Wireless AMBER Alerts program launches
By: calendar iconMay 26th, 2010 a 12:14pm

wireless amber alerts logoAs of today, Canada’s wireless carriers are joining forces to assist in the crucial AMBER Alert public program, allowing customers to receive free AMBER Alerts notifications on their cell phones via text message.

With 23-million cell-phone customers across Canada, that’s a powerful way to quickly spread a message to help in the safe return of a missing child.

How it works:

You will receive a text message whenever an AMBER Alert is issued in your region. You will also receive a message when that same AMBER Alert is cancelled or if there is additional information related to the alert.

How to participate:

You need to opt-in via your computer or mobile phone to receive the AMBER Alerts. Here’s how:

  • From your computer, go to www.WirelessAMBER.ca, enter your 10-digit mobile number (including area code) and click Submit. You will then receive a text message on your mobile phone with a four-letter validation PIN code. Enter the code on the website and click Submit. On the subscription page, you can modify your settings to select the provinces from which you would like to receive alerts.
  • From your mobile device, text keyword “AMBER” to 26237. You will receive a link to a mobile site where you can confirm and modify your settings.

The AMBER Alert program, in which law enforcement and media work together to quickly notify the public about abducted children, is in effect in every province and territory. This latest initiative is a joint partnership between the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police and AMBER Alert agencies across the country.

For more information on the program, visit www.WirelessAMBER.ca

Richard Bloom is a regular contributor to RedBoard.

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  1. Chris says: May 26th, 2010 a 1:35pm

    This is a great idea and service! Pretty easy to sign up to as well. Just 1 question and 1 suggestion.

    Q: do the texts count towards text message plans or are they free like texts from rogers wireless?

    S: instead of when I sign up I select the province or area I want to monitor rogers should send them based on which region my phone is currently in. So say I’m traveling out of province it would detect I’m somewhere else and send me alerts for that region.

    • Rogers_Richard says: May 26th, 2010 a 1:54pm

      Hi Chris.

      The are no costs for the text messages and do not count against any plan amounts.

      Also, thanks for the recommendation on how the program should be structured. I am assembling feedback to provide to my colleagues who work directly on the initiative.

      Cheers,
      Richard.

  2. GreatBigDog says: May 26th, 2010 a 1:49pm

    It’s great to see Canada’s wireless carriers offering up this public service. I’m actually on the fence as to weather it should have been an “opt out” or “opt in” program. Although others may think differently, since there are no costs associated with the program, I personally wouldn’t have had an issue if Rogers would have made this an “opt out” program for their subscribers.

    At the very least Rogers should send an SMS out to their customers notifying them of this program and letting them know how they can participate.

    gbd

    • Sean Turvey says: May 26th, 2010 a 5:14pm

      It should be at least opt out. This, like 911 service should be mandatory.

      I think it should be geo-location based as well but I would go a step further. When sending the texts prioritize the closest ones to the incident first. That is when a child disappears the cell phones closest to the abduction should receive the first texts then expand it from there.

      There should also be a notification of when the child has been located.

  3. Stephen Lee says: May 26th, 2010 a 4:01pm

    This is an awesome program!

    Although I’m with GreatBigDog I would not have had an issue to opt out instead of opt in.

    Cheers,

    Steve

  4. Ron says: May 28th, 2010 a 11:01am

    With so little information about this new service, the opt-in option will render it very limited. I don’t see why everyone isn’t automatically signed up and given an option to opt-out if they want. There are surely many out there that would want this service but don’t even know about it.

    • Just Me says: June 10th, 2010 a 3:41pm

      It needs to be Opt-in

      - because a lot of kids have phones
      and don’t need a disturbing text saying that a kid is missing,

      as to whether or not the kid(s) are mature enough to handle such info just pushed down to them on their phone
      that’s something that needs to be discussed between the parents and their kid(s)

  5. Dan says: June 13th, 2010 a 9:29pm

    Rogers should send a text messages about the service to all cellphones.