A missing person alert is sometimes referred to as an AMBER Alert or Golden Alert. The AMBER Alert system was named after Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas in 1996.
R. Ray Sullivan, Director of the Arlington, TX Police Department, led the effort to create a system to allow the rapid notification of the public through media broadcasts that a child is missing. The AMBER Alert system was created to help law enforcement agencies quickly and effectively notify the public of a child abduction, initiate alerts in neighboring states, and call on the public, including media, to assist in locating a child by distributing an alert.
The AMBER Alert system is currently coordinated by the U. S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs and can be activated when a child is believed to have been abducted and is in imminent danger.
The requirements for activating an AMBER Alert are very rigid and must be met in order for an alert to be issued.
In some states, there is a similar program called a Silver Alert, focused on missing persons aged 65 and older suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or other cognitive impairement and who have wandered away from home or other care facility.
A Silver Alert can also be issued if a missing person is believed to have been abducted.
In addition to AMBER and Silver Alerts, some states and jurisdictions may also use local alerting systems such as the Louisiana Crime Alert Network, the Florida Alert System and the Blue Alert Network.
These systems are used to broadcast information to the public when a law enforcement officer has been seriously injured or killed in the line of duty; persons who pose a threat to police; or when there is an active manhunt for a suspect in a violent crime.
What are the different types of alerts?
Most commonly, alerts can be classified into two categories – push alerts and pull alerts.
Push alerts are messages generated by the service that push the notification to the user. These are usually sent for any urgent updates – such as breaking news, or system-wide errors. Push alerts are usually sent over SMS, email, or other messaging platforms to ensure quick delivery.
Pull alerts (also known as watch alerts or alert triggers) are notifications that are generated when certain conditions or thresholds are met. For example, when the price of a stock reaches a certain level, or when a tweet containing a certain hashtag appears.
Pull alerts are usually set up by the user, and can be configured to meet their individual needs.
Both types of alerts can be further classified depending on their purpose. Generally speaking, alerts can be broken down into four types – stock alerts, news alerts, daily activity alerts, and automatic notifications.
Stock alerts are notifications related to the stock market – such as when a certain stock reaches a certain price. News alerts are used to keep users up to date with the latest news, often covering topics such as political developments, government announcements, and natural disasters.
Daily activity alerts are used to remind users to complete tasks or provide updates on daily activities, such as when an order is shipped. And automatic notifications are notifications that do not require user action.
These are usually automated messages related to system functions or services.
What does a purple alert mean?
A purple alert is a high-level emergency alert issued by a state or local public safety agency to indicate an imminent threat to the public or first responders. It is sometimes referred to as a risk alert or a critical incident alert.
The type of alert can vary by location, but is typically used when a criminal situation could jeopardize the safety of law enforcement personnel or the public. When issued, the alert typically includes information regarding the danger, an appropriate response, and the area or areas that are in potential danger.
It is important to note that a purple alert is an advisory only and should not supersede any local or state law. Additionally, the alert has little to no legal effect and is not enforced by law.
What is a GREY alert?
A GREY Alert is an alert system designed to help locate missing at-risk individuals that are elderly, young, or have a cognitive disability such as dementia or autism. The GREY alert system is relatively new, having been launched in Texas in 2015.
It is similar to the Amber Alert system but is used for older adults and children with cognitive disabilities. This alert is activated by law enforcement when a child or adult with a cognitive disability is missing, and the circumstances pose a credible threat to the individual’s safety.
The notifications can include local media alerts, social media postings, and text messages with the missing person’s description and other helpful information. The goal of a GREY alert is to increase safety in the community and quickly locate the missing individuals, improving their chances of survival.
What is a blue alert on your phone?
A blue alert on your phone is a notification triggered by an app or service that requires your attention or requires some action to be taken. Generally this kind of alert will appear in the form of a banner or pop up message on your phone.
Common notifications that could trigger a blue alert include security updates, system messages, low battery warnings, calendar reminders, and software bug notifications. It’s important to be prompt in handling blue alerts on your phone, as they may be extremely urgent notifications that require you to take action in order to maintain the integrity of your device.
Why are they called Amber Alerts?
Amber Alerts are named after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, a Texas girl who was tragically kidnapped and murdered in 1996. Her abduction sparked a national outcry for a more effective system of sending notifications about abducted children, leading to the nationwide Amber Alert Program.
The name “Amber Alert” has since come to represent a call to action for community members, police officers, and other law enforcement personnel to work together to locate abducted children in a timely and efficient manner.
The use of the name “Amber Alert” has since become a powerful reminder for individuals and organizations to help keep children safe.
What is the purpose of a Silver Alert?
A Silver Alert is a public notification system in the United States designed to broadcast information about missing persons – especially senior citizens (age 65 and above) with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other mental disabilities – in order to aid in their location and safe return.
The alerts are usually broadcast using a combination of media outlets such as television, radio, and digital road signs. Silver Alerts have been adopted by many states in recent years and have proven to be effective in helping to locate missing seniors.
The primary purpose of a Silver Alert is to reduce the amount of time that a missing senior citizen is away from their home or care facility. By quickly sharing information about the missing person through multiple media outlets, more people are made aware of the situation and can help search for the missing person.
In addition, Silver Alerts provide hope to family members of missing seniors and help them stay in contact with authorities in the event that any updates arise.
What is the difference between a Silver Alert and a golden alert?
A Silver Alert and a Golden Alert are both used to help locate a missing person; however, they have different eligibility criteria. A Silver Alert is available to law enforcement to be issued if a person who is believed to be suffering from dementia or another cognitive impairment is missing.
The requirements for activating a Silver Alert include: the missing person must be 65 years or older, or have a manifested mental or physical disability, and the alert must be issued in a timely manner as soon as there is sufficient information to believe that the person’s disappearance poses a credible threat to their health or safety.
A Golden Alert is also issued by law enforcement when they are searching for a missing person. To be eligible for a Golden Alert, the missing person must be 18 or older, have a confirmed medical or physical disability, and the alert must be issued in a timely manner as soon as there is sufficient information to believe the person’s disappearance poses a credible threat to their health or safety.
In conclusion, the main difference between a Silver Alert and a Golden Alert is the age of the missing person: with a Silver Alert, the missing person must be 65 years or older, while for a Golden Alert the missing person must be 18 or older.
What is code GREY in a hospital?
Code Grey is a hospital emergency code used to indicate the presence of an aggressive individual. This code is used to alert staff that an aggressive patient or visitor is present in the hospital and assistance is needed to contain and manage the situation.
While Code Grey is usually used to indicate an individual is displaying physical aggression, it can also be used to indicate verbal aggression or a verbal threat. Code Grey can be used to indicate a threat to any staff members, patients or visitors.
In some cases, security personnel are called and in other cases, emergency medical personnel may be called, depending on the severity of the situation. All staff members must be aware of the Code Grey protocol in order to maintain the safety of the hospital.