Have you gotten an Amber Alert on your phone recently? Here's what it means

Your phone sounds an alarm and alerts you to an Amber Alert. You know it means a child is missing, but how does an alert get issued?

The Amber Alert System began in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters and local police teamed up to develop a plan to help find abducted children, according to the Department of Justice.

Why is it called an Amber Alert?

AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and then murdered.

How do Amber Alerts work?

A child abduction has to meet Amber Alert Criteria before broadcasters are notified:

• There is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred
• Law enforcement believes the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death
• There is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction
• The abduction is of a child, age 17 or younger
• The child's name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system

Amber Alerts then interrupt regular programming and are broadcast on radio, television and DOT highway signs. If an alert is active in your area, it should automatically appear on your phone.

You can also sign up for social media accounts that will notify you when an Amber Alert is issued:

• On Facebook: Visit www.facebook.com/AMBERAlert and “Like” the page to receive Amber Alerts in your newsfeed. Facebook also automatically notifies users near the location of an Amber Alert.
• On Instagram: If an Amber Alert is activated by law enforcement and you are in the designated search area, the alert will appear in your Instagram feed.
• On Twitter: Follow @AMBERAlert to receive rapid Amber Alert notifications on your Twitter feed and share the alert with your followers.

Are there current Amber Alerts in Iowa?

The Iowa Department of Public Safety maintains a list of current Amber Alerts from Iowa on its website. Visit amberalert.iowa.gov for more details.

Who sends Amber Alerts in Iowa?

In almost every state, Amber Alerts can only be issued by regional or state coordinators, usually working for a state police force, following guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice and state laws. They typically are requested by local police.

In Iowa, the system is managed by the Iowa State Patrol and the Department of Public Safety.

Are Amber Alerts issued for all missing children? What if my child goes missing?

Amber Alerts are issued for abducted children that meet the given criteria. Other tools are available to law enforcement to help find missing children.

The Department of Justice says that overuse of Amber Alerts could result in the public becoming desensitized when they are issued.

If your child goes missing you should immediately contact your local law enforcement agency. After you have reported your child missing to law enforcement, call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1–800–THE–LOST (1–800–843–5678). More resources can be found at http://www.missingkids.org/MissingChild.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.