Wireless Emergency Alerts
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are emergency messages sent by authorized government alerting authorities through mobile carriers. AMBER Alerts are one type of alert message that can be sent to your mobile device.
Learn more from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about Wireless Emergency Alerts, including AMBER Alerts.
Questions about AMBER Alerts on mobile devices?
Questions or concerns on the AMBER Alert message received on your phone should be directed to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), who manages the secondary distribution of AMBER Alerts.
Contact:
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1–800–THE–LOST (1–800–843–5678)
Wireless AMBER Alert Program History
Prior to Wireless Emergency Alert, the public could receive AMBER Alerts on their mobile devices through the Wireless AMBER Alert program. This was an initiative of CTIA-The Wireless Association®, The Wireless Foundation™, The U.S. Department of Justice, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Syniverse. It was an SMS text-based system, where members of the public were required to sign up online and designate the areas they wanted to receive alerts for. They would then only receive alerts for the designated areas regardless of where they were physically located. This system was an important evolution in the AMBER Alert program, but as of December 31, 2012 it was retired in favor of the Wireless Emergency Alert.
To learn more, visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children website.