Washington State Patrol
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AMBER Center · Introduction & HistoryThis site is dedicated to law enforcement, the media, and the public to heighten awareness of the AMBER Alert process. It provides detailed information concerning what the state of Washington is doing collaboratively with stakeholders in the development and ongoing enhancement of an effective AMBER Alert Plan. Through the united efforts of the media, law enforcement, state agencies, our citizens, and technology, our goal is to bring about the safe return of our nation’s abducted children. AMBER Alert Plan HistoryThe AMBER Alert plan is named after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman of Arlington, Texas. In January 1996, she was abducted while riding her bicycle and was brutally murdered. While the details of the suspect were provided to the police, there was no system to quickly inform the community about Amber’s disappearance. Through significant community effort, local media was asked to devise a plan to immediately broadcast abduction information. In remembrance of Amber, her name became the nationally recognized acronym for the AMBER Alert (America’s Missing Broadcast Emergency Response). In April 2003, the state of Washington announced plans for a pilot project to test the viability of a multi-state AMBER Alert Web portal, offering a single location from which the media, law enforcement, and the public can obtain current AMBER Alerts on abducted children, regardless of the jurisdiction posting the information. The Washington State Department of Information Services (DIS), the Washington State Patrol, the state’s Emergency Management Division (EMD), the Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT), the Washington State Association of Broadcasters (WSAB), and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), and E2C (Engaging & Empowering Citizenship)/Earth 911 created the strategic partnership to develop the pilot project. Back to TopHow it WorksThe Washington State Patrol (WSP) is the lead agency for
the Washington
Statewide AMBER Alert Plan
AMBER Partners and SponsorsThe AMBER Alert Web Portal was developed in partnership with multiple states as well as a broad cross section of stakeholders, such as representatives from local law enforcement, broadcast organizations, emergency managers, enhanced 9-1-1 call centers, transportation agencies, border organizations, corporations and others. It is supported through corporate sponsorships in order to cover recurring operational costs as well as to make the system available to states, law enforcement, broadcast media and the public at no cost. The Web Portal was designed to support the individual needs of any state’s AMBER plan and process while providing a consistent national platform from which to facilitate multi-state and regional alerts. The result has been a national portal that keeps all content control at local levels and enables the very best in technology to be leveraged to help save children’s lives. Consortium members worked together to share best practices and re-engineer their AMBER Alert business processes, in order to incorporate the AMBER Alert 911 Portal into their existing AMBER procedures. This creates an efficient, comprehensive system so that stakeholders can quickly get detailed information about an abduction, communicate efficiently and work together to save the life of an abducted child. The Consortium is working in cooperation with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) as it makes the Portal available to states across the nation. It operates under an effective partnership framework and governance model to represent member states and sponsors regarding the operation and continual enhancement of the Portal. Resource DirectoryAMBER Plan and Publications:
Information and Safety Links:
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AMBER Quick Links
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. The Chief of the WSP is the State AMBER
Alert Manager and has final decision-making authority over all aspects
of the Statewide Plan. While the Chief of the WSP is ultimately accountable
for the plan’s success, this responsibility is shared with other entities
that form the AMBER Alert Advisory Committee (AAAC). The AAAC charter contains
detailed information about the formulation of this committee, its background,
purpose, membership, and activities. Read the 
