FCC may create emergency code for missing indigenous persons

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Federal Communications Commission has announced a proposal to create a new emergency alert for missing and endangered people.

The agency said the Emergency Alert System, which delivers emergency information over television and radio, would “provide timely alerts to galvanize public attention to missing native and indigenous persons, as well as other groups, and build on efforts to collect comprehensive data on these cases.”

“Creating a new ‘Missing and Endangered Persons’ alert category can close this gap, help ensure no person who is missing and in danger is left behind, and save lives,” Democratic agency chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.

The FCC plans a vote on the proposal during its March 14 meeting.

The emergency alert for missing people, similar to AMBER alerts, would be expected to facilitate a more efficient and coordinated response across multiple jurisdictions, according to the proposal.

The proposal is the latest federal or state effort launched in recent years to address the growing crisis of missing and murdered cases involving Native Americans across the United States, which advocates said has largely been ignored, CNN previously reported.

California, Colorado and Washington are some of the states that have launched their own alert systems to assist in search efforts for an Indigenous person who has been reported missing.

“Here at the FCC, we’re exploring changes to our Emergency Alert System, which could make it easier for our public safety partners to use TV and radio to sound the alarm in these cases,” Rosenworcel told CNN. “Our hope is that this can build on the progress made with tools like AMBER alerts, which have contributed to return of so many missing and endangered children.”