

All programs can benefit by employing a formalized strategy of continuously 

evaluating their internal and external processes in a way that increases speed, 

eliminates waste, reduces error, and cultivates efficiency.

PROCESS DEVE L OPM E N T A N D C ON T I N UOU S 

IMPROVEMENT

AMBER ALERT BEST PRACTICES RESOURCE COLLECTION

Links to sample process maps and continuous improvement resources

31

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
Proven Methods for Identifying What Is Working For, and Against, 

Your AMBER Alert Process 

The sectors of manufacturing, health care, public utilities, and business 

management have all formally recognized the need for continuous process 

improvement, and an entire career framework has emerged for professionals 

executing these duties. AMBER Alert programs can leverage those professionals or 

utilize their training and tools available to enact process change.

In an overview, the life cycle of process improvement begins with a granular 

understanding of the human and machine operations relating directly to the 

activation of an AMBER Alert within the coordinator’s span of operations, from 

the point of abduction to the launch of the alert apparatus. With a well-mapped 

process and a pool of historical records gathered on previous AMBER Alert events, 

coordinators can benchmark the life cycle of previous alerts. It is likely that a 

review of the previous life cycles will provide clues about areas for improvement. 

A methodical data-driven development cycle can then be implemented that uses 

tools to define, measure, analyze, improve, and control the processes in the area for 

improvement. In most cases, programmatic improvements can occur with no cost, 

low cost, or even with a cost savings.

Modernization

Careful Analysis to Leverage the Right Technologies in a Rapidly 

Changing Landscape

Continuous process improvement focuses on developing consistent ongoing 

incremental change to existing mechanics, while modernization is dedicated to 

implementing new technologies or strategies related to alerting. Technology is 

evolving rapidly and in ways that can be difficult to predict. When evaluating the 

adoption of new technologies within an AMBER Alert system, consideration should 

be given to whether the new technology will be adaptable over time, interoperable 

with other existing processes as needed, and scale with the potential growth of the 

system.

32
Emerging technologies can reshape the methods of how an AMBER Alert activation 

shares information with the public. Methods considered new a few years ago 

are now considered standard emergency messaging pathways (e.g., IPAWS-WEA, 

website hosting, automated email distribution, reverse 911, etc.). As new platforms 

of media and message consumption are developed, conduits should be explored 

to establish a pass-through for emergency messaging. Some current examples of 

emerging pathways are mobile application integration, automobile infotainment 

systems, Next Gen TV (ATSC 3.0), and the ever-expanding social media platforms 

(e.g., beyond Facebook and Twitter).

Alerting Tactics

Making the Most of the Skilled Practitioners Available to You

State, major metropolitan, and local emergency managers are professional 

practitioners of alerting the public. They are typically good sources of information 

about emerging systems and understand the most effective combination of alerting 

tactics in their communities. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office 

of Justice Programs, utilizes NCMEC to manage the AMBER Alert Secondary 

Distribution Program, which continuously incorporates new partners and their 

technologies. A synergistic approach between AMBER Alert programs and NCMEC 

can help identify different national and local initiatives for future incorporation 

into the alerting apparatus. In an interconnected world, it is important for the alert 

to flourish across multiple modern communication channels to meet shifting public 

expectations and increase alert effectiveness.

LEARN MORE ON ALERTING TACTICS

AMBER ALERT BEST PRACTICES RESOURCE COLLECTION

Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology 

Report on Alerting Tactics

33

02/THE LIFE CYCLE OF AN AMBER ALERT
34
Building and maintaining forward-thinking relationships, 

before the critically missing child case occurs. The success of an 

AMBER Alert does not begin with the call to the AMBER Alert 

Coordinator or even during the development of sound policies 

and procedures. Relationships and partnerships developed well 

in advance and maintained over time form the foundation of any 

successful endeavor, including AMBER Alert plans.

Other Alert Coordinators and 

Programs

An AMBER Alert Coordinator’s partnerships with peers 

plays a significant role in shaping his or her view of the alert 

landscape. These partnerships can help build and maintain a deep 

understanding of the national AMBER Alert infrastructure, the 

AMBER Alert programs of their surrounding jurisdictions, and 

their own AMBER Alert program. Building these relationships 

requires a consistent effort of communication over time.

Partnerships should begin with neighboring AMBER 

Alert programs, which are important for operational and 

strategic reasons. Operationally, child abduction events can 

frequently travel across jurisdictions, and the continuity of 

the investigation and alert are vital. During a multi-program 

alert, it is essential to normalize the messages that are 

relayed to the media and public alongside the facilitation of 

law enforcement’s investigative relationships. Strategically, 

building an understanding of neighboring programs can help 

in the continuous process improvement cycle. Programs can be 

benchmarked together, input/output mechanics can be evaluated, 

and peer support can be formed for assistance during and after 

events.

3 Strategic Outreach – Building 

Relationships, Proactive

Coordination

35
Partnerships with the national AMBER Alert infrastructure (e.g., DOJ, NCMEC, 

OJJDP, and AATTAP) allow for a conduit to national trends, services, training, and 

technical assistance. Relationships built within these entities and the subsequent 

participation with them in national initiatives can increase programmatic 

collaboration, improve technical skills, and assist in the development of effective 

policies and practices.

Government: Local and State Partners

Law Enforcement Agencies | Local law enforcement agencies, including their 

Public Information Officers and/or other authorized media representatives, 

are a most critical element of a successful AMBER Alert. If these agencies are 

unaware of the existence and processes involved in the AMBER Alert plan, it can 

significantly delay or prevent activation of their valuable resources. Continuous 

communication as to changes in the agency, and with the plan itself, can eliminate 

wasted time at the most critical juncture, the origination of the request and 

subsequent activation. Knowing and maintaining multiple points of contact at area 

agencies can greatly enhance the effectiveness of any AMBER Alert plan.

Child Abduction Response Teams (CART) | An AMBER Alert is part of a 

comprehensive strategy with the primary goal being the safe recovery of the 

abducted child. While the AMBER Alert is designed for rapid dissemination of 

actionable information to the public, another important aspect is a quick and 

prepared response by appropriate multi-disciplinary personnel. Many areas 

have developed and maintain CARTs that cover local, county, regional, and/

or state areas. Any case involving an AMBER Alert has a significant chance of 

also warranting the involvement of a CART response. As these two valuable 

resources are linked in their impact, it is important to develop solid, consistent 

communication and working relationships with CART leadership in advance of 

any critical situation involving an endangered missing child.

36
State Attorneys General | In terms of AMBER Alert program coordination, 

State Attorneys General can serve as strong partners in working to support 

communication with private industry partners for needs and planning related 

to handling the demands of emergency alerting systems/programs. For law 

enforcement, Attorneys General Offices, upon receiving alerts via email and/or 

text notifications at the onset of the alert, can respond to assist law enforcement’s 

investigative efforts as needed to proceed in a manner which best supports 

prosecutorial efforts in the case.

State Missing Persons Clearinghouse | Each state has a designated Missing 

Persons Clearinghouse that can provide important resources and services to any 

agency experiencing a missing child case. Clearinghouses serve as a repository of 

information about missing and unidentified persons in their respective states. They 

provide for the exchange and dissemination of information with the aim of helping 

law enforcement locate missing persons, and provide services such as toll-free help 

lines, websites, brochures, education, and public awareness as well as networking 

with other missing persons professional practitioners, organizations, and agencies.

Emergency Management | Child abduction cases and the response to them will 

almost always become large multi-disciplinary events that may also be multijurisdictional. Emergency Managers specialize in oversight related to the Incident 

Command System (ICS) as part of the National Incident Management System 

(NIMS). They can assist agencies in facilitating the response to disasters and other 

emergencies, and are able to assist in managing resources and coordinating partners 

involved in the emergency management response.

Fusion Centers | Created after 9/11, fusion centers are in every state and consist of 

multiple agencies located within the same physical location to promote information 

sharing and collaboration. They provide interdisciplinary expertise and situational 

awareness to inform decision making to assist local law enforcement in protecting 

against and responding to criminal and terrorist activity. Due to the potential broad 

reach of any AMBER Alert, fusion centers across the states of issuance may be 

utilized during activation and with subsequent investigative efforts. Each fusion 

center operates differently; it is important to learn how the fusion center(s) in your 

area operate and what value they may provide to your AMBER Alert program.

37

03/STRATEGIC OUTREACH
State Departments of Transportation (DOT) | One of the most visible and iconic 

symbols of an active AMBER Alert is the programmable highway sign displaying 

information about a suspect vehicle. Partnering with the state DOT to rapidly 

distribute information can significantly increase the reach of an AMBER Alert 

activation by alerting thousands of citizens already on the roadways where the 

suspect vehicle may be traveling, providing them with actionable information 

while driving. Knowing in advance the type and format of information needed to 

activate these resources is critical.

Lottery | Distribution of AMBER Alert information through state lottery officials 

has the capability to expand the reach of the message even further. Information 

displayed on point-of-sale kiosks as well as printed tickets can reach literally 

millions of people, increasing the number of people on the lookout for the abducted 

child. This greatly increases the chances of making a safe recovery. Each AMBER 

Alert program works independently with lottery providers in their states, so 

the AMBER Alert Coordinator should build and maintain these relationships, 

establishing agreements for receipt, content, and distribution of alerting 

information.

Schools | Local school districts typically have a variety of means for distributing 

information related to events impacting school operations, and these can be 

leveraged to help distribute AMBER Alert related information. Engaging these 

resources as well as tapping into school bus operations can expand the reach and 

scope of individuals actively seeking missing children, suspects, and vehicles. Many 

schools have sophisticated video surveillance systems that could provide relevant 

information about the abduction. Additionally, school districts have a multitude 

of personnel, such as school resource officers, counselors, principals, teachers, and 

classmates, who can be of benefit in obtaining information related to the abducted 

child. Law enforcement should be aware that schools/classmates of an abducted 

child may be a source of information spreading online, whether from official 

sources or not, and whether true or not.

38
Mass Transit | Engagement of local and regional mass transit systems allows 

dissemination of information about the AMBER Alert to transit operators and 

the thousands of people utilizing the system through programmable signs, radio 

communications, video surveillance, and billboard/poster placement or display. 

Specific information as to routes and modes of travel of suspects can direct 

the distribution of information to those resources and can result in additional 

actionable information.

Government: National Partners

U.S. Department of Justice | The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) coordinates the 

AMBER Alert program at the national level under the direction of the National 

AMBER Alert Coordinator, who is responsible for assisting state and local officials 

with developing and enhancing AMBER Alert plans, and promoting statewide and 

regional coordination among plans. The AMBER Alert Coordinator is tasked to:

• Facilitate AMBER Alert network development;

• Support development of state AMBER Alert plans and efforts;

• Help eliminate geographic gaps in AMBER Alert networks;

• Provide regional AMBER Alert network coordination; and

• Establish guidance on criteria for issuing an AMBER Alert.

AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program | Training, technical 

assistance, and resources are uniquely developed and delivered via onsite and 

online methods to support and strengthen the work and programs of AMBER 

Alert across the nation, and internationally in cooperation with the U.S. border 

countries. AATTAP provides a secure AMBER Alert Partners Portal for AMBER 

OTHER PARTNERSHIP CONSIDERATIONS

Social Services organizations and State Attorneys General are 

excellent strategic partners in the comprehensive response 

to an endangered, missing, or abducted child, and can bring 

important resources to bear in the investigation.

39

03/STRATEGIC OUTREACH
Alert Coordinators, Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers, and Child Abduction 

Response Team (CART) program leaders – supporting interstate collaboration 

toward a more robust nationwide network of prevention and response efforts for 

the problems of endangered missing and abducted children.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) | In addition to 

facilitating AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution resources and WEA as previously 

described, NCMEC has also been tasked by DOJ to maintain national data for 

AMBER Alerts. In cooperation with the AMBER Alert Coordinators, a report is 

published each year and can be found at missingkids.org/amber. Communication 

should be maintained with NCMEC before, during, and after alerts to make sure 

activations go smoothly and data are gathered accurately. NCMEC has a variety 

of resources for law enforcement, families, and the public regarding missing and 

exploited children. Assistance is available 24/7 and can be accessed by calling 

1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678). Additional information is available at missingkids.org.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) | The FCC and FEMA provide regulatory and 

operational support at the national level. The FCC mandates the standards for 

use of all public communication tools and technology, which impacts emergency 

alerting with everything from traditional broadcast to WEA. FCC directives drive 

communication modernization while also monitoring for compliance and proper 

use of communication tools.

FEMA provides operational tools for alerting, including IPAWS, and provides 

a comprehensive library of information on alerting standards and technology. 

AMBER Alert Coordinators should leverage their relationship with FEMA when 

exploring software vendors, EAS, IPAWS, or any future national tools for alerting.

FEMA AND FCC RESOURCES

Links to current FEMA and FCC information can be found in the

AMBER ALERT BEST PRACTICES COLLECTION

40
Federal Law Enforcement Agencies

While AMBER Alert is a tool that is deployed through local agencies, it is critically 

important that existing relationships and partnerships exist with federal agencies 

as well. While some notifications at this level are automated through existing 

processes, such as the NCIC entry for the abducted child with the Child Abduction 

(CA) or the AMBER Alert (AA) flag, nothing can replace the immediacy of specific 

plan notification that brings local representatives of federal agencies into the 

incident as soon as possible.

As the AMBER Alert is being issued through our media partners and other means of 

distribution, the local agency will start to feel the impact of widespread awareness 

about the abduction through escalating response demands in the form of phone 

calls, tips, and needed follow-up. This increased demand can very easily overwhelm 

and/or move beyond the jurisdictional boundaries of the original agency.

Agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Marshals 

Service (USMS) can provide immediate assistance in the form of additional 

personnel, clerical support, analytical support, and technological assistance for the 

investigation and continued response. Having relationships with those entities can 

streamline the process of involving the agency and its specialized resources during 

the critical, early phases of an activation and investigation.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Transportation Security 

Administration and Customs and Border Protection components may also become 

involved early in an activation, depending on the location and potential travel 

of the suspect and the abducted child. Additionally, depending on the location 

of the alert and specific information related to the travel of the suspect and the 

abducted child, existing relationships with bordering state law enforcement 

agencies can prove very beneficial. Having points of contact and engagement with 

those representatives can facilitate reciprocal activation of their AMBER Alert 

plan; however, this is a task that would most assuredly best be accomplished via a 

shared agreement or MOU in advance of a crisis situation. All federal stakeholders 

operating in your state should be included in your list of automatic notifications 

when issuing an AMBER Alert.

41

03/STRATEGIC OUTREACH
AMBER Alerts, at their foundation, are about partnerships which support a 

comprehensive child recovery strategy; those between law enforcement, the 

media, emergency management, and other local, state, and federal entities. These 

relationships should be leveraged and utilized at a local and operational level 

whenever possible; and when forged at the agency and individual levels, they are 

better positioned to enable swift and effective response by all parties involved to 

safely recover missing children.

FBI RESOURCES

The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program 

provides rapid and effective response to all incidents of crimes 

against children. As part of this program, the FBI can provide 

Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Teams (CARD) composed 

of experienced personnel with a proven track record in violent 

crimes against children investigations, especially cases where a 

child has been abducted by someone other than a family member.

Team members provide on-the-ground investigative, technical, 

command post, mapping, and other resource assistance to state 

and local law enforcement. The teams work closely with FBI 

Behavioral Analysis Unit representatives, National Center for the 

Analysis of Violent Crime coordinators, and Child Exploitation 

Task Force (CETF) members.

42
Media

Building Trust: Creating Relationships, Joint Planning, 

Communicating Regularly

At its core, AMBER Alert programs are founded on strong partnerships with 

various media outlets, which are vital allies in the search for a missing child. 

While the technologies which drive the creation and distribution of AMBER Alert 

messages, and thus the nature of the operational coordination with media outlets, 

have changed since AMBER Alert’s inception, care in creating and sustaining these 

partnerships is no less important now than in the early days of AMBER Alert 

programs.

Relationships between key personnel within the activating agency and its local 

media outlet(s) are critical to the swift and clear communications upon which 

successful deployment of an AMBER Alert depends. These relationships must be 

fostered and maintained through regular communication. With changing personnel 

assignments likely to occur on both sides, it is important to remain in contact 

with area media outlets and make key introductions and build relationships with 

new/incoming partners in a proactive manner. A strong sense of trust between 

the media and law enforcement that alerts are only issued when all previously 

established criteria have been met can make all the difference in ensuring strong 

and clear communication about the alert and the missing child case.

Local TV and radio stations are the primary distributors of EAS messages, and reach 

their audiences with original broadcast and subsequent follow-up reporting on the 

incident. In addition to this primary outreach, they typically have large audiences 

through their website and social media presence. This allows an increasingly broad 

and swift outreach to the community at large.

Print media, while not historically an obvious “broadcast” partner, has seen their 

audience and reach evolve over the years. Most print media outlets also have 

website and social media followings that can be leveraged to help distribute the 

message, as many people sign up for and receive “breaking news” alerts from these 

outlets.

43

03/STRATEGIC OUTREACH
Agreements to Support Operations

AMBER Alert Program Coordinators and local law enforcement agencies are 

encouraged to work proactively with their area broadcasters and other media 

outlets to conduct planning sessions and develop operating agreements to promote 

the most immediate and effective response possible during AMBER Alerts. To 

protect the integrity of the AMBER Alert system and prevent transmission of 

false or misleading information to the media, clear parameters must be established 

about when, how, and what information will be shared by law enforcement when 

AMBER Alerts are activated in a child abduction case. The following represent just 

some of the elements of those parameters which may be established, agreed to, 

and assessed through after-action reviews following cases.

• Law enforcement officials will provide complete, thorough information 

that is not legally prohibited and does not jeopardize the integrity of an 

investigation or the child’s safe rescue.

• Law enforcement officials will recognize that broadcasters have a 

responsibility to the public to provide accurate information; therefore, law 

enforcement should confirm (and refute if necessary) speculative reports 

before they are picked up/shared by the media.

• Law enforcement officials will quickly terminate an AMBER Alert when the 

threat is no longer imminent or apparent, or when the child is rescued, even 

if the suspect is still at large. AMBER Alerts are for the child, not the suspect.

