Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — There were no hiccups Sunday morning as Utah emergency officials sent out an Amber Alert test without a hitch, according to Utah Amber Alert Coordinator Gina McNeill.
The test went out about 9:35 a.m. Sunday as a text or email alert, not as an emergency alert. People needed to be signed up through a database in order for them to receive the alert, McNeill said.
“We do it twice a year to make sure that it flows on our parts,” McNeill said.
The tests are sent out each year on January 13 and August 26, according to McNeill.
January 13 is known as Amber Alert Awareness Day and coincides with the anniversary of the abduction of Amber Hagerman, for whom Amber Alerts are named.
August 26 marks the anniversary of the abduction of Rachael Runyan, a 3-year-old Sunset girl who was kidnapped and killed in 1982.
Amber Alerts typically are sent out to cell phones through the Wireless Emergency Alerts system. Those with cell phones do not need to take any further action, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
People can also sign up for updates from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which handles the database of people signed up for alerts, according to McNeill.
People can also get updates on Amber Alerts through social media, at facebook.com/AMBERAlert and on Twitter @AMBERAlert.
