Amber Alert System Test Tuesday

Iowa Department of Public Safety

Des Moines, IOWA — The Iowa Department of Public Safety, along with the Iowa Broadcasters Association, will test the AMBER Alert System tomorrow.  The AMBER Alert website was breached on November 27, 2010. The cause of the breach was identified and corrective measures have been taken.

The system test will take place at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, December 14, 2010. The AMBER Alert program is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement and broadcasters.  The test will NOT include the use of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), since it is tested weekly. NOT activating the EAS means you will not hear or see an EAS message on your radio or television and you will not hear anything on your weather radio.

The AMBER Alert is a critical missing child response program that utilizes the resources of law enforcement and media to notify the public when children are abducted. Although the scope of the Amber Alert varies, the criteria for activation are fairly consistent. Whether it is a local, regional or statewide program, law enforcement activates an Amber Alert by notifying broadcast media with relevant identifying and case information.

Source: Iowa DPS