Message from the Chief

On behalf of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Division of Police (DP), I would like to personally thank you for your interest in our AMBER alert program. An alarming number of children are reported missing or abducted every day in this country. AMBER alerts enable law enforcement to act swiftly to help recover each child using guidelines provided by the Department of Justice and various state law enforcement agencies. The first AMBER alert program was established in 2002 and has resulted in saving the lives of 518 children. The Division of Police has established a policy that all personnel issued wireless devices within the DP must participate in this program as part of our community policing efforts. Please help us in these efforts, and take a few minutes to subscribe. It is in the best interest of all the NIH employees to participate in this worthy program.

Sincerely,

Alvin D. Hinton, M.S.
NIH Chief of Police

Wireless Amber Alert Program

How does it work?

 

1. Law enforcement is notified that a child has been abducted and verifies that the abduction meets AMBER Alert criteria
2. Law enforcement issues in AMBER Alert and provides the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) with the information to include in the alert.
3. NCMEC formats the AMBER Alert message and sends it electronically to Syniverse.
4. Syniverse sends the AMBER Alert message to wireless carriers
5. Wireless carriers send the AMBER Alert message, as a text message, to subscribers.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Division of Police (DP) has implemented a wireless “AMBER” alert program on the NIH campus. This program is a nationwide initiative and is a voluntary partnership among the wireless industry, the United States Department of Justice, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The purpose of this partnership is to distribute AMBER alerts to wireless subscribers who “opt in” to receive the messages on cell phone or other wireless devices and are able to receive text messages on these devices. Wireless AMBER alerts consist of simple text messages informing the subscriber of the alert along with a brief description of the situation and description of the victim. Subscribers will receive status updates as additional information becomes available.

The first phase of this program on the NIH campus was implemented for cellular device users within the Division of Police community. It is now policy within the Division of Police that all DP-issued users participate in this program. We encourage all NIH employees to sign up for this program if you have been issued a cellular device by the NIH. You may also sign up on your personal wireless device as well. Users can designate up to five zip codes (including 20892) from which you would like to receive alerts.

How to Subscribe

1. Visit http://www.wirelessamberalerts.org
2. Submit your wireless phone number
3. Read terms and conditions of the Wireless AMBER Alerts program; press ACCEPT.
4. Press "Complete Subscription."
5. Enter the ZIP code for your home or work to receive AMBER alerts for your area. (You can enter up to five ZIP codes if you travel extensively.)
6. Select a password, or have the website assign you one.
7. Congratulations! You are now enrolled in the AMBER Alerts initiative. The Wireless AMBER Alerts Service is free, and there is no charge to enroll. You will only receive AMBER Alerts for your area, and you might help save a life!

To sign up for Amber alerts for your cellular device, take the following steps:

1. On your computer, go to www.wirelessamberalerts.org 
   
   
2. Submit your wireless phone number
3. Read the terms and conditions
4. Press “Complete the Subscription”
5. Enter (up to 5) zip codes for the areas from which you wish to receive alerts
6. Select a password
7. Congratulations! You may help save a life.

For more information regarding the AMBER Alert program, contact the NIH Division of Police at 301-496-2387 and ask to speak with a Community Policing Officer.