America Online to Launch First Nationwide Online Amber Alert Notification System to Help Promote Children's Safety.Business Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2002 Joint Project with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Aimed at Using Internet as a Key Tool in Efforts to Locate and Rescue Abducted abducted Distal angulation of an extremity away from the midline of the body in a transverse plane and away from a sagittal plane passing through the proximal aspect of the foot or part, or away from some other specified reference point Kids AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. To Transmit AMBER Alerts from 62 States and Localities to Members' Desktops, Email Inboxes, Mobile Phones and Paging Devices America Online, Inc., the world's leading interactive services company, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC NCMEC National Center for Missing & Exploited Children NCMEC National Concrete and Masonry Engineering Conference ) today announced the launch of "AOL AMBER Alerts", the first nationwide initiative to use the Internet to expand the network that helps locate and rescue abducted children. The announcement was made at "Internet World Fall 2002". AOL announced that 62 of the 63 states, counties and cities that currently have AMBER Alert systems in place (as of September 30) have agreed to participate in the AOL AMBER Alerts program. As a result, official AMBER Alerts texts as issued by law enforcement, will be available as an "opt-in" feature beginning in early November, and will be targeted to members based on the states in which they reside. The texts will run over the new "AOL Alerts & Reminders" product launching later this month, which will allow members to choose to receive the alerts immediately on their computer screens, via email, mobile phones, or paging devices. The announcement comes on the eve On the Eve (Накануне in Russian) is the third novel by famous Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, best known for his short stories and the novel Fathers and Sons. of the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children, to be held in Washington, D.C. October 2. The White House will host the all-day event, which convenes members of the President's Cabinet; Federal, state and local officials; law enforcement; corporate leaders (including AOL); citizen experts; parents of victim children; and other child advocates. In addition, the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime will be considering legislation today that includes provisions designed to enhance the operation of the AMBER Alert network. "AOL AMBER Alerts are about using the power of the online medium to help protect children both in the online world and the offline world," Jon Miller, AOL's Chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. said. "AMBER Alerts involve quick, coordinated action to save children's lives, and we are committed to working with NCMEC, law enforcement, and broadcasters to harness the Internet's growing ability to reach millions of people wherever they are - at any time and on any device - to extend the reach and effectiveness of this effort." "Taking AMBER Alerts online is a natural extension and valuable enhancement for this rapid response program," stated NCMEC President and CEO Ernie Allen. "Once again, AOL is showing their dedication and commitment to the National Center's mission by reaching out to their broad membership base to help in the search for abducted children. We're grateful for their long-term support," he continued. Starting today, AOL's more than 26 million U.S. members can go to AOL Keyword: AMBER Alerts to view a list of participating states and jurisdictions, volunteer to receive AOL AMBER Alerts, view the history of AMBER Alerts, and learn about the plight of abducted children. AOL will also promote AMBER Alerts to its members across the service - including the AOL Welcome Screen - in an effort to educate the public and increase awareness of the program. The AMBER plan was created in 1996 as a powerful legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. Credited with saving 31 lives since its inception, AMBER Alerts are currently transmitted over the broadcast medium to licensed television and radio stations, and cable systems, using the Emergency Alert System (EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) A security system for preventing theft in retail stores that uses disposable label tags or reusable hard tags attached to the merchandise. ). The EAS, operated by the Federal Communications Commission Federal Communications Commission (FCC), independent executive agency of the U.S. government established in 1934 to regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest. (FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. ), is primarily used to issue severe weather alerts and for other emergency purposes. AMBER Alerts are also transmitted via highway billboards in select areas. Bringing AMBER Alerts to the Internet, both AOL and NCMEC will work to expand this service to other jurisdictions as they join the overall AOL AMBER Alerts program. This initiative is also supported by the following: Donna Norris of Texas (Amber Hagerman's mother), The Polly Klaas Foundation The Polly Klaas Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity organization devoted to preventing crimes against children, assisting in the recovery of missing children, and lobbying for legislative assistance. The foundation was formed October 23, 1993 to search for Polly Klaas. , The Jacob Wetterling Foundation, The Morgan Nick Foundation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), division of the U.S. Dept. of Justice charged with investigating all violations of federal laws except those assigned to some other federal agency. (FBI), and the U.S. Customs Service CyberSmuggling Center. About AOL Alerts & Reminders AOL Alerts and Reminders deliver timely, convenient content and information to AOL members anytime, anywhere so they never have to miss critical news or forget important information. AOL Alerts and Reminders include three main features -- Group Alerts, Remind Me, and Alerts. All can be delivered online via desktop windows or emails, or through text messages on pagers or wireless phones. Additionally, AOL Alerts and Reminders can be shared and forwarded to others, so members' friends and families can also receive instant, up-to-the-second information. Members can also turn the service on and off at any time or set customized delivery options. About America Online, Inc. America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of AOL Time Warner Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : AOL). Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services. About The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) NCMEC, a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. , works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (or OJJDP) is an office of the United States Department of Justice and a component of the Office of Justice Programs. . NCMEC's CyberTipline (www.cybertipline.com), a "911 for the Internet," has received over 70,000 reports of online enticement and child pornography Child pornography is the visual representation of minors under the age of 18 engaged in sexual activity or the visual representation of minors engaging in lewd or erotic behavior designed to arouse the viewer's sexual interest. since its creation in 1998. The Center's state-of-the-art website brings images and information about missing children, as well as a wealth of child protection information, to a global audience. It is the national resource center and clearinghouse on missing and exploited child cases. For more information about NCMEC, please call the toll-free hotline at 1-800-843-5678.
Contact Info:
Nicholas Graham, AOL Corporate Communications
703-265-1746
Tina Schwartz, NCMEC
703-837-6251
Joann Donnellan, NCMEC
703-837-6388
(a) List of participating states with existing statewide and/or local or regional AMBER Alert plans, as of September 30, which have agreed to join the AOL AMBER Alerts service when it launches nationally in early November: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. , North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin. (b) For more information about AMBER Alerts plans in place state-by-state, and to view a detailed map, please visit NCMEC's website at www.missingkids.com. |
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