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Verizon Wireless Customers Can Register for Wireless AMBER Alerts
Right From Their Wireless Phones
Send a ZIP Code to 'AMBER' and Register to Receive TXT Alerts
About Abducted Children
BEDMINSTER, N.J., Sept. 22, 2005 /LongDistanceWorld.com/ --
Verizon Wireless announced today that customers with
TXT
Messaging-capable phones can sign up to receive TXT Alerts with
information about abducted children right from their
cell
phones. Since May, Verizon Wireless customers have been able to
register for Wireless AMBER Alerts(TM) online. Verizon Wireless is
the first
national wireless service provider to announce that
customers are able sign up for these Alerts by sending a TXT
Message directly from their
cellular phones.
Wireless AMBER Alerts are distributed in cooperation with the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and local
law enforcement agencies. The Alerts will appear as text messages
on a customer's wireless handset, and will include information
about the abducted child and a telephone number for law
enforcement for the customer to call to report any information on
that child.
"The idea behind Wireless AMBER Alerts is to get information to
people when they are on the go and may be able to provide law
enforcement with timely information about abducted children," said
Steve Zipperstein, vice president and general counsel, Verizon
Wireless. "By offering our customers the ability to sign up for
Alerts right from their handsets, we're providing a simple and
accessible way for them to be part of this program."
Opting In Using TXT Messaging and AMBER Code
Verizon Wireless customers with handsets capable of text messaging
can sign up for Wireless AMBER Alerts by sending a TXT Message to
the address AMBER (26237). The body of the message should include
a five-digit ZIP Code indicating the state or geographical area
for which they would like to receive Wireless AMBER Alerts.
Customers will receive a reply message confirming they have signed
up for the Alert, along with instructions on how to cancel the
service.
Wireless AMBER Alerts are issued by local law enforcement
agencies. All 50 states have AMBER Alert programs, and a full list
of the AMBER Alert plans can be found on NCMEC's Web site at
http://www.missingkids.com.
The messages to sign up and receive Wireless AMBER Alerts are free
for Verizon Wireless customers and will not count against any
bundles or other TXT Messaging packages.
Signing Up for Wireless AMBER Alerts Online
Since May 17, Verizon Wireless customers with handsets capable of
receiving TXT Messages have been able to sign up online to receive
Wireless AMBER Alerts. Customers can continue to opt-in by going
to http://www.verizonwireless.com, and choosing "send TXT
Messages" from the Get It Now(R) drop-down menu, or by logging
directly in to http://www.vtext.com, Verizon Wireless' TXT
Messaging site. After logging in, customers go to the Alerts page
and choose the "News and Tech" category, then click on "FREE"
Wireless AMBER Alert. They will then be prompted to enter a ZIP
Code for the state or geographical area for which they want to
receive Wireless AMBER Alerts.
Verizon Wireless customers may also visit
http://www.wirelessamberalerts.org
where they will be asked to enter their wireless phone number, and
then will be automatically directed to the Alerts page on the
http://www.vtext.com site.
About Wireless AMBER Alerts
The Wireless AMBER Alerts initiative is a voluntary arrangement
among the wireless industry, including Verizon Wireless, law
enforcement agencies, and NCMEC. Introduced in May 2005, Wireless
AMBER Alerts provide information about abducted children directly
to a wireless phone in the form of a text message.
AMBER stands for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response"
and was created in 1997 when broadcasters in the Dallas-Fort Worth
area teamed with local police to develop an early warning system
to find abducted children. President Bush authorized the national
AMBER Alert program as part of the PROTECT Act signed in 2003,
formally establishing the federal government's role in the AMBER
Alert program and appointing the Department of Justice as the
agency responsible for coordinating AMBER Alerts on a national
level. The Department of Justice has officially partnered with
NCMEC, authorizing it as the agent that coordinates and
disseminates AMBER Alerts to secondary distributors including
wireless service providers. To date, AMBER Alerts have been
credited with the successful recovery of more than 215 children.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the
nation's most reliable
wireless network, serving 47.4 million voice and data customers.
Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint
venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE
and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at
http://www.verizonwireless.com.
To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and
high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to
the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at
http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Source: Verizon Wireless |
