Did the loud noise from your phone startle you this morning?
An Amber Alert April 13 let Florida residents know about a “kidnapped child” out of Santa Rosa County in Florida’s Panhandle.
The 15-year-old girl was last seen April 7 in Milton.
Here’s what you should know and how you can help.
Amber Alert issued for teen from Santa Rosa County
An Amber Alert was issued April 13 for a missing 15-year-old girl out from Santa Rosa County.
Adriana Hernandez, 15, was last seen in Milton on April 7. She may have a reddish-brown tint in her hair, is 5 feet 1 inch tall with brown eyes, and weighs about 130 pounds.
Adriana may have traveled to Georgia, the FDLE said.
Where is Santa Rosa County in Florida?
Santa Rosa County is located in the western tip of the Florida Panhandle.
Milton, where Adriana Hernandez was last seen, is about 21 miles northeast of Pensacola or 160 miles west of Tallahassee.
Where is Milton, Florida?
Milton is a city and county seat of Santa Rosa County, Florida.
The Naval Air Station Whiting Field is located near the city, and was described as “the busiest Naval Air Station in the world.”
Who to call if you have information about a missing person
If you have any information about Adriana Hernandez, call:
What is an Amber Alert?
Florida’s Amber Alert program was established in 2000 to “broadcast critical information of an abducted child as quickly as possible to the media and general public.”
The alerts are intended to inform the public across a much larger area than just the immediate location where a child disappeared.
AMBER is an acronym standing for “America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.”
Why is it called AMBER Alert? Florida’s Amber Alert system: What to know about state’s plan when a child goes missing
How is the public notified of an Amber Alert?
The Florida Amber Plan is implemented via “radio, television, highway message signs, lottery machines, missingchildrenalert.com, and other resources that have been made available when a child abduction occurs,” according to the state’s website.
The program also sends alerts via email and free text messages.
The plan is meant to alert the public across a much broader area than where an abduction took place.
How does Florida’s Amber Alert process work?
Per the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the investigating local law enforcement agency contacts FDLE’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse.
The local law enforcement agency and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement decide what information will be broadcasted and the areas in which to broadcast.
How is an Amber Alert activated in Florida?
There are five criteria that have to be met before an Amber Alert can be issued in Florida:
See all active Amber Alerts in Florida
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains a list of all active Amber Alerts.
Can your turn Amber Alerts off on your cellphone?
Yes, on the iphone:
On an Android phone, go to:
How do you sign up for Amber Alerts?
If an alert is active in your area, it should automatically appear on your phone, unless you’ve turned it off. You can also sign up for social media accounts that will notify you when an Amber Alert is issued:
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://tallahassee.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Amber Alert issued for missing Florida girl. What to know, who to call
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
