You may have heard of AMBER Alerts, but there are several others that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement may send out to signify that a person is missing or endangered.
The FDLE uses an emergency alert system, in which alerts are sent through text messages, radio/TV broadcasts, and highway signs in order to notify people of active emergencies.
Among these alerts are Purple, Blue, Silver, and Missing Child Alerts, each of which has a specific criterion that must be met before the alert is sent out.
Here's a breakdown of the types of alerts you may receive in Florida.
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What are Purple Alerts?
The Purple Alert Plan, which was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2021, is the most recent addition to the list of the FDLE’s emergency alerts.
It refers to a missing individual over the age of 18 who is affected by a physical, mental, or intellectual disability that is not Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or substance abuse issues.
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The person in question must also be at risk of imminent danger.
Purple Alerts engage the public in the search for the missing person and provide a standardized and coordinated community response.
Other Emergency Alerts in Florida
Blue Alerts
The Florida Blue Alert system, which was enacted through an executive order in 2011, is used to notify the state that a law enforcement officer has been harmed, killed, or gone missing on the job.
The suspect must still be at large.
Silver Alerts
The Florida Silver Alert is used to help find missing persons who suffer from mental deterioration, like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
The person must also be over 60 years of age unless authorities are able to determine that the individual is not mentally capable of consent and must be found through the emergency alert system.
AMBER vs. Missing Child Alerts
AMBER — or America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response Alerts — and Missing Child Alerts both involve missing persons under the age of 18.
The difference between the two is that AMBER Alerts refer to a missing child that is believed to be kidnapped.
Both alerts entail that the child is at risk of death or serious injury.
In an enhanced missing child alert, the child must be at a more imminent risk of harm.
