After yesterday’s “blue alert scare” … do you know the alerts in North Dakota?
IN THIS EPISODE: ND Highway Patrol Capt. Bryan Niewind joins JJ Gordon & Amy Iler to explain the blue, amber & silver alerts in North Dakota – and how they are distributed.
Related:
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Driver who attempted to run over Bismarck officer arrested
Blue Alert:
Blue Alerts are issued when a law enforcement officer in the line of duty has been killed, seriously injured or is missing; or credible threats of serious injury have been made. Blue alerts can warn the public if a violent suspect is nearby, the type of vehicle (if any) they were last seen in and what civilians should do if they spot the suspect.
The Blue Alert network provides the means of quickly identifying, pursuing and capturing violent offenders who have hurt, killed or pose an imminent danger to law enforcement.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)added the Blue Alert to the nation’s emergency alerting systems. With the creation of a dedicated Blue Alert event code in the Emergency Alert System, state and local law enforcement have the capability to push immediate warnings out to the public via broadcast, cable and satellite providers as well as to consumer smartphones through the Wireless Emergency Alert system.
Amber Alert:
The
AMBER Plan
is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and broadcasters to activate an urgent bulletin in serious child abduction cases. Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System (EAS), to air a description of the abducted child and suspected abductor. This is the same concept used during severe weather emergencies.The goal of the AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe return of the child.
The criteria that define an AMBER Alert are:
1. The abduction involves a child or children
17 years of age or younger
;
2. Confirmation by local law enforcement of a stranger or a family abduction in which the child is believed to be in
grave danger of serious bodily harm or death
; and,
3. Descriptive information about the child, the abductor, and/or suspect’s vehicle to assist with the safe recovery of the victim and/or the apprehension of the suspect.
4. Is there enough information about the child, suspect, and/or suspect’s vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help?
Visit the North Dakota Amber Alert website for more information.
Silver Alert:
Wandering is one of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which currently affects at least 5.2 million Americans. The Alzheimer’s Foundation estimates that at least 60 percent of them—3 million people—are likely to wander in the course of their disease. Further statistics indicate that, among people with dementia who wander, at least 50 percent could suffer serious injury or die if they remain missing for more than 24 hours.
Time is of the essence when individuals with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive disorders wander off or become lost. The Silver Alert Program was developed to provide vital information to authorities to assist in the search and safe recovery of these individuals and quickly reunite them with their loved ones and/or caregivers.
Modeled after the Amber Alert, the Silver Alert is an emergency system which law enforcement can use to disseminate statewide alerts for missing seniors and/or other adults with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive disorders.
On a local level, the Silver Alert System works much like the Amber Alert. The missing person incident is reported to the local police. Personal health information may be necessary and it should show that the person (age 60 or older) suffers from dementia or is otherwise mentally impaired. Relatives should also provide other details that would help in tracking down the missing senior. After verification, the local police inform the state agency tasked to issue alerts.
(Jack Sunday & Amy Iler are talk-show hosts at 790 AM KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. “It Takes 2 with Jack & Amy” can be heard weekdays 11am-2pm. Follow Amy on Twitter @AmyKFGO. Follow Jack on Twitter @nodakjack.)
