Wireless Amber Alert system unveiled

[derran.m]

Wireless Amber Alert system unveiled

The federal government and the country's wireless communication companies on Wednesday unveiled a new tool for spreading Amber Alerts in case of child abductions.

Customers of most Canadian wireless service providers will be able to sign up to get alerts as text messages on their cellphones.

An Amber Alert is issued by police when a child abduction occurs in a region where the alert system is operating. An alert typically contains information such as the child's and/or abductor's description.

Wireless service providers participating in the new message system include Bell, Fido, Koodo, MTS, NorthernTel, Rogers, SaskTel, Solo Mobile, Télébec, TELUS, Videotron and Virgin Mobile.

"Through co-operation between the RCMP and wireless service providers, this initiative will demonstrate how technology can help fight serious criminal activity and make the most vulnerable citizens in our society safer," said Public Safety Minister Vic Toews in a release.

Consumers can sign up online at www.wirelessamber.ca or directly through their wireless device.

External Links

Wireless Amber Alert sign-up


From http://news.ca.msn.com/canada/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=24371846

as a parent, I quite like the idea!

[revelations]

:thumbsup:

[im2fst4u]

GREAT idea! Subscribed for the service.

:thumbsup:

[craigcd]

done

[stealth1313]

Very good idea, mad ups to the thinker of this

[tom_9109]

You shouldn't have to sign up. It should just send automatically to everyone.

[Jay911]

About time they figured this one out. All in.

[rage2]

It's too bad that checking an amber alert message while driving will be illegal soon.

[Godfuader]

Originally posted by tom_9109
You shouldn't have to sign up. It should just send automatically to everyone.
Would raise alot of complaints from people on pre paid / limited text / not tech savy. Would make more sense if they would include a picture. Otherwise a text saying a two year old Chinese girl in a blue dress last seen with a 40 year old oriental lady would be extremely vague. But, any measure is a great start. :thumbsup:

[Cos]

Originally posted by rage2
It's too bad that checking an amber alert message while driving will be illegal soon.

too true.

[Modelexis]

Are child abductions really that common?
So now the public will get info on alerts before the police?
haha.

Sounds like a good idea I guess.

So if you see the abductor, you text the location to 5544093?
Throw your phone at the abductor?

What if the abductor is on this service too and can track his trackers?

"abductor last seen @ such and such an address"
abductors reads text message and proceeds to move locations.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Modelexis

What if the abductor is on this service too and can track his trackers?

"abductor last seen @ such and such an address"
abductors reads text message and proceeds to move locations.

Pretty sure this isn't a Twitter account. It's not going to give THAT much detail, no more details then what's already on the TV/radio. However now instead of seeing it in the evening on the 6 o'clock news, you'll know about it when it happens.



Originally posted by tom_9109
You shouldn't have to sign up. It should just send automatically to everyone.

Good idea in theory, but then it's opening the floodgates for the government to start sending people all kinds of texts they don't want.

[Modelexis]

They should just get a twitter account, follow "amber lamps"

[911fever]

:thumbsup: great idea! more info for everyone on child abductions/abductors, the better