• Activation of an AMBER Alert will not prevent news organizations, including 

stations airing AMBER Alerts, from using this information for legitimate 

news purposes.

• Information gleaned by legitimate news operations but not provided in the 

AMBER Alert announcement can be disseminated to the public in news 

broadcasts and newspapers.

• Law enforcement will establish procedures for making information available, 

when possible, to the media and to other law enforcement agencies before 

requesting an alert.

• Law enforcement and the media will agree to provide the time and personnel 

resources necessary for periodic tests of the equipment, systems, and 

platforms used for alerting the media.

• The official, approved AMBER Alert cannot be altered without the 

permission of the issuing law enforcement agency.

44
State Emergency Communications Committees 

State Emergency Communications Committees can be an extremely valuable 

resource in the event of a publicly noticeable glitch in the EAS message. If public 

complaints are received by the AMBER Alert Coordinator, and with a functional 

working knowledge of how EAS is handled in the jurisdiction, the coordinator is 

better able to provide valuable feedback both to the public and law enforcement 

alerting authorities on how to best address potential issues with future alerts. 

Because AMBER Alerts are just one of a small number of emergencies that are 

authorized for use of the EAS and WEA, it is critical for AMBER Alert Coordinators 

to build these relationships in advance so that in the event of an alert, technical or 

operational questions about the system can be addressed at the appropriate level.

State Broadcasters Associations

State broadcasters associations can be a valuable partner for the AMBER Alert 

Coordinator to develop and maintain for future alerts and issues or questions 

regarding broadcast media. The association is a high-level point of contact in 

reaching those media entities that may not be participating or may need guidance 

in how best to assist in the event of an alert activation. The broadcasters association 

president may sit on the State Emergency Communications Committee.

C A R E F U L , C O OR DI NAT E D R E L E A S E OF 

INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC

AMBER ALERT BEST PRACTICES

RESOURCE COLLECTION

RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

(American Bar Association, 2018)

PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER:

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

45

03/STRATEGIC OUTREACH
Regional and Local Non-Governmental Organizations 

and Private Sector Partners

Businesses Utilizing Electronic Message Signs/Boards and Other 

Distribution Networks

Private business owners often want to donate resources to share AMBER Alerts 

with the general public, their customers, or employees; this can be a great way to 

get information to a variety of populations. For instance, casinos or shopping areas 

often have internet-connected digital signs which customers look at regularly. 

Whatever the resource, it is important to determine the purpose and scope for the 

tool so it can be effectively used for AMBER Alerts. Businesses with reach in a small 

area or a single state, or small number of states, may find connecting directly with 

specific states’ AMBER Alert plans to be the best solution. However, companies 

with a larger reach to several states or nationally may find it more effective to 

become an AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution Partner with NCMEC and obtain 

a single feed through this program. Creatively connecting with businesses can help 

the AMBER Alert Coordinator discover powerful new ways to spread AMBER Alert 

awareness.

License Plate Reader Vendors/Platforms

The use of license plate reader (LPR) data by law enforcement agencies has rapidly 

expanded over the past decade. LPR systems work by scanning and photographing 

license plates of parked or moving vehicles with instrumentation in fixed positions 

or mounted on vehicles. This information is cataloged into databases that can be 

queried by those with access. The instruments capturing and cataloging these data 

can be owned and operated by law enforcement agencies or commercial entities 

(e.g., towing or repossession companies, private parking vendors, etc.).

AMBER Alert Coordinators should generally understand the nationwide web 

of data that exists in a variety of LPR databases, and have partnerships with 

federal agencies that can provide insight and assistance across state lines (e.g., 

DEA, U.S. Marshals, DHS-ICE, etc.). Moreover, coordinators should have an indepth understanding of LPRs operating within their area of program coverage. 

Specifically, they should know what entities (law enforcement and/or commercial) 

46
are collecting data and where their instrumentation operates, and should develop 

a methodology for actively utilizing their repositories of data with license 

information related to a child abduction event. Fusion centers in your area of 

responsibility may be able to assist as well.

Victim Advocacy Centers and Child Protection Nonprofit Organizations

The goal of an AMBER Alert is always the safe recovery of the abducted child; 

to do so successfully involves the work and focus of many different agencies 

and disciplines. The goal of safeguarding the most vulnerable among us does not 

exist solely in the event of a child abduction, and because of this there are many 

entities within communities that are focused on that mission at all times. Local 

child advocacy centers, missing person organizations, and others exist outside of 

local government and are valuable resources at any time when dealing with child 

well-being and protection issues. These entities are well established with support 

networks of volunteers, donors, and other child advocates.

Work to identify and build relationships with key points of contact at local/area 

child advocacy centers and similar organizations that can work with your agency 

when a child goes missing or is abducted. They may provide victim and family 

support, and help to coordinate resources for the family early on and over the 

duration of the case. Establish agreements or MOUs which outline the purpose and 

scope of involvement and which support swift call-out and notification of child and 

family advocates and support services when needed.

 Alert in Indian Country

Mission

The primary mission of the AMBER Alert in Indian Country initiative is to design, 

develop, and implement AMBER Alert programs in Indian Country; to foster 

relationships between tribes and their state and regional AMBER Alert plans and 

partners; and to provide tribal communities with training and resources for quickly 

recovering missing, abducted, or exploited children.

47

03/STRATEGIC OUTREACH
A CHILD IS MISSING:

THE FAMILY’S PERSPECTIVE

OJJDP and AATTAP convene an annual roundtable event 

during which family members and survivors of missing 

and/or abducted children come together to share their 

experiences and to help law enforcement better understand 

how enduring the disappearance or abduction of a child or 

sibling affects them. In the face of the anxiety, fear, and often 

horror that comes with these incidents, law enforcement’s 

approach to working with the family during initial response, 

public alerting, ongoing investigation, and court prosecution 

proceedings has profound and lifelong impacts on the family 

– and the victim if safely recovered. Invaluable insights and 

recommendations on what law enforcement did well – and 

what they could have done better – are gained from these 

roundtable events.

AMBER Alert Coordinators and other AMBER Alert 

partners can read past Family Roundtable Reports by 

logging into the AMBER Advocate Website Partners Portal 

and visiting the Partner Resources area: 

https://www.amberadvocate.org/partner-portal/

Resources for families can be found at the AMBER Advocate 

Website Community Resources area: 

https://www.amberadvocate.org/training-resources/

community-resources/#rfc

And from NCMEC: 

http://www.missingkids.com/ourwork/support

48
The 2018 Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act

A law born out of the tragic abduction and murder of 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike 

of the Navajo Nation endeavors to bring increased law enforcement coordination, 

new and expanded resources, and renewed hope for solid protection of children 

living on tribal lands. The Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act was 

passed in April 2018, nearly two years after Ashlynne was kidnapped and killed on 

May 2, 2016, near the town of Shiprock on the Navajo Nation Reservation. The Act 

expands the original PROTECT Act that started the National AMBER Alert program 

in 2003, and offers help for tribes by allowing for integration of tribal AMBER Alert 

systems into state AMBER alert systems, making Indian tribes eligible for AMBER 

Alert grants, permitting the use of grant funds to integrate state or regional AMBER 

Alert communication plans with an Indian tribe, and waiving the matching funds 

requirement for grants awarded to Indian tribes.

Outreach, Partnerships, Implementation, and Growth

AATTAP has developed a five-element process for implementing AMBER Alert in 

Indian Country under the new law. That process involves educating and informing, 

assessing needs, conducting meetings, developing tribal resolutions and partnership 

agreements with state AMBER Alert systems, and delivering training and technical 

assistance to ensure the support needed is provided every step of the way.

49

03/STRATEGIC OUTREACH
Pamela Foster, mother of Ashlynne Mike, speaks at the inaugural AMBER Alert in Indian Country training held 

September 25–26, 2018, in Fort McDowell, Arizona. The 2018 Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country 

Act is named for her daughter, who was abducted and murdered on Navajo Nation land in May 2016. 

Participants attend a presentation at an AMBER Alert in Indian Country symposium.

50
4

The Critical Importance of Stakeholder 

Training and Public Education/Awareness

Strategy

The process for developing and implementing AMBER Alert 

operations is complex, and the myriad issues involved in a 

critically missing child investigation are even more so. With the 

significant interdependence of these two systems of response, 

the importance of a comprehensive training plan that addresses 

not only each partner’s roles, responsibilities, and functions – 

but also the mission-critical points at which law enforcement’s 

investigative processes and their constituent public alerting 

processes intersect – cannot be overstated.

While critically missing children often represent a lowfrequency, high-urgency incident for law enforcement 

agencies, many have not pursued training in first response and 

investigative management of these case types. As such, they 

are often not fully prepared for the immediate surge of media 

attention, the impact on their community, the strain on agency 

resources, and other dynamics that occur as part of the search, 

investigation, and potential activation of a public notification tool 

such as an AMBER Alert or Endangered Missing Advisory (EMA).

Training plans and curricula should clearly establish the 

knowledge, skills, and abilities all AMBER Alert partners need 

to be effective in the child recovery process. In addition to 

knowledge training, functional or operational knowledge must 

Maintaining Readiness, 

Safeguarding Success

51
also represent a strong component of any training strategy, through the use of 

tabletop exercises and field scenarios – both by role/function and comprehensively 

from first call intake through recovery and reunification.

In addition to rigorous law enforcement training as noted earlier in Part II - Law 

Enforcement Response, a formal training plan for AMBER Alert should be in 

operation continuously/dynamically, with no less than an annual cycle. An 

AMBER Alert training working group, built and stewarded by the AMBER Alert 

Coordinator, should collect and assess information on training needs, making 

curricular adjustments and developing new/additional training tools to address 

them. The larger AMBER Alert Advisory Committee should be briefed on training 

plan updates and outcomes in order to provide high-level program feedback.

Assessment of AMBER Alert activations will yield data and intelligence that can 

be thoroughly analyzed through the incident review process, which addresses the 

strengths and weaknesses of AMBER Alert plans. Training needs will emerge from 

this review. Additionally, needs assessment surveys can be administered by the 

working group to identify specific problems or topics for which new or additional 

training is warranted, and to gather input on the most effective methods through 

which to deliver the training.

Approach

Training must be built, tested, and deployed as proactively as possible. It should 

be ongoing, thorough, and detailed enough to meet the demands of an unfolding 

child abduction investigation and its intersections with public alerting processes. 

As part of their law enforcement operations training, first responders, supervisors, 

investigators, and command-level personnel must clearly understand how their 

work feeds the AMBER Alert process.

Training should employ a variety of methods to achieve the greatest reach, 

relevance, and impact for those who need it.

52
Classroom or onsite events, online live events such as virtual instructor-led 

sessions and webinars, and self-directed 24/7 online learning are highly effective 

when used synergistically to create optimal access to information and resources. 

With demanding schedules involving shift work, on-call status, and extended 

field assignments, flexibility in trainings offered is key to reaching all outcome 

contributors and other stakeholders effectively.

Community roundtable and similar education-awareness events can bring citizen 

stakeholders together with key law enforcement and other AMBER Alert program 

personnel to better understand needs and discover improved ways to work 

together to protect children and respond to missing child incidents.

Leverage professional organizations and associations such as chiefs, sheriffs, and 

broadcasters to provide key statewide and/or regional training audiences through 

conferences and annual events. Moreover, work with them where appropriate 

to codify and integrate an AMBER Alert curriculum at the state level to promote 

uniform training standards.

Awareness and operational publications and distributable tools are essential to 

leaving your training participants and stakeholders at large with tangible, shareable 

resources. AMBER Alert program flyers, pocket cards for law enforcement field 

personnel, operational checklists for telecommunicators and investigators – all are 

important materials for carrying information beyond your training events. Provide 

law enforcement agencies with sample policies they can use to incorporate AMBER 

Alert into their comprehensive child recovery strategies.

Social awareness and learning content can also be delivered through websites 

and apps, short videos, and infographics, and can drive awareness and sharing of 

important program updates and areas of emphasis to engage stakeholders and the 

public, and keep them engaged over time, by receiving new and interactive content.

Training Support for AMBER Alert Partners

AMBER Alert Coordinators, Missing Persons Clearinghouse Managers, and other 

outcome contributors can find training, technical assistance, and operational 

resources from a variety of partners.

53

0 4 / M A I N T A I N I N G R E A D I N E S S , 

SAFEGUARDING SUCCESS
National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College

(NCJTC-FVTC) | www.ncjtc.org

For more than 25 years, NCJTC has served as a national leader responsible for 

carrying out some of the nation’s largest and most high-profile training programs 

funded through the U.S. Department of Justice. Current initiatives include AMBER 

Alert, Internet Crimes Against Children, Missing and Exploited Children, and Sex 

Offender Re-entry training and technical assistance programs. With more than 150 

subject matter experts providing instruction in more than 80 training programs, 

NCJTC provides current and relevant information and strategies to help federal, 

state, and local criminal justice professionals in every state and U.S. territory. 

Flexible training solutions include onsite training, distance learning, webinars, 

self-paced courses, and customized training and technical assistance programs that 

agencies can host or attend.

As part of the NCJTC, the U.S. Department of Justice AMBER Alert Training and 

Technical Assistance Program provides technical assistance training and services 

to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies as well as other key 

AMBER Alert stakeholders to increase collaboration, improve skills, and develop 

effective policies and practices to protect and safely recover endangered missing 

and abducted children. Detailed information on the mission, training opportunities, 

and resources provided by the AATTAP, as well as access to the secure AMBER 

Advocate Website Partners Portal, can be found at the AMBER Advocate Website, 

www.amberadvocate.org.

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) | 

www.missingkids.org

NCMEC is a nonprofit organization that works in cooperation with the Office of 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and which serves as the nation’s 

clearinghouse and comprehensive reporting center for all issues related to the 

prevention of and recovery from child victimization. NCMEC provides training, 

technical assistance, and resources to law enforcement personnel and others who 

investigate crimes against children, specifically cases of missing and exploited 

children. NCMEC hosts traditional classroom training sessions at its headquarters 

in Alexandria, Virginia, offsite regional trainings across the country, and online 

courses through the NCMEC University Online program. NCMEC provides a range 

54
of resources and services to law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to help 

bring home missing children and combat child sexual exploitation, such as case 

analysis, forensic and biometric support, on-scene technical assistance, sex offender 

tracking, and more. Find complete information at 

http://www.missingkids.org/ourwork/caseresources.

U.S. Department of Justice AMBER Alert Website | www.amberalert.gov

An official repository of AMBER Alert information, the amberalert.gov website 

provides a brief history of the program, links to state contacts and AMBER Alert 

plans, press releases, publications, and guidelines.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention | www.ojjdp.gov

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), a component 

of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, promotes effective 

policies and procedures to address the problems of abused, neglected, missing, 

and exploited children. OJJDP also administers programs related to crimes against 

children and provides leadership and funding in the areas of enforcement, 

intervention, and prevention.

55

0 4 / M A I N T A I N I N G R E A D I N E S S , 

SAFEGUARDING SUCCESS
56
Every minute counts. Preparation is the key. Every critically 

missing child deserves a swift and decisive response from law 

enforcement. All outcome contributors to an AMBER Alert 

must be trained and prepared for a child abduction in advance. 

A well-developed and comprehensive child recovery strategy 

will promote the best possible integration and alignment of 

enforcement and investigative actions with public alerting and 

child and family support. And in the final analysis, this will 

offer the best framework through which to achieve a successful 

outcome – rescuing victims, saving lives, and effectively 

prosecuting those who would seek to harm children.

This guide is a starting point for a continuum of learning, growth, 

preparation, and continuous improvement in your agency’s 

or organization’s work as a key partner in the fight to protect 

children from becoming endangered, missing, or abducted. 

Utilize the AMBER Advocate Website’s Best Practices Resource 

Collection to review and download additional information and 

tools to support your mission. Call upon your AMBER Alert 

Regional Liaison for direct support in identifying and requesting 

training, technical assistance, or help in connecting with other 

AMBER Alert Coordinators and partners in your region. Take 

full advantage of the resources and operational support of the 

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.

missingkids.org, or 1-800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678).

You are never alone in your work to protect children. Together 

we can move our missions forward.

C Conclusion 

57
References and Resources

American Bar Association. (2018, November 28). Model Rules of Professional 

Conduct. Retrieved from American Bar Association: https://www.americanbar.

org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_

professional_conduct/rule_3_8_special_responsibilities_of_a_prosecutor/

FBI, Criminal Justice Information Services. (2018, November 28). Virtual Command 

Center. Retrieved from FBI.gov: https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/cjis-link/

virtual-command-center

Federal Communications Commission. (2018, November 28). State EAS Plans and 

State Emergency Communications Committee (SECC) Chairs. Retrieved from FCC.

gov: https://www.fcc.gov/public-safety-and-homeland-security/policy-andlicensing-division/alerting/general/state-eas-plans

Federal Communications Commission. (2018, November 28). Wireless Emergency 

Alerts (WEA). Retrieved from FCC.gov: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/

wireless-emergency-alerts-wea

FEMA. (2018, November 28). Integrated Public Alert & Warning System. Retrieved 

from FEMA.GOV: https://www.fema.gov/integrated-public-alert-warningsystem

Washington State Office of the Attorney General. (2018, November 20). “Child 

Abduction Murder Research.” Retrieved from Washington State Office of the 

Attorney General: https://www.atg.wa.gov/child-abduction-murder-research

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2018, November 20). 

National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway 

Children (NISMART) 1, 2, 3. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice, Office 

of Justice Programs, OJJDP.gov: https://www.ojjdp.gov/research/NISMART1-3.

html

58
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2018, November 28). Fusion Center 

Locations and Contact Information. Retrieved from DHS.gov: https://www.dhs.

gov/fusion-center-locations-and-contact-information

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2018, November 28). Report on Alerting 

Tactics: Science and Technology Directorate. Retrieved from DHS.gov: https://

www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/1051_IAS_Report-on-AlertingTactics_180807-508.pdf

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. (2018, 

November 28). State Transportation Web Sites. Retrieved from FHWA.DOT.gov: 

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/about/webstate.cfm

59

CONCLUSION AND REFERENCES