Crime & Safety

Amber Alerts Pushed to California Cell Phones in Search for Missing Kids

Though some people may have elected to receive text messages from agencies in the past, this was the first time something called a "WEA" was pushed to all capable devices in the state.

Did you see it?  Or perhaps it was the loud, ringing noise on your cell phone which got your attention as Southern Californians got their first taste of a system which pushes select emergency alerts to mobile subscribers in affected regions.

Just before 11 p.m. Monday, an Amber Alert for two missing children was expanded throughout the state via a national emergency alerts system, called Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs).   The alerts startled many as they were aroused from sleep or interrupted from another normal task with a noise that sounds like this and pushed the message:

Boulevard, CA.  AMBER Alert.  UPDATE: LIC/6WCU986 (CA) Blue Nissan Versa 4 door
Though the alerts were apparently effective in helping to spread the word of the missing children (it was the top search item on Google for all of Monday with more than a half million queries made following the WEA), here's a little more information about them.

[RELATED: UPDATED: Amber Alert Issued for 16-year-old Girl, 8-year-old Brother; Suspected Murderer Accused of Abduction]
 
"Formally known as the Commercial Mobile Alerting System (CMAS), the system allows authorized government agencies, such as the National Weather Service, to initiate a process to send messages to wireless phone users in a targeted geographic area," according Verizon Wireless Spokeswoman Debi Lewis.

Verizon Wireless Spokesman Ken Muche further elaborated to Patch on Tuesday, explaining that as of Jan. 1, 2013, Amber Alerts were added to the WEAs.  Before that, they only went out via text messages, on a subscription-based system.  Now, select authorized senders have the ability to activate these alerts for missing children, weather emergencies and presidential issues and utilize the carriers' towers to get the word out. 

One of those authorized senders is the The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, who helps initiate Amber Alerts.  The system is operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but called into play by the Center.

"We activate the cell towers in the area where the child has been abducted or where [police] believe the child to be, and every cell phone that's WEA capable and comes within range of those activated cell towers is notified that there's an Amber Alert in their area," said Bob Houver, director of special programs at the Center. 

The system does not need your mobile number, and "does not track your whereabouts; it simply broadcasts the alert, and any mobile devices that can 'hear' the alert will display it to the user," according to the organization.

Houver, who spoke on the phone with Patch Tuesday, said this was the first WEA alert for most people in Southern California since the new technology was activated.

"This is a tremendous new tool that we have," he said, adding that in the past, people had to sign up for text messages with specific zip codes to get alerts, and then those alerts wouldn't necessarily be applicable to to all recipients.

The fact that these alerts target users based on their proximity to the child is something Houver believes very useful.

"This new system, it makes no difference where you're from," he explained.  "If you drive past an activated cell tower or get within range of an activated cell tower you're going to receive that Amber Alert."

According to the director, the response to Monday's alert has been "tremendous" as word spread rapidly about the dangerous situation the two children are feared to be in.  He pointed to the Google Trend that the alert was the most searched item specifically.

"That just shows you how powerful this is now," he said.

According to Verizon Wireless and Houver, only select, newer model phones are activated with WEA capability.  So if you did not receive the alert, chances are your phone model is not supported, or your settings have the alerts deactivated.  To find out more about your specific device, check with your wireless carrier.

For some more information about WEAs, here are "five things to know" provided by Verizon

Find out what's happening in South Gate-Lynwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • WEAs are free messages. They do not count against users’ text plans, nor will they appear on their bills.
  • WEAs are targeted to specific areas. Anyone roaming outside the target geographic area will not receive the message.  
  • Only WEA-capable devices can receive the alerts. Verizon Wireless currently offers 13 such devices, which are marked with a special logo both in stores and online.
  • Users with SMS or text blocks on their accounts will still receive these alerts because they are delivered differently than regular texts.
  • There are three types of WEAs: Imminent Danger Alerts about weather events and threat levels, Amber Alerts related to missing children and Presidential Alerts pertaining to national authority concerns. Mobile phone users may opt out of Imminent Danger and Amber Alerts, but cannot opt out of Presidential Alerts, generally located under Settings.  

What about you?  Did the alert take you by surprise?  Tell us in the comments.

Find out what's happening in South Gate-Lynwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from South Gate-Lynwood