An Amber Alert (officially standing for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response") is a public notification system used to enlist community help in finding abducted children, originating in the United States. The system was created in memory of 9-year-old Amber Rene Hagerman, who was abducted in Arlington, Texas, on January 13, 1996, and found murdered four days later. Alerts are distributed through a wide range of channels—including radio, television, text messages, and electronic billboards—and are activated by law enforcement based on strict criteria, such as a confirmed abduction, the child being under 18, and a risk of serious injury or death. To prevent false alarms, the U.S. Department of Justice provides guidelines that most states follow, though some variations exist (like West Virginia's "Skylar's Law" which relaxed certain requirements). The system is also used internationally, with Canada employing its Alert Ready system and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police applying nearly identical standards, including cross-border coordination with U.S. agencies.