AMBER PLANS .So here is what I know about the various AMBER Plans that have been approved.  First you must realize this has been a hot political issue and some of these plans were hatched in record time without much thought as what they are really about.  The SECC is only concerned about the EAS portion of these plans and has very little say in anything else about them.  A Seattle Police Officer reported that in most cases when child abduction has occurred the deed is finished within 3 hours.  He also stated that he didn't expect this to be used much more than about 2 or 3 times per year. So if an Amber Alert is activated the important thing is to get the information out as quickly as possible and flood the airwaves with the information.  The various plans call for differing rates of repetition.  I advise stations to do the best they can, keeping in mind the necessity of speed and repetition. Most of these plans are very boring to read and cover mostly the procedures used by the police to activate.  They are all different in this respect but Broadcasters need not care.  Here I have boiled down the various plans to just the part referencing EAS and Broadcasters.
	.Note:  Nov 2003.   Mark Allen of WSAB is currently working with the Washington State Patrol and WSEMD to finalize a new State Amber Plan.  The hodge podge of local plans will be discontinued and all will be under the umbrella of this new State Amber Plan.   This new plan will include a single Web Portal that will provide a single source for Amber Information during an alert.  It will have paging, e-mail plus other enhancements. Washington State Plan. .. . The initial alert will be an EAS Alert transmitted on the State Relay Network by WSEMD.  The plan doesn't say what code will be used but it is expected that it will be a CAE (Child Abduction Emergency).  They could use a CEM, (Civil Emergency Message) if needed before Jan 1, 2003. They request that stations retransmit the information in the message 2 times per hour for the first 2 hours and once per hour for the next 3 hours.  They don't tell you what to do after the 5 hours, nor do they tell you how they will cancel and alert. They do not identify a website where additional information will be available.
	King Co. Plan . The initial alert will be sent as an EAS alert on the Central Puget Sound LRN (Local Relay Network). It will use the CAE Event code and will only be sent once. Follow up information will be provided on the webesite: http://www.govlink.org/news/rpin/ Stations are asked to broadcast the information immediately with an EAS relay or an Immediate PSA/News bulletin.  Stations are asked to cut a PSA/News Bulletin and use the "Amber Sounder" as a bed.  It is available at http://www.tmcentury.com/, either as a MP3 or a Wave File. Stations are asked to broadcast this 4 times per hour for the first 2 hours and then 2 times per hour for the next 4 hours.  After that it is once per hour until canceled or at the desecretion of the Broadcaster. If within the first 6 hours of the alert it is canceled then an EAS cancellation message will be sent as an ADR (Administrative Message).  This is not intended to be relayed or broadcast but it could be.  It is to notify all stations that the alert has been canceled.
	Snohomish Co. Identical to the King Co. Plan.  They will use the same web-site as KING Co. http://www.govlink.org/news/rpin/
	Pierce Co. . The initial alert will be sent via the CPS LRN and will use the CAE event code.  It will only be sent once. Additional and follow up information will be provided at: http://www.co.pierce.wa.us They make no mention of the "Sounder" and ask the information be repeated 2 times per hour for the first 2 hours and once per hour for the next 3 hours.  They do not say what to do after 5 hours, nor do they say how it will be canceled.
	Northern Puget Sound.       Whatcom,Skagit, & San Juan . The initial alert will be sent via the NPS LRN..  They will use the CEM code until Jan 1, 2003 at which time they will start using the CAE code. Additional and follow up information will be provided at.        www.ps.wwu.edu/AmberAlert There is no mention of the "Sounder" and they ask the information be repeated 4 times per hour for the first 2 hours and 2 times per hour for the next 4 hours.  Nothing is mention on what to do after the 6 hours.  Cancellation will be posted on web-site. . (Note:  This  is a secure web-site, so anyone who plans to access it must call Dave Doughty at WWU to obtain a password.  (360) 650-3555 )
	Franklin & Walla Walla  Co. The initial alert will be sent as an EAS alert on the Columbia Basin Operational Area's LRN (Local Relay Network). It will use the CAE Event code and will only be sent once. If additional information becomes available that would significantly increase its effectiveness, another AMBER alert may be sent, but no sooner than 15 minutes following the previous alert.  The decision to send another/additional AMBER alert must be warranted. Broadcasters are only asked to broadcast this message once, repetition is solely left to the discretion of the broadcasters (realizing any AMBER broadcast is voluntary on the broadcasters part). Additional/supplemental information may be faxed to local media as the situation warrants. The responsible Law Enforcement agency will probably utilize the Washington State Amber Hotline 1-877-AMBER35 to supply additional information and directions for the general public. The AMBER alert will usually be canceled within the first 6 - 12 hours (or as the situation warrants) by sending an EAS cancellation alert. An EAS cancellation message will be sent using the ADR code (Administrative Message).  It is sent to notify all stations that the alert has been canceled.
	Lewis County The initial AMBER Alert will be sent as an EAS alert on the Lewis Local Relay Network (LRN). The alert will utilize the Child Abduction Emergency event code CAE. The initial Alert will only be sent only  one time. There is no automatic re-broadcast unless specifically requested by the responsible law enforcement entity.  They will monitor the situation to determine if and when additional EAS- AMBER Alerts are necessary.  Because Lewis Co. radio stations are automated, the best that can be expected is an automatic relay. E-911 will fax the local broadcasters (KELA and KITI) a copy of the initial Media Notification Script as soon as the alert is transmitted.  The law enforcement entity requesting the alert is responsible to provide adequate personnel to handle the PIO functions. Thy are currently working on a website to provide additional information.  They intend to use this site until the state formalizes a central Amber website for statewide use. AMBER alerts will be canceled using an EAS alert with an Administrative Message ADR event code..
